# Of Aragorn and Bombadil



## Maeglin (Jan 2, 2003)

> "Few now remember them," Tom murmured, "yet still some go wandering, sons of forgotten kings walking in loneliness, guarding from evil things folk that are heedless." The hobbits did not understand his words, but as he spoke they had a vision as it were of a great expanse of years behind them, like a vast shadowy plain over which there strode shapes of Men, tall and grim with bright swords, and last came one with a star on his brow. Then the vision faded, and they were back in the sunlit world.



Has Bombadil met Aragorn before? Is that what is being implied here? Are they friends? Bombadil does not seem like one to go wandering, so Aragorn must have stumbled across him some how. And did Bombadil "send"(for lack of a better word) that vision to the Hobbits? Does he have the power to do that?


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## Celebthôl (Jan 2, 2003)

i think it does mean that Aragorn had met him or at least Bombadil knows of the forgotten kings and the vision was sent by Tom i think he would have the power to do that! but im not totally sure!

Thôl


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## Ghan-buri-ghan (Jan 2, 2003)

The Rangers watched over the old kingdom of Arnor, including the Shire. These guys don't shrink from (quoting Butterbur) "things to chill the blood." 

Aragorn's statements show he knew Bombadil. In first meeting Frodo at Bree he admits he hid in a ditch when Tom made his farewell's to them at the East road. Aragorn said something like he wasn't going to discuss what was said "by old Bombadil" but he did hear the name Baggins . . . etc.

Besides, Aragorn was a regular at the Prancing Pony. He knew all the "short cuts" around Bree. Since the border of Bombadil's lands were less than a day's ride south, it would seem logical he knew about Bombadil's lands and Tom.


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## BlackCaptain (Jan 2, 2003)

Im not sure what your trying to ask, or tell in this post.
So tom bombadil knows about rangers... so what! He knows about a lot of things. Remember, Bombadil is the lord of the Old Forrest, wich is in Northern Middle-Earth. Northern middle-earth is also the place were most rangers are. And since Bombadil has been around for a very long time, he must certainly know about Rangers, seeing as how they wander all of the land, including the Old Forrest probably, and i wouldnt doubt if Aragorn has wandered the Old Forrest before. Bombadil knows all that happens, and journeyes in the Old Forrest, and i think he told the Hobbits he knew of thier coming. 

Simply, Aragorn, or other rangers, have probably been in the forrest before, and bombadil must know.


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## HLGStrider (Jan 2, 2003)

Ghan beat me with those quotes, but they were what immediately came to mind... Aragorn does mention Tom quite familiarly... so I'd say they knew of each other... and maybe knew each other.


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## Ghan-buri-ghan (Jan 2, 2003)

In response my earlier post, Morgulking said:

"Im not sure what your trying to ask, or tell in this post."

But then HLGStrider responded and said, in part: 

"Aragorn does mention Tom quite familiarly... so I'd say they knew of each other... and maybe knew each other."

(Bowing to HLGStrider) Thank you sir. My point.

Aragorn spoke of "Old Bombadil," obviously recognizing this funny little creature by sight. Aragorn has GREAT familiarity with the region. His job is to PROTECT creatures in the region. Bombadil's HOME is in the region.

They knew each other.


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## Maeglin (Jan 3, 2003)

> _Originally posted by MorgulKing _
> *Im not sure what your trying to ask, or tell in this post.
> So tom bombadil knows about rangers... so what! *


 \

Fine, a better question perhaps is this: Can Bombadil tell the future? He sends them a vision and the last guy has a star on his brow, Aragorn's symbol(or Gondor's) is the tree with seven stars, so does Bombadil know that Aragorn will be one to finally reclaim the throne of Gondor?


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## HLGStrider (Jan 3, 2003)

I'd say all Aragorn's friends had faith in him, and many believed he would get his throne...

Arwen and Gandalf, for instance... Elrond hoped he wouldn't and hoped he would at the same time...


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## Maeglin (Jun 14, 2004)

Well, I was reading a little while ago and I got to thinking a little more about Bombadil and Aragorn, so I decided to resurrect this old thread. I'm just wondering if Bombadil had any idea that Aragorn was going to be waiting for the Hobbits at the Inn of the Prancing Pony? I just don't think Tom would send them out onto the road alone if he thought that it wasn't completely safe for a while, and they would have no guide; or that at least he would walk them to the Bree Gate if he suspected pursuit in the near future. Could this all be part of a big backup plan of Gandalf's, just in case? And did Gandalf maybe inform Bombadil ahead of time about the Ring, even though Tom seems to know nothing about it when he is with the Hobbits, and tells Frodo to tell him the whole story, but how much can you really trust what Tom B. says? I mean, he certainly isn't one to reveal what he knows very bluntly, he's as bad as an elf with that stuff!


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## HLGStrider (Jun 15, 2004)

I don't know. . .Bombadil always reminded me of the type who could deal with Danger if it were right in front of his face, but it would have to be RIGHT in front of his face and very obvious. I don't see him as the type of forecasts trouble on the journey and prepares ahead for it.


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## Arthur_Vandelay (Jun 15, 2004)

Maeglin said:


> Well, I was reading a little while ago and I got to thinking a little more about Bombadil and Aragorn, so I decided to resurrect this old thread. I'm just wondering if Bombadil had any idea that Aragorn was going to be waiting for the Hobbits at the Inn of the Prancing Pony? I just don't think Tom would send them out onto the road alone if he thought that it wasn't completely safe for a while, and they would have no guide; or that at least he would walk them to the Bree Gate if he suspected pursuit in the near future. Could this all be part of a big backup plan of Gandalf's, just in case? And did Gandalf maybe inform Bombadil ahead of time about the Ring, even though Tom seems to know nothing about it when he is with the Hobbits, and tells Frodo to tell him the whole story, but how much can you really trust what Tom B. says? I mean, he certainly isn't one to reveal what he knows very bluntly, he's as bad as an elf with that stuff!



Tom's inscrutability is perhaps a good reason why he might not have really translated well to the movies: how would you capture such inscrutability on film? Did Tom know that Aragorn would be waiting at the Inn? Who knows? Perhaps not--but I don't think it matters. Tom--being, well, _Tom_--is attuned to "Providence" (for lack of a better word), perhaps more than any other character (although that is arguable), and understands that however the tale may turn out, his part in it ends on the borders of his land along the Great East Road. 

Does Tom know about the Ring (i.e. that it is the _One Ring_)? Given his reaction to it, my guess is that he does recognise the Ring for what it is. Tom, you see, is a Big-Picture man--he has the kind of perspective that Sam obtains when he spies the star peering through the Mordor-wrack: history, for Tom, is but "a small and passing thing." Listen to the way he recounts--in oblique terms--the history of Cardolan and the Barrow-downs: as if he's watching a passing parade from his front porch. From the point-of-view of Elrond, Gandalf, the Fellowship, etc. the Ring is perilous; from Tom's perspective, it is utterly impotent and insignificant.


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## Barliman Butterbur (Jun 15, 2004)

Maeglin said:


> Has Bombadil met Aragorn before? Is that what is being implied here? Are they friends? Bombadil does not seem like one to go wandering, so Aragorn must have stumbled across him some how. And did Bombadil "send"(for lack of a better word) that vision to the Hobbits? Does he have the power to do that?



Wow! I never paid much attention to the whole Bombadil part of the story, because I just saw it as a kind of "break" from the rest of the plot line: pleasant reading, but not really necessary (I believe Tolkien included Bombadil because of a request of a child) except for their getting the swords from the Barrow Downs which were so necessary later in the Battle of the Pellenor Fields.

But as the matter stands, it appears that he certainly knew of the Rangers and probably of Aragorn, especially if Frodo's dream is to be given any importance. It wouldn't surprise me if this was Tolkien's intent.

Barley


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## HLGStrider (Jun 16, 2004)

The Bombadil sequence has a lot of foreshadowing. The Aragorn foreshadowing. The Ents are foreshadowed in that we have living trees.

But I always felt mostly, this was a first real adventure that was allowed to be slightly lighthearted for the sake of being lighthearted, slowing emersing them into danger instead of doing it right away. . .sort of like the Trolls. What do the Trolls have to do with the Hobbit's main plot? Nothing really. They get the swords there, and that's about it (As a matter of fact, they get swords on the Barrow Downs as well which turn out just as important as Sting in some ways). 

Anyways, Aragorn had been around too long not to know about Tom. . .especially considering that Butterbur had some contact with Tom and so did certain Hobbits. He wasn't all that secretive. I doubt Aragorn would have let such an obviously important in the grand scheme of things (Aragorn probably had heard of him from Elrond and knew something of who he was. . .whatever that may have been) go along so near without stopping by to at least observe. I doubt even Bombadil could forget the meeting. .well, perhaps he could, but I don't think he would. However, to him it wouldn't have been all that important, not worth mentioning, not worth thinking about, hey doll merry doll gay as a willow.


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