Why Do You Say Tom Bombadil Was Affected by the One Ring?

Q: Why Do You Say Tom Bombadil Was Affected by the One Ring?

ANSWER: Because when people say that Bombadil was not “affected by the Ring” they mean there is no explicit scene in the book where Bombadil struggles to resist the Ring’s seduction — AND they are also reading a certain passage in a very narrow way (see below). Nonetheless, Tom was curious about the Ring (why else would he ask about it?) and there is, in fact, a scene where Tolkien uses subtle imagery to suggest that Tom was indeed “tested” by the Ring. That is, it tried to tempt him but because Tom had no desire for mastery over others (he only wanted to be master of himself) the Ring really had no way to get into his mind.

Of all the people who were clearly tempted by the Ring in the story, only Sam’s experience comes close to what Tom might have experienced. Sam was not “master” of himself the way Tom had become — but Sam had no real ambition to govern others or see the world ordered according to his whims. The best the Ring could do was promise Sam that he would be able to go forth and turn all of Middle-earth into a garden.

What might the Ring have tried to convey to Tom when he was glancing through it with a gleam in his eye? In the course of the story Gandalf, Aragorn, Galadriel, and Faramir are all clearly tempted by the Ring. Each of them struggles briefly for a moment before overcoming the temptation to take the Ring from Frodo (in fact, only Boromir fails the test). The Ring really has no effective power over any of these characters (other than Boromir).

It is the question of whether the Ring “has power over” anyone that causes division in assessments of Bombadil and the Ring. In “The Council of Elrond” Tolkien includes the following exchange:

`Could we not still send messages to him and obtain his help?’ asked Erestor. `It seems that he has a power even over the Ring.’

`No, I should not put it so,’ said Gandalf. `Say rather that the Ring has no power over him. He is his own master. But he cannot alter the Ring itself, nor break its power over others. And now he is withdrawn into a little land, within bounds that he has set, though none can see them, waiting perhaps for a change of days, and he will not step beyond them.’

Gandalf and Aragorn travel with Frodo for many days; neither attempts to take the Ring and Tolkien never shows that they are tempted by it. Both have already rejected the Ring outright. It is only Boromir who struggles with the Ring, in what may be the most protracted test because (perhaps) unlike all the others he was never given a chance to face the Ring squarely.

Aragorn’s test was brief but somewhat like Boromir’s: Whereas Frodo offered the Ring to both Gandalf and Galadriel, Aragorn simply knew he was in the presence of the Ring and suddenly realized that if he wanted it he could take the Ring. The narrative makes it plain that at that moment the Ring tempts him and Aragorn, like Faramir after him, has to decide for himself whether he will reach out and take it.

Several of the characters refer to these confrontations with the Ring as “the test”: Galadriel, Faramir, and Denethor. It is an experience unlike anything any reader of the story has faced, and Tolkien offers a “watered down” insider’s look at what the test is like when he shares what Sam experiences.

Given that Bombadil asked to see the Ring, and that he played with it and at one point had a gleam in his eye, I don’t see any justification for concluding that he was not tested by the Ring like others. Bombadil probably had the easiest test of all because he had already long before made his choice about mastery over others.

Bombadil allowed evil things to remain in his land — not because he wanted them there but because he did not want to destroy them. He probably set the boundaries of that land to keep those evil things from troubling Men and Hobbits (his neighbors). Gandalf’s comment about Bombadil suggests that he does in fact have some priorities, even if he would be an untrustworthy guardian for the Ring.

Bombadil didn’t believe in creating prisons for the barrow-wights and the old Willow; he just didn’t succumb to their evil ways. Hence, the Ring could have shown him a world where he roamed free and evil things didn’t bother him (perhaps didn’t bother anyone else). Or the Ring could have shown him a world where he could “master” anyone and anything. The point is that the Ring definitely could have shown him something, even if it was more absurd and silly than what it showed to Sam.

So, yes, Bombadil was affected by the Ring — more so than Barliman Butterbur, more so than Haldir the march-warden of Lothlorien. More so than Sam. It was Tom’s request to see the Ring and his confrontation with it that clearly established that the Ring was in his thoughts. For someone who didn’t really care about what was going on in the outside world, his request was highly unusual.

The Ring appears to have cherry-picked whom it would tempt. Most likely Tom could have returned the Ring to Mordor (and Sauron) — just as Gandalf could have, or Aragorn, or Galadriel, or Boromir, or Faramir. Sam was already there. But would Barliman have made a better Ring-bearer than Frodo? For that matter, would Legolas or Gimli? Why weren’t they tempted by the Ring?

The story does not posit that everyone was tempted by the Ring; rather, it shows us that only a very few people who ever come near it are in fact affected by the Ring. Elrond does not seem to have been tested. Glorfindel doesn’t pause and struggle to master himself when he comes near Frodo. What basis do we have for arguing that they would have been affected by the Ring?

Perhaps the difficulty here is that people don’t really stop to think about what “affected” means, which is really only “influenced or touched by”. It doesn’t mean conquered, controlled, or coerced into doing anything. Bombadil was definitely affected by the Ring, but its chances of turning him into a mule were probably no better (or worse) than its chances of seducing Sam.

For that matter, the Ring has a pretty bad record when it comes down to temptations and seductions. Isildur, Deagol, Smeagol, Saruman, and Boromir all were consumed by the Ring. Bilbo managed to let go of it (although he remained affected by it); Frodo managed to get it all the way to Mount Doom before claiming it; Sam gave it back to Frodo (somewhat reluctantly); Gandalf rejected it, Aragorn rejected it, Galadriel rejected it, and finally Faramir rejected it. So why is it so hard to accept that Bombadil had his opportunity and he also rejected it?

Anyway, that is why I say Bombadil was affected by the Ring. Your mileage may vary.

See also:

• Why Is Bombadil Always Left Out?
• Why Did Peter Jackson Leave Out Tom Bombadil?
• What is Tom Bombadil?
• If I Only Had a Bombadil (Essay Archive)

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