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Comment by jfmercer | Hacker News Reader

That fact alone--that, out of all of the characters, Tom alone has power of the Ring--is enough to captivate the reader's attention. Add to that the whole business of being "Oldest" and "Fatherless", yet being neither a Vala, nor a Maia, nor even Eru Iluvatar, is enough to make him worthy of deep scrutiny, research, conversation, and speculation.

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Actually, if I remember right, it was discussed (briefly) giving the ring to Tom. But Gandalf said the ring would eventually consume Tom in the end. I always wondered just how Gandalf knew this. Given that he confessed not really knowing what Tom was.

I always thought Tom was sort of "outside reality". Maybe Tom was the physical representation of Eru itself. Or maybe some aspect of Eru.

> Actually, if I remember right, it was discussed (briefly) giving the ring to Tom. But Gandalf said the ring would eventually consume Tom in the end.

You don't remember right. :)

I think what you are remembering is when the Council discusses leaving the Ring with Bombadil, at the end of which they conclude that it wouldn't work; even if you could make him accept, he would lose it, or forget the necessity and importance of it, and even if he didn't, then all of Middle-Earth would fall to Sauron (who can torture even the hills), last of all Tom: Last as he was First. There is no suggestion that the Ring would ever afflict Tom.

> "Could [Sauron's] power be defied by Bombadil alone? I think not. I think that in the end, if all else is conquered, Bombadil will fall, Last as he was First; and then Night will come."

Well ok at least I got it generally right. It was a long time ago. In fact, might be time to reread LOTR and the Silmarillion.

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