Why You Shouldn't Skip this Chapter of The Lord of the Rings

[@MarleyFett]

"bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.'🎶🎵🥰❤️✌️

[@obxwave]

I was eight years old when I first read LOTR…in 1975…Fog on the Barrow Downs was possibly the most ominous and terrifying thing I’d ever read.

[@solharv7817]

Love this channel because you discuss The Lord of the Rings as actual works of literature and analyse its storytelling and themes, rather than just treating it like a lore wiki page

[@internetenjoyer1044]

yeah a lot of channels treat Lord of the Rings like it's some cheap pulp franchise with an extended universe to mine for cool lore factoids. if you're not getting the lore from the medium itself you're losing out on the aesthetic experience

[@yomamma.ismydaddy216]

I feel ya that’s why I appreciated “Tolkien lore”s channel so much when I found him, he’s always exploring ideas based directly on the text itself

[@GirlNextGondor]

His videos are excellent. 😊

[@Enerdhil]

​@@yomamma.ismydaddy216 Yes. Joshua and Lexi are two of the best. Throw in Steven of The Red Book and you have a perfect deep dive triumvirate.👍😁

[@yomamma.ismydaddy216]

@@Enerdhil and the two dudes that have ‘the one ring’ channel have also clearly read and re-read the books and especially the silmarillion many many times and they have some great insights, really don’t understand why their channel isn’t more popular, probably bc they do very little watering down so their discussions can be very dense

[@beatleblev]

At some point in my college readings of LotR (maybe iteration 6-8?) I realized that the Hobbits are making increasingly poor decisions. After their stay at Tom's house, you forgot to mention that they camped in the spooky graveyard. That is teenagers in a horror movie stupidity. I blamed the Ring. Pre 1409 TA I suppose there would be no harm in sleeping with the ancestors on an Arnorian camping trip, but it's a hard pass in 3018 TA. The Ring is also suspect in coaxing Frodo to abandon his best buddy butler and his cousins to the wights complete with forethought on what we were going to tell Gandalf. Amid the natural world hostility and the Ring following its programming to get back to Sauron, we get good old Master Tom. If Gandalf is Sauron's opposite, Tom is his contrast. For Tom the One IS the "last of rings' and a 'fancy' while on the other hand, no one is more rightly ensnared by the One Ring than its maker. Tom is the Master of himself and from there he is able to master the world around him. In contrast, Sauron Masters others, but not himself. Instead, he has spent himself, into an externalized object and became its slave as well as its lord.

[@AquaStockYT]

Spoken like a true voluntaryist. I wonder what kind of philosophy J.R.R. Tolkien believed in~ hey whawhuwhawayayait a minute!

[@miaththered]

People skip this chapter? The chapter where they died in the tutorial without the "unessential character that rambles for no reason"? Like, I cannot stress that enough; they were barely out of the Shire when they were almost bodied.

[@GirlNextGondor]

*Repeatedly* almost bodied 😂after a chapter's worth of hyping themselves up, no less

[@miaththered]

Exactly! @@GirlNextGondor

[@slappy8941]

I consider this chapter to be a litmus test to determine whether someone is a true Tolkien fan, or just a filthy casual.

[@shlomoishtov7617]

Or a 40 year fan, who is just tired of reading it... I skip it. It's fluff.

[@hughmann9568]

​@@shlomoishtov7617 ok buddy ok. "fluff" means no merit not worth reading. As a "40 year fan" you think you would know better. At least have a solid reasoning. Such as. I don't like that part. It's boring or uninteresting. Don't try to pretend it isn't important for tone and pace.

[@jonhartz2136]

Fatty Lumpkin is second only to Cthulhu as regards Eldritch horrors.

[@valaraukar_595]

The way I CACKLED! 😂

[@richtomchuk1584]

Farmer Maggot: Do I mean nothing to you?!

[@gabrielblanchard3921]

no wonder the barrow-wight ran away from him, really

[@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115]

Thou shall not skip any chapter, any song or any poem , under threat of losing a trove of deep storytelling.

[@Minicheche250]

I listened to them on audible ( andy serkis version) and im so glad i did, his voice was soo fitting for immersion especially the old forest

[@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115]

@@Minicheche250 I've listened some Tolkien poems with Christopher Lee's voice.

[@beatleblev]

So...starting at "Many Meetings" is right out? Oops.

[@dontgivetwothwips3615]

I skip the poems and songs; can’t stand them. The characters always give a summary of the song before and/or after that gives the gist of what’s being sung about. I also dont like musicals

[@David_Fellner]

@@dontgivetwothwips3615 That's fair. When I first read the books I skipped most of the songs and poems too. Over time I've gained an appreciation for them, with Éomer's "Now for wrath" song being one of my favorite passages. . . That said, Sam's troll song still does nothing but annoy me.

[@TolkienLorePodcast]

I’ve never had a problem with these chapters, maybe because I was young and VERY uncritical when I first read LOTR, but even now that I’m older and wiser you still managed to shed even more light on how much character development happens in these chapters.

[@docopoper]

Tom Bombadil reminds me of when I've been watching the news too much and am getting drawn into thinking about the forces for and against my worldview of how to make the world better. And then I encounter somebody who isn't politically engaged at all. And being in their presence makes me happy, takes the stress off my shoulders and makes me remember how much more there is to life. That's not to say that we can all be Tom Bombadil all the time. But it's far too easy to forget especially in the modern world that there is value in not fighting and instead taking time to just be.

[@Strideo1]

I always loved the part where the hobbits settle down to sleep in Tom's house and Frodo has his dream. I can't exactly explain why but something about the coziness and safety of Tom's home on the edge of the spooky Barrow Downs and the hostile Old Forrest feels special.

[@anarchorepublican5954]

because...during the most fearful and direst of times...there is always rest and comfort for those that dwell in the House of olde TOM...

[@michaelr.grimmer6660]

Gandalf explained later that even if they gave the ring to Tom, Sauron would burn the entire world down just to find it. So it would do them no good even though he can’t be influenced by it. This speaks volumes about the age and abilities Tom has, always wondered exactly who Tom is, and where he came from.

[@ahennessy7998]

Bombadil is the GOAT who inadvertently killed tbe witch king

[@dw1419]

It was all part of Eru’s plan :)

[@PorkSword_actual]

He knew.

[@Rakhamon]

I've always been a huge fan of the Old Forest part. Never understood why some people dislike Tom Bombadil. Something I thought a lot about after your Ainulindale video is how well Tom's "powers" fit in with the idea of Middle-Earth as a subcreation of song. "His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster." Tom sings, which is a perfect encapsulation of the nature of his "power" as part of the great themes of Middle-Earth. Another good one!

[@niyamimbi1179]

thank you! loved the writing on Sam's reaction to the willow "how persistent vegetation can be", and avid horticultural zeal " indeed!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Composed that paragraph while trying to weed my bermuda-grass infested border 😂

[@Enerdhil]

​@@GirlNextGondor Do you live on the fairway of a golf course?😅

[@adventussaxonum448]

As someone who grew up in the shadow of downs with bronze age barrows on them, and next to a large, dark wood, I loved these chapters.

[@Captain_Insano_nomercy]

England?

[@EriktheRed2023]

I never felt the Old Forest or Bombadil were abrupt, incongruent, or anything like that. Maybe because the first time I heard the story, I was about eight or nine, and my dad was reading it to the whole family. I had not yet absorbed enough story-stuff to see how Tolkien was playing with expectations. But even these days, I still seem to see parallels to other stories. It's not unusual for a Germanic or Viking protagonist to gain a sword from entering a haunted barrow. Sigmund regains the sword given to him by Odin when he is buried alive. Or the protagonist gets a weapon or special knowledge by going to someone like a dwarf, who lives outside society and has their own agenda and special skills. But Tolkien, of course, puts his own spin on it, making it more 'modern' and naturalistic, in addition to putting it firmly within his subcreated world.

[@s3p4kner]

The trees would be a bit narky wouldn't they, given one of the hobbits is carrying the greater part of an evil that would burn the world just to mould the ashes.

[@GirlNextGondor]

I had not considered that the trees might be reacting simply to the Ring's presence, but given that the works of Sauron tend to have... industrial results, it makes perfect sense.

[@andytorres2395]

The Old Forest and Barrow Downs are my favorite part in the novels.

[@tiltskillet7085]

Are you saying it's all down hill from there? :P

[@markus-hermannkoch1740]

A good runner up. My personal favorite scene is when Gandalf heals Théoden King.

[@NoMercy8008]

I have been binging through literally 75% of your channel in the last two days or so, listening while playing some games, and i intend to listen through the remaining videos shortly. So obviously, i am really really enjoying them! ^-^ I love that your content is not just about explaining, but mostly focused on interpretation, connotation and expansion, if you will, digging deeper into the lore and the writing itself 💛 There is quite obviously a lot of insight to be gained, and you can never gain too much Tolkien insight, i'd say :D Thank you so so much, i deeply appreciate it ❤ ALL the best ^-^

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you so much for the feedback! Scratching the surface and going one step beyond the 'lore' itself to find the insights it can offer is one of my main goals, so I'm really glad to hear you've been enjoying that aspect! 🥰

[@lulubelle4850]

All this plus thank you for not using announcer speak.

[@jimbombadill]

I used to think it was a some what anoying sidestep but i come to love it more and more. It gives more layers and growth to the characters and the world. We only scratch on the serfice of what Tom tells them while he is talking to them in his house, and as that it dosnt give the reader as much meat on the bone as the shadow of the past or the councuil of Elrond. The older i get the more i find my favorite chapters in the beggining of the book. Three is company is almost my favorite now, since that is when they meet the elfs for the first time.

[@colindunnigan8621]

One irony that I have is that I while I too have come to enjoy these chapters, I still have trouble is the introduction of Treebeard, which is a not insignificant plot point.

[@jimbombadill]

@@colindunnigan8621 you mean Tom Bombadil ?

[@mikeMakhno]

I may be weird, but the Old Forest has always been one of my favourite bits.

[@mattmccartney5996]

I'm the exact opposite. I only read the old forest chapter. Sure I don't know what happened to the ring, but I'm sure everything worked out in the end. It always does. p.s. Old Man Willow was innocent. p.p.s. Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger was one of the blue wizards.

[@GirlNextGondor]

#estel-pilled

[@robingile4301]

Fatty was a Blue Wizard? Excellent, thank you!

[@Hero_Of_Old]

​@@GirlNextGondorlmao

[@Valdagast]

The wilderness is not nice in Tolkien. The landscape of Middle-Earth is alive, and it is not overly fond of humans (or other Incarnates). Tolkien has an amazing feel for the beauty and dangers of the wild.

[@williamhealey1223]

I read this series when I was a boy. I believe it was 1980. What you are describing is now called High Fantasy. But what it was when it was written was an example of masterful storytelling. The first true masterpiece of world building done by a literary man. Few authors of any true note prior to him invested such massive amounts of time into what then was a relatively "frivolous" type of literary field in the eyes of academia at the time. He invented languages and cultures and religions. Things now taken for granted in fantasy today took him a lifetime (more) to compile. And don't forget this was there may have been a (world) war happening somewhere... maybe... Just saying. I'm glad that there are still readers that can see past the more superficial aspects of good tale and into the heart of masterly written and many layered fantasy classic. Enjoy your reading.

[@striker8961]

It has occurred to me that even when the filmmakers omitted things, they made careful to cover their asses and include important details that by all accounts they could have skipped, but it shows that they really cared about what they were making. Aragorn giving the hobbits swords instead of Tom is one of those details. As a ranger of the north, presumably those ancient blades wouldn't be beyond his grasp and we can dream that Merry carries it all the way to the Pelenor.

[@Ancientreapers]

I always viewed Tom as the opposite being to Ungoliant.

[@GirlNextGondor]

It is perhaps notable that, while Spooky Woods appears to be the preferred habitat of Ungoliant's spawn, there's no sign or mention of spiders in Tom's neck of the woods.... 😂

[@Enerdhil]

​@@GirlNextGondor Maybe Tom couldn't rhyme the word "spider" with anything and decided to keep them a secret.🕷️🕸️🤫

[@zimmerwald1915]

​@@EnerdhilI refuse to believe Tom couldn't have come up with "attercop" or something like it.

[@Enerdhil]

@@zimmerwald1915 🎼 Hey stop. 🎶Attercop. 🎵Ring-a-ding my hearty. 🤔🎶

[@siriondil4739]

Oh boy I’m always thrilled to see a new video. The topics are so varied I never know what will be next, love them all.

[@Jeffrey_Tyler]

I've never seen that quote that was up at the beginning of the video but that is how I always thought of Tom. He shows you that there is so much more to this world than even Gandalf and Elrond know. And that as wise and old as both of them are, even they don't know everything. Or they do know and they aren't willing to divulge that information. Either way it's a sense of mystery that shows the world is way bigger than the scope of the story.

[@tonybaker1268]

This channel is consistently knocking it out of the park. Gotta be my favorite KZbinr.

[@alexshadowfax1119]

Wait, people skip chapters when reading Lord of the Rings?

[@Strideo1]

Only the most impatient and depraved of readers would do such a thing.

[@a5cent]

If I ever have legislative power, this will become a criminal offense ;-)

[@keithbass1094]

I don’t know how they do that !

[@Enerdhil]

Lazy and/or unimaginative readers, I suppose.

[@larsskogh7562]

Tic toc brain do that 😜

[@johnberner5320]

Fascinating analysis. I've noted that both Fellowship of the Ring chapters dealing with forests, "The Old Forest" and "Lothlorien," are both Chapter Six. In "The Old Forest," the hobbits are drawn to the southeast towards the Withywindle River, a stream associated with Goldberry. This place of maximum enchantment (and danger in the form of Old Man Willow) seems to be Goldberry's origin point. I haven't read The Adventures of Tom Bombadil in a long time but I recall a song or poem about Tom meeting her there. That Goldberry, such a benign character, comes from a mysterious and apparently sinister place indicates to me that the Old Forest is the kind of locale that reacts to the mental and physical viewpoints and actions of those passing through it.

[@backwashjoe7864]

For some reason, reading the comment section while musing about this video, triggered the thought of Goldberry meeting Galadriel, and the diva staring contest that would ensue. :)

[@TheBrothersArda]

Never understood the desire to skip any of Tolkien's chapters, as his is a book where every sentence, every chapter is of key importance and is integral in establishing all that happens later on in the book. Can't wait to reach this chapter, with Matt from Dork Lords for our book-club streams.

[@RadicalCaveman]

I never knew there WAS such a desire.

[@er6730]

I tend to skip parts. All the descriptions are too much for me, and also the miserable slog of Sam and Frodo is a tempting one to skip. I like reading Tom Bombadil in a happy bewilderment, although I admit that my eyes tend to slide to the end of his song after a few lines. The whole logistically knotty friend conspiracy is a very essential part of the story and I am sorry it didn't make the movie. I think it's okay to skip ahead. Every time I read it, I can find something new! If I didn't let myself skip pages, I wouldn't read it at all, or perhaps only read it once as a kind of ordeal. Tip for people like me who do want to read the whole book: listen to it as an audio book! That way you can do the ironing while listening to the description of which exact trees grew to the west, which way the river flowed, what the tributaries leading into that river are called, and the exact order of everything, AND not lose your mind with boredom! Plus you've finally done all the ironing. 👍

[@EriktheRed2023]

/slaps like button "Old Algorithm, eh? Naught more than that?"

[@GirlNextGondor]

GirlNextGondor is a lass, not a fellow Bright blue the logo is, and her text is yellow....

[@joseraulcapablanca8564]

This was as ever good stuff GNG. This chapter is a wonderful transition, especiialy for the fan of the Hobbit, as i was when i first read it more than fifty years ago, the Hobbit is a book for children, i then was becoimng grown up as does the story in LotR. the frustration of their attempts to move forward seem almost to reflect Tolkiens frustration with the same, though this famously came much later in the story. i honestly believe that Bombadil is wheter the professor was aware of it a reflection of the author, more particularly the author as analogised in Leaf by Niggle. Thanks and keep up the good work.

[@robingile4301]

And Gandalf is going to have a long talk with Bombadil, that would be so fine to hear.

[@joshuacooley1417]

I think one reason a lot of people don't care for Tom and the Old Forest is that they read primarily for plot. C.S. Lewis wrote a paper called "The Kappa Element in Romance" in which he spoke about a hidden or cryptic aspect of stories that he felt was essential. It is something like the atmosphere of the story. It is like setting, but it is not simply reducible to the setting. If you think of the setting becoming a feeling that the story evokes, that might be something like it. He referred to this as the "kappa" element because kappa was the first letter of the Greek word for cryptic or hidden. I bring that up because I think Tolkien shared Lewis' view on that topic. In this view plot is less important than the qualitative atmosphere of the story. In this view, setting is more than simply where the story takes place, it is a key element in the reader's experience of the story. I think this view is also expressed in Tolkien's essay, On Fairy Stories where he makes the point that fairy stories are not those which have fairies in them, but rather those that involve the realm of Faerie. This to me seems to be making a similar point, that it is neither the plot nor the content that specifically makes a story a Faerie Story, but rather the setting, or perhaps more accurately the qualitative atmosphere of the Realm of Faerie.

[@bwrochat7564]

Love your videos, Lexi. You delve into topics at a depth of philosophical thought, reflection, consideration, and analysis that I have only casually navigated as a reader all the while moving in a linear direction to the next chapter. You answer questions, confusion, and curiosities casual readers like me likely dismiss when we finish reading.

[@joannemoore3976]

His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster. I really enjoy the Tom chapters and there is a lot of development particularly for Frodo..it is also one of several respites in the story and one of the enchanted places. Great Vid 👍 and I also absolutely love the art work.

[@robingile4301]

Tom Bombadil is wonderful and Goldenberry is so much glorious grandness too. Fatty Lumpkin is a treasure. Any one who does not appreciate this is a little sad. Then there is the sword Merry carries....

[@robingile4301]

Good point with Sam!

[@BillB23]

This is a very nice dive into the legendarium. The frustration continues in the marsh between Bree and Weathertop. Thereafter perils encountered are just that: perilous and not tedious. In the 40 years since I first read the Professor's tales I continue to learn, and you have proved to be a deft teacher. Thank you.

[@juryrigging]

I've never really seen Tom as out of place. The first time I tried reading LotR I was young and had literally just finished my first reading of the Hobbit. Tom could, in a way, be likened to Beorn and the Old Forest to Mirkwood (though obviously meeting each element in reverse). It was the Barrow-downs that stopped that first read through. Frodo getting lost in the fog felt extremely long back then. I think for me it was the point where the tone really began to shift away from being the Hobbit part 2. I struggled and gave up. Had I waited before delving into ME again it probably wouldn't have been a problem. When I did come back years later I couldn't even pinpoint where I stopped reading, that whole section was shorter than I remembered, and here was old Tom again for one last hurrah before we are brought to the outskirts of a much grander, more sober tale. But more than that, these chapters work in the grand scheme and establish some things (whether consciously by Tolkien or not). Some you mentioned, others you didn't. * It makes no sense going along the road, as there is no way they would not be caught before getting very far without stretching credulity. * In escaping conflict (the Nazgûl) by getting off the road, they needed to get into some other conflict that would not later interfere with the main conflict. * The mention of "tree-men" seen by Sam's cousin Hal, and the trees of the Old Forest being somewhat sentient, anticipate the Ents, making them much less far-fetched by the time you meet them. * Given the requirement for a sidequest as per the first two points, something that would later prove important had to be obtained. From the troll-hoard Bilbo got Sting. From the Barrow-downs come the blades of Westernesse and the means to defeat the WK. * The Barrow-downs also sees their first loss of amenities, long before they expect it and when they have barely even left their own lands: they are forced to wear their warmer clothes before the weather turned because the Barrow-wights stole the ones they were wearing. It's a small point, but I think significant. Unless they had the concept of off-the-peg clothing in Bree, they only had one set of clothes each all the way to Rivendell. * The Old Forest is a danger they "know" but don't truly appreciate. The Barrow-downs was a danger they never would have dreamed of. In both cases disaster was only averted because they were rescued by someone more knowledgeable than they. This gives more weight to Frodo's decision to trust Strider in Bree when it becomes clear Gandalf won't be joining them. For these chapters to work, someone like Tom had to be there. First, the rescuing needed to be by someone who could command Old Man Willow and stand against the Barrow Wight. Perhaps and Elf might have been capable. If Gildor's company had been moved back a few chapters he could have travelled through the Old Forest and dealt with Old Man Willow, or perhaps their been going along the road may have scared off the Wight (despite them being far off), but probably not both, and no Elf would likely have raided the barrow. This leads to the second point, it needed a local with vast knowledge. He knew how to deal with both issues, remained in the area in case they needed further assistance, and knew what to look for in the daggers. He also clarifies the nature of the ring. It seeks mastery, as Sauron wishes to master all the people of Middle Earth. Tom is already master of himself, and over him nothing holds dominion (with the corollary that having no hold over him, he could not hold the ring in his mind to safeguard it, as we learn later). So we see a very clear limit of its power early on in the narrative where it doesn't damage the build up later when the stakes are higher. Those limits are important, because without them Galadriel, Gandalf, and Faramir could not have declined the ring when they had the chance to take it, despite temptation, and Sam would not have been able to return it to Frodo. Each, knowing the danger the ring possessed, took mastery of their desires long enough to reject it. I'm trying to think of any other being in LotR that could fit this role. If he didn't have Tom already there to insert into the lore, he'd have probably come up with something similar. I'm sure there is still more than can be said, but in all I think the Bombadil chapters serve a good purpose.

[@StrivetobeDust]

Thank you. the journey through The Old Forest has always been the section I come back to most.

[@eluthiccgol4715]

Ooooh watching now!

[@machatero1]

Every time one of your videos end, all I can say is, "Wow!". Your explanations were exquisite and honest. Thank you.🌞

[@winterxgreen3255]

When I read this chapter first as a child I couldn't do it. When I re-read it later on it kind of blew me away and I really enjoyed it. Tom Bombadil is the man.

[@joshuapatrick682]

the end card where smiling elves high five each other at the burning of the Swan Ships of the Teleri is kind of amazing. Everyone is happy except Maehdros who is the only one I can identify because the hair.

[@bigsarge2085]

I always appreciated this seeming interlude in the wider narrative.

[@louisebrouillette5580]

Another insightful video. I personally like the chapter, so it was great to hear your thoughts which prods me to look at it more closely. Well done, Lexi!

[@AndrewWhite_Arts_and_Projects]

I've always adored Bombadil. I like the way the journey created a sense of verisimilitude. A sense that the world is old and dark and doesn't fit neatly into a convenient myth

[@johnries5593]

"Until the Dark Lord lifts his hand...". In the Barrow Wights' incantation, Tolkien made it clear where their allegiance lay.

[@eschelar]

Very nice analysis. Well told and we'll narrated to. I was busy with something in another tab and enjoyed just the cadence of your voice telling a story I have known well for years. Glad to see your channel is growing. 😊

[@kragary]

Brilliant analysis!

[@bryanmatthews2370]

Disappointing Tom wasn't in the Jackson fellowship, the bakshi fellowship, or the BBC dramatization of fellowship. I think I've only seen Tom bombadil in the fellowship game from way back when

[@patriciofernandez6500]

I play LOTRO. Much respect to the lore you may find.

[@bryanmatthews2370]

Was he in lotro? I haven't played that in ages.

[@patriciofernandez6500]

@@bryanmatthews2370 with cinematics and dungeons and his wife and stuff.

[@jarrodcarver9001]

Great video Lexi! 🙂

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you!! 😁

[@jcreation369]

In full disclosure, whilst I have read the Hobbit multiple times, I have not yet read The Lord of the Rings and my familiarity with the story comes only from movies and youtube videos exploring various aspects of Tolkien's creation. Having said that, this topic is so interesting to me. I've often found that enlightening aspects of a story that bring enrichment to the tale can get lost in the woods (if you'll pardon the pun)of directorial edits. Once I have finished the fictional series I am reading, The Lord of the Rings is on my to read-list!😊 Hopefully, if I find myself falling asleep😴 during this part of the story, the keen insights presented so thoughtfully here will serve to help me wake up😳 and find my way back to the path, maybe worse for the wear, but perhaps a bit wiser for having not skipped this chapter. 👏

[@kevinrussell1144]

Well done, well said. The Old Forest/TB story has long been my favorite part of the Fellowship. The Shadow of the Past is more crucial to laying out the guts of the story and tying it to Middle earth lore and history, but these Bombadil doings, even the first time I read them, seemed much more meaningful and mysterious than the simple text would suggest. In a word, I was enchanted, and you can't buy that. The layers of "chance and happenings" that branch out from the Old Forest sojourn are thought provoking and then some.

[@ericvanvlandren8987]

Great video - so many good points.

[@sterisharms1468]

the resolution of reaching tom's house feels so nice I love how a relief of tension in the lord is the rings usually comes with good food, which really characterises the place the character have come to and I particularly like tom's food

[@EricGasz69420]

I always viewed this part of the Fellowship as the “we’re not in Kansas anymore” moment for the Hobbits. Love the comparison between the Old Forest and Lothlórien in their attempts to maintain the status quo and memories of the Eldar Days. I never thought about the similarities between Tom and Galadriel, just two ageless living legends beefing with servants of darkness and babysitting a couple wayward Hobbits! Do you think the Valar knew of Tom Bombadil? Thanks for the videos! They rock!

[@kollibriterresonnenblume2314]

I've been a Tolkien fan for over 40 years and this is the best analysis of the Old Forest / Bombadil / Barrow downs episodes that I have ever encountered. Very very good work!!

[@marjae2767]

It's a difficult couple chapters, and held me up the first few times I started reading.

[@Ray-lw2rh]

I love that chapter. Tom Bombadil is such an interesting and intriguing character. I always loved the mystery behind him.

[@fifi-trixibell1888]

This is my favourite part of the book. It has the best atmosphere.

[@richardbergmark6722]

Excellent work!

[@thefriendlyhobbit]

The quote from Gandalf about danger to till I was something that I have not thought about for a long while but is truly one of my favourite passages in the books, how it evokes such a heartfelt caution about the perils he faces but also how much peril he and his company bring. I'd forgotten it until you reminded me and a rush of nostalgia reminded me why I loved these books I've not read in way too long. Also other videos I've seen this earlier today bringing all the hallmarks\first a\been and luthien etc. back to mind. Thx 😍

[@thefriendlyhobbit]

At the end that was meant to say silmarillion, beren and luthien, and first age tales. Auto correct isn't that useful for fantasy.

[@shanenolan5625]

Thanks lexi

[@scottperry7311]

I think you made a good point, one I had not considered before. Old Man Willow, Tom Bomb Bombadil, and the Barrow Wights are a transition of a story that is safe in the shire to a more dangerous world outside. While as an old D&D player I often looked at this part of the books as added adventure or some greater look at the world, it does make sense that it is also a transition, started with the Riders hunt for him in the shire, to a greater understanding of just how the dangerous the world outside the Shire is and the obstacles the hobbits will face. I say obstacles not enemies, mind you. Because some of the greatest allies of the forces of good turn out to be greater expressions of the threats in these chapters. Old Man Willow might have been a mortal threat to the Fellowship, but Treebeard, the Ents and the Fangorn Forest prove to be a powerful force that helps defeat the forces of Saurman. Also while the Borrow Wights of the Borrows Downs may have been mortal enemies of the Fellowship once again, the Oath Breaks, spirts cursed to be bound to the earth for all eternity because the broke their oath until released by the line of the Kings, prove to be a major force in helping to defeat the forces of Sauron at Minas Tirith. While neither of these events defeats Sauron directly they do help the forces of the free people eventually win the war.

[@Blink-Ensu]

That was not only a well researched and reasoned defense of the inclusion of those chapters it was also well written. Thank you for the education!

[@youareivan]

I enjoyed your video. I always felt this part of the story was an introduction for the reader- and the hobbits- to how much older and more complex the world of the books were than they expected. It was a great way to gently transition readers of The Hobbit, which has a very different feel, to the darker tone of The Lord of the Rings. While I understand why a film maker might have trouble working out how to make the whimsical tone of Bombadil fit in with the more serious feel of the rest of the story, I was surprised Peter Jackson didn't embrace it. I'm not particularly a fan of Jackson expressly because a lot of his work has very goofy and silly parts to it. If anyone could have managed to make this part of the story work it seems to me Jackson would be uniquely qualified to do so.

[@LordCivers]

The entire chapter has the best vibes. I've always felt it was unfairly viewed, i think the Old forest is my favourite place in Middle Earth, a feral and ancient place where you can get truly lost, and i love Tom/Goldberry quietly vibing amidst their hellhole of a forest because they know nothing can get to their all-powerful asses. And the surreal feeling... (the only thing that absolutely irks me is Tom bossing his wife like she's his maid, i mean i know this has been written in the 50s but come on they're fucking deities)

[@stefanlaskowski6660]

I didn't see that at all. Tom obviously loves and respects Goldberg, and she reciprocates that love and respect. I think you're reading too much into it.

[@LordCivers]

@@stefanlaskowski6660 well yes and no. Ofc they love and respect each other, but it isn't mutually exclusive with what i said. Although i admit it isn't as bad as i remembered ; i've just read it to answer you. And sure, "bossing around" is maybe too strong, english isn't my native language 🤷 What i meant is that Goldberry's only role is to tend to the guests and sing. When the hobbits and Tom stay late in the night to speak serious matter (like when Tom asks Frodo to lend him the Ring) she never attends, she goes to bed or is out for her "laundry and autumn cleansing day". And while Tom is revered by his guests for being an ancient, powerful and knowledgeable being, Goldberry is... beautiful, and that's about it. And soothing, but so is Tom too It still is my favourite part of the books tho, and i love the duo more than ever 🤷

[@er6730]

​​​@@LordCiversI agree with you, and especially as a teenager it raised my hackles. Now I'm middle aged, and I think it's mostly that she was uninterested in the ring, even less than Tom. She sees there are guests, she's hospitable and friendly, but she's got her own things to do and is very much of the attitude "don't bother me with trifles". (Possibly she's changing the actual season? I've never quite been sure about that) And of course, it fits with the whole "women aren't companions" vibe. Perhaps Tolkien saw real life the same way, due to a mixture of all-boys boarding school from a very young age, and the war? I think it was very different for people back then. If my son had been sent away at age 8, and after that only saw his mother and sisters (who would have been 3 and 5 when he left) for a few weeks of the year, he'd have a very different idea of what women and girls are like than what he does now.

[@benjaminbravo5047]

I wish I could like this more than once! Thank you

[@S.A.S.H.]

Nice job including the "Hero's Journey" into your analysis. I've always considered Tom and this part of the story to be integral, and have always bemoaned the exclusion of it from cinematic efforts.

[@colindunnigan8621]

That image at 1:17. "Go on, put on the RIng. You just KNOW you want to..."

[@benjythatsme]

"Yellow-booted anomolies". I can always rely on an unexpected laugh from your videos. I love the mix of truly scholarly analysis with just a random sprinke of snark. Thanks very much for consistently excellent content!

[@mrmeowmeow710]

Another great gem of a video loved it👍👍

[@patrickw711]

Book 1 contains a lot of foreshadowing, particularly of Fangorn Forest. There’s Sam’s cousin’s spotting of an apparent Ent. There’s the Old Forest trees and Old Man Willow prefiguring the Huorns. And there are plenty of parallels between Tom and Treebeard.

[@emtiger3]

Huzzah! Three cheers for Bombadil!! May he one day NOT be absent in a major dramatic rendering of our great tale! Maybe, even, his own miniseries on Netflix or another major market outlet! Huzzah! One thing I must protest - that Fatty Lumpkin be included in a listing of "Eldritch Horrors?!" If he is, he is the most adorable such horror ever penned. I would further assert that the master of "Eldritch" horror himself could never conceive of such a lovable beast as he wrote of blighted worlds and distant dimensions from his halls in Rhode Island. My protest aside, an excellent video as always, Lexi. I do think you have put to rest the accusations of irrelevancy piled against these three chapters for so many years. Thank-you! Well done! 🙂

[@Mornathel]

I love Tom Bombadil! None of my family is surprised anymore if a randomly bellow “And his boots are yellow!” Or if I end a sentence with “And Goldberry is waiting!” Tom is a breath of fresh air between the flight from the Shire and Barrow Downs to Bree where we get Butterburr and Stider

[@YouarethinkinglikeAlbertFish]

I'm heading to Wistman's wood next month, hopefully bump into Old Man Wiilow.

[@PorkSword_actual]

One of my favorite chapters of the series. I think I’ve seen every Bombadil video on KZbin and I’d say this is the best.

[@oldboy117]

One of my favorite chapters in the book, actually. Along with everything else that happens before and up to Bree. Just that atmosphere of stepping out of the peaceful Shire saturated with life into the empty backroads and long abandoned, crumbled places, faced with mystery, uncertainty and farmer Maggot, of course

[@hiawatha.g]

I loved these chapters and didn't need persuading, but your analysis would have done the trick if I had been a doubter. Well done.

[@yomamma.ismydaddy216]

I wish Tolkien had written a bit of Gandalf and bombadil’s long discussion after the ring was destroyed

[@larrykuenning5754]

The question of omitting some chapters reminds me of an essay by C.S. Lewis ("On Historicism") treating real-world human history itself as a story and raising the question whether some of its chapters are "dead wood" contributing nothing to the meaning of the whole. If there are stories like that, he says, you can't know whether the story you're reading is one of them until you've read the whole thing; then on later readings you can skip the useless parts. "I always now omit the last book of _War and Peace_," he says (!). I've wondered whether this last sentence was a joke, or an actual brag that he'd read Tolstoy's work _several_ times, skipping the unnecessary chapters on the later readings. But I think Lexi shows here that even after a first reading, one's impression that certain chapters are "dead wood" may still be mistaken. At any rate I don't think I've ever skipped chapters in my many rereadings of Tolkien. (Tolstoy's huge novel, on the other hand, I've only read once. But I thought its last chapters were interesting.) BTW the quote at 0:09 from "Addenda and Corrigenda to The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" (eds Hammond and Scull) is originally from one of Tolkien's letters -- or at least I think I remember it that way, though I've failed to find it there just now. I haven't seen, or even heard of, this particular Hammond and Scull work before this.

[@yorktown99]

The part about Tom Bombadil that was difficult to get my head around is that neither he nor Goldberry appeared to fit anywhere in Tolkien's complex mythology. Their own answers to the hobbits are a mix of the nonsensical and the sublime. While Tom is full of the history of the decline of Arnor, it's almost totally withheld from the reader, just glossed over as fantastic table talk. The Council's discussions in Rivendell treat Tom as an unimportant footnote and simply move on to more pressing matters. A lot of themes and ideas in these chapters come back as the story unfolds, most obviously when Merry & Pippin come to Fangorn Forest, or when the swords taken from the Barrow turn up in Gondor. After the war, Gandalf says that he will have a long talk with Tom, but no clue is given about what.

[@nicolasstanley1392]

Just read through this chapter again last night! I’ve learned to appreciate Bombadil, Goldberry, and the old forest over my years.

[@hankhicks1108]

"Master Merry's being squeezed in a crack!"

[@PrometheanRising]

I don't think that Tom represents just one thing, but one thing that i think that he, along with Goldberry and the old forest, represents is an idealized version of the relationship of JRR and Edith and the world that they inhabit together. And as I think on it more, it makes a tremendous amount of sense that on the edge of the officers idealized world would be a massive graveyard over which he has full authority when it comes into his awareness. Now back to watching the video.

[@jeremygreenwood1021]

These are my favourite chapters, they set the war into a greater context. Gandalf goes into this at length in Rivendell. Its a pity they were dropped from the film, but they might have required a 4th film to do them justice.

[@AdamPentz-ct2hn]

As a longtime Tolkien reader, I LOVE ch's 6-8! Tom is my favorite bit character in the entire original world. I am a middle school literature teacher, and I teach this part as "Frodo and the others begin the Hero's Journey as a sort of 'trial run' where they can make mistakes or fail where it is 'safer'".

[@SophiesDriver]

I have never skipped reading these chapters; but as usual Lexi, your presentation calls to my attention things that I have missed, or forgotten. Thank you so much for this.

[@johnhanson5943]

I loved the old forest section. Tom Bombadil represents the most ancient character beyond the laws of middle-Earh and the power of the world / the ring.

[@markus-hermannkoch1740]

6:03 Beautiful painting, taking a mighty cool shot at the question, why Sauron's image is taken as a cat's eye!

[@piotrczubryt1111]

An echo of Tevildo The Prince of Cats

[@Abjurist]

I'm particularly fond of the chapters around the old forest, Tom, and the Barrows. Reading them feels like looking at the maps in the beginning and end of the Hobbit; not knowing anything more about middle earth than what is in the pages of the Hobbit. Looking at each little detail of the map and trying to piece it together with anything I could from what I had just read.

[@FXGreggan.]

I actually love the parts up to, and including, Rivendell.. it has a wonderful "I'm going on a journey" feeling.. I would have liked to see a bit more in the movies but I do understand why they skipped 'not super relevant' parts...

[@anchuisneoir3973]

What you said about the readers getting lost in the paragraphs like the hobbits getting caught in a thicket made me think of "The Taming of Smeagol" .The Old Forest is well...very foresty but that chapter has an undeniable Emyn Muilishness.

[@douglashubbard7484]

Late to the party, but something occurred to me. Merry says to avoid the Withywindle Valley. However, wouldn't that river have been a can't miss navigation aid? Couldn't marching to the Withywindle and head upstream been the a valid course of action?

[@GirlNextGondor]

I have both a geographic and a magical answer! From my squinting at the maps, it looks like the Brandybuck entrance to the forest is at its northwestern corner, and it seems the Hobbits were trying to cut diagonally across the narrow 'tip' of the wood - a pretty short distance. The wood extends much further east and south, so heading for the river takes them out of their way, further from the road, and deeper into the dangerous Forest that they don't want to be in at night. If they'd been less over-confident, they *could* have planned for the route you laid out - but at this point they're only prepared for what they think will be a 'short-cut'. On top of that, Merry wants to avoid the Valley because it has a bad reputation as the source of all the Forest's uncanny traits. When they end up at the river despite their efforts at bearing north, they *do* realize they can at least follow it north - but the Valley's reputation is apparently deserved, because they promptly get Willow'd.

[@RogertheGS]

In addition to these very well-taken literary insights, I noticed something on my last rereading. Both the scenes in the Old Forest confirm some of the "rules" of the magic world - trees can come alive; the dead who failed to defeat evil can be restless - and then in the books to come these rules first encountered as perils become assets for the good guys. Not sure if it's deliberate foreshadowing or just solid thematic worldbuilding?

[@stevechurch4728]

loved the old forest part, it's the start of the wild wider world, where both foe and friend can be found and they do not make themselves plain as to what they could be it's all mystery, danger and having to guard ones own self to stay alive. just a great introduction to what will become that road that leads to mordor journey they are undertaking.