And even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. In the same letter where Tolkien mentioned that Bombadil wasn't necessary to the narrative, he also explicitly stated that, "As a story, I think it is good that there should be a lot of things unexplained (especially if an explanation actually exists). Nevertheless, in spite of his long acquaintance with Tom Bombadil, it turns out that Tolkien left the character underdeveloped on purpose. In fact, in a letter to his publisher in December of 1937, Tolkien pointedly referred to the preexisting character as "the spirit of the (vanishing) Oxford and Berkshire countryside" and even threw out the idea of making Bombadil the " hero of a story" all on his own. In other words, Bombadil wasn't a new element in Tolkien's mind when he wrote The Lord of the Rings. He first appeared in a publication of the Oxford Magazine over two decades before The Fellowship of the Ring came out. The mysterious character had already been invented much earlier in Tolkien's life. Still, if the author was already aware of the insignificant effect that Bombadil had on the storyline, it should come as no surprise that the character was one of the first elements to go when it came time to create a script. In a letter in 1954, Tolkien literally stated that, "Tom Bombadil is not an important person - to the narrative." Of course, he went on to explain that the character brought his own value and function to the Middle-earth experience. It's a fact that even Tolkien was well aware of. In other words, he doesn't add to the larger narrative. Along with the length of the film and the pacing, Jackson said that the primary reason for his exclusion was that "the Bombadil sequence has so little to do with Sauron or the Ring, it is difficult to justify the screen time." When asked about Bombadil's potential involvement, he quickly clarified that the character had been axed from the script. It turns out, though, that Jackson actually cleared the air on the decision in an interview with Ain't It Cool News way back in the late '90s, before The Fellowship of the Ring had even hit theaters. It's a question that's irked fans for a long time. The results? Tom Bombadil's backstory explained. We decided to tackle the puzzling conundrum that is Tom Bombadil to figure out who this fellow with his colorful garb, jolly personality, and over-the-top behavior really is. The author made that clear more than once in his personal letters. When you add on the fact that he was left out of the films, he becomes a downright enigma - trust us, even Tolkien would agree. Tom Bombadil is, by his very essence, a mysterious individual. He's brought up at the Council of Elrond, Gandalf makes plans to visit him after the Ring is destroyed, and the witty fellow possibly even makes an unconfirmed appearance in one of Sam Gamgee's original poems. Along with taking up a portion of the story with his larger-than-life personality, Bombadil is also referenced several times throughout the text. He also saves them from a run-in with some ghastly foes (who aren't in the movies, either). He hosts Frodo and his three hobbit friends as they travel between the Shire and Bree. The eccentric character is a fan favorite that makes multiple outlandish appearances early on in the books.
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