: Everybody, however, recognizes that Tolkien meant him to be an enigma. Some are just hell-bent on solving the enigma.

: Personally, that is good enough of an answer for me. In my mind, Bombadil is an unknowable, an unknown variable in creation. He is not an elf, or a man, or a dwarf, or a spirit. To me, he is Tom Bombadil, end of story. (As Goldberry says "That's the only answer." [paraphrase?]) I don't feel any compelling urge to try and "solve" the riddle (particularly since there isn't a solution). I enjoy the fact that he is one.

: Others feel differently.

I am intrigued by Letter 144 in which JRRT states:

"As a story, I think it is good that there should be a lot of things unexplained (especially if an explanation actually exists); and I have perhaps from this point of view erred in trying to explain too much, and give too much past history. Many readers have, for instance, rather stuck at the Council of Elrond. And even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally)."

So yes, Tom is an intentional enigma but what is fascinating is the first parenthetical which raises the probability that "an explanation actually exists." In other words, Tom was probably not an enigma to Tolkien.

I for one, think there is a tremendous amount of subtle clues about Tom in the LOTR. I've also been going through HOME to see how Tom was presented in the earlier drafts - written perhaps *before* Tolkien decided to make Tom an enigma. The drafts in HOME provide many interesting clues about Tom. However, use of these drafts lead to an unusual predicament: were the facts and clues in the old drafts taken out because Tolkien rejected the ideas they contained. Or were they taken out because they provided too much *correct* information and Tolkien wanted Tom to be an enigma?

Russ