Hey dol! Merry dol!

Greetings all,

I should warn you, this post will not be the most organized of written work. However it does have a main topic from which I will not wander far. Having created this blog earlier this week, I have since been trying to decide what to do for my first real post. After a lot of distracted thinking before running off to read more books thought, I found inspiration in the name I used to go by on Blogger and will therefore share some of my thoughts regarding the excellent poet, singer, and gatherer of water-lilies: Tom Bombadil!

Now, some of you readers might (although I'm not quite sure how) have forgotten about Tom Bombadil. I think I have even encountered some people who have never heard of him! However, regardless of your familiarity with the book from which he comes, I trust that you, reader, will still enjoy his songs.

In the first book of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings known as The Fellowship of the Ring, the main character Frodo Baggins on his way to Bree encountered difficulty and was assisted by the most old, free, and poetic character of the trilogy.

Before anything else of Tom Bombadil is revealed, we hear his voice as he sings out:

Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo!

Ring a dong! hop along! fa la the willow!

Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!

After this bit of a warm-up he breaks out into full song:

Hey! Come merry dol! derry dol! My darling!

Light goes the weather-wind and the feathered starling.

Down along under Hill, shining in the sunlight,

Waiting on the doorstep for the cold starlight,

There my pretty lady is, River-woman's daughter,

Slender as the willow-wand clearer than the water.

Old Tom Bombadil water-lilies bringing

Comes hopping home again. Can you hear him singing?

Hey! Come merry dol! derry dol! and merry-o!

Goldberry, Goldberry, merry yellow berry-o!

Poor old Willow-man, you tuck your roots away!

Tom's in a hurry now. Evening will follow day.

Tom's going home again water-lilies bringing.

Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?

In the course of two chapters, we are granted the lyrics of nine of his songs along with cheerful conversation and excellent food. Although Tom Bombadil is not exactly a key character to the story--and has therefore been omitted from the movies--his brief, cheerful appearance makes the long journey more enjoyable. 

Sorry for rambling a bit. I hope you enjoyed this post!

Soli Deo Gloria,

~Kristin