Tom Bombadil

Hello!

I have some questions about Tom Bombadil.

After reading the LotR I would say the following:

- the hobbits don't know Tom;
- Tom doesn't cross his own borders, not even for free ale;
- Tom knows and meets Farmer Maggot (probably in the Old Forrest if
  Buckland or the Marish aren't part of Tom's country), maybe he does
  business with him; after all Tom has bread and butter but no cows or
  corn fields;

So far, so good. But after finally getting my hands at the new version
of "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil", things aren't so clear anymore.

- the Buckland hobbits know Tom, the poems about Tom were written by
  them;
- Tom Bombadil is a bucklandish name given to this strange woodman by
  the Buckland hobbits;
- Tom visits the hobbits (including Farmer Maggot) from time to time
  and likes to drink ale ;-)

So what now? If the mysterious woodman Tom Bombadil is so known to the
hobbits that they have givven him this name and are making poems about
him, why don't Merry and Frodo remember at least his name?

Can Tom cross his borders to visit friends? Or are Buckland and the
Marish part of his country? After all nothing is really said about the
borders.

Stephan

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| Stephan Seitz         E-Mail: stse+usenet@rootsland.net |
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