Posted: September 29, 1998 at 10:46:40: by Martin Read
: Seing Jon restart the discussion about Bombadil's nature (uh the net has gone busy all of a sudden), I have to state an obvious fact- before we can confirm whether tom is a Maia or not, we must know, I mean really KNOW the nature of the Maias.
: And, no, I am not stupid, I know that they are the servants of the valar and probably, to a large extent, connented with each their own element- what does that tell us of their nature??? of what they really ARE? very little, it is hard to describe a man by saying that he is a Caucasian Office functionary.
: Has anybody got something deeper concerning the nature of maias, so we can establish that and then try to establish whether or not Tom COULD be one, for only Tolkien really knew (if even he did- personally I doubt it). Do I convey my meaning well enough??
: My own view of what the Maiar are is that they are members of the Ainur who entered the created world as helpers and servants of those greater Ainur who became Valar. That is that they entered a hierarchy of angelic beings within Arda. I think that any of the Ainur who didn't enter this hierarchy (or eventually Melkor's rival hierarchy) remained just Ainur. Thus being a Maia isn't a predetermined state but one which is assumed; just as a man is a man but he can enter an army and become a soldier. By this reasoning Bombadil is an Ainu but not a Maia. As I beleive that Tolkien's metaphysics are essentially based on the concept of "Free Will" I imagine that the Ainur were given a choice whether or not they wished to enter Arda, or if entering whether or not they joined the Valaric hierarchy. I would propose that Bombadil was an Ainu who entered Arda but did not join the hierarchy of the Valar. This would leave open how strong Bombadil was. From Gandalf's remarks on the subject he was ,in some respects at least, the equal of such figures as Sauron or Eonwe. Martin.
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