The “oldest of old” beings has arrived in Middle-Earth!
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The oldest of all beings in Middle-Earth finally arrived in The Rings of Power season 2 and as part of his introduction to the stranger, he sings a little tune. What’s up with Tom Bombadil’s song in The Rings of Power season 2?
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2, so proceed with caution.
The Oldest of Old Unveils Himself in The Rings of Power Season 2
Credit: Amazon MGM Studios | New Line Cinema | Prime Video | Fair Use For Promotional Purposes
Tom Bombadil (played by Rory Kinnear) officially arrived in Middle-Earth, specifically in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 4 titled Eldest.
As the episode’s name teases, the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is the first to stumble upon the “oldest than the old” in Middle-Earth.
When the Stranger is looking for a staff (which fans believe confirms him to be the Gandalf they’ve been hoping for from the show), the tree ends up swallowing him whole.
Bombadil found the Stranger by chance, trapped inside a tree on his way over, and to release him, Bombadil sang a little song that somehow saved his newfound friend from the near-death experience.
So, non-book readers of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels may wonder, why does Bombadil’s song matter in this context?
Why Does Tom Bombadil’s Song Matter in Middle-Earth?
Singing nonsensical songs is a part of who Bombadil is in Middle-Earth. He also advised that whenever anyone needed his help, all they’d have to do was sing.
It shows despite how silly he may canonically be, he managed to help Frodo in the Barrow after having sung Bombadil’s rhyme.
Apart from how he utilizes it to communicate with nature, he is somewhat of an ancient god-like figure who roamed the Earth and could offer his knowledge to the people.
As The Rings of Power showrunner J.D. Payne previously shared, Bombadil’s singing and nursery rhymes “sort of defies the tonal shift of the rest of the season” that uplifts the second season from “an otherwise sea of darkness.”
The author who penned The Lord of the Rings, however, admitted in his 1954 Letter that Bombadil is “not an important person—to the narrative.”
Tolkien added that Bombadil’s presence “has some importance as a ‘comment'”, in which he kind of represents a stand-in narrator. Though his significance as a character may be explored further in season 2.
In a sense, Payne added, fans should consider Bombadil’s extension of kindness to the Stranger as a “desire to try to keep the destruction that has happened from spreading to his beloved lands in the West.”
Meanwhile, The Rings of Power season 2 episode 5 premieres on Prime Video on September 12.
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Tolkien added that Bombadil’s presence “has some importance as a ‘comment'”, in which he kind of represents a stand-in narrator. Though his significance as a character may be explored further in season 2.
In a sense, Payne added, fans should consider Bombadil’s extension of kindness to the Stranger as a “desire to try to keep the destruction that has happened from spreading to his beloved lands in the West.”
Meanwhile, The Rings of Power season 2 episode 5 premieres on Prime Video on September 12.
