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Submitted: May 26, 2008
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Goldberry, River-daughterby =Everild-Wolfden

Digital Art / Photomanipulation / Fantasy

In a dream she walks,
Hair radiant as the sun,
Her melody plays
On river-bed rocks,
Her clothes from gold are spun.
As day turns into night,
Upon the fragrant water,
The lilies float,
The river sings,
For Goldberry, River-Daughter!

Personally, I think I've drastically improved over the past few deviations. Although this is quite possibly one of the simplest pieces I've done in terms of amount of stock used, I think the quality far surpasses that of most of my pervious manips. I think I've finally taken that step from beginner/intermediate to intermediate/advanced. I won't call myself 'advanced' since there's still a lot to learn, but I'm very happy with this piece.

Feedback, as always, is more than welcome.

Stock: Model -

Background

Bridge: SXC
Brushes:

love 1 1

~~joy 0 0~~

~~wow 0 0~~

~~mad 0 0~~

~~sad 0 0~~

~~fear 0 0~~

~~neutral 0 0~~

~Lathron Mar 3, 2010

Gorgeous pic. I have yet always wondered, who she REALLY was? Obviously a maia, but how did she and Tom end up there in the Old forest...?

=Everild-Wolfden Mar 3, 2010 Professional Writer

Ah, now there's a question I talked about in my dissertation (I did it on Allegory vs Applicability in LOTR). I fact, I think my dissertation (not in its finalised version, mind) is up in my gallery. Unfortunately, I could only dedicate a paragraph or so to Tom and Goldberry (I was limited to only 10,000 words): Here's the passage:

"Of course, it is not only in the Valar and the Maiar that applicabilities or allegories can be found. Perhaps the most ambiguous people in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ are Tom Bombadil and his wife, Goldberry. As Tolkien wrote in 1954, “many have found him an odd and indeed discordant ingredient.... But I kept him in, and as he was, because he represents certain things otherwise left out”. However, what those things are, Tolkien never elaborates upon. As to what exactly Tom is or stands for, there are about as many theories as there are critics. To this end, it is impossible to look at the character from an allegorical point of view. Bombadil, after all, represents nature, and therefore he and Goldberry are similar to the male and female concepts of the Bible, whereas from a pagan viewpoint, Bombadil could be seen as a nature spirit and Goldberry perhaps as a dryad. Tom claims that he was “here before the river and the trees...the first raindrop and the first acorn” (Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, p 142) which contradicts the claim that Treebeard is the “oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sun” (Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, p. 454). This has brought up the theory amongst some Pagans that both Treebeard and Tom are embodiments of Nature, and some Wiccans view them as images of the God. Certainly, Treebeard appears as an embodiment of the ‘Green Man’, a Pagan God of Nature who is often seen in many images as a face surrounded by leaves. Animists also view Treebeard and Old Man Willow as personifications of the idea that every living thing is alive and has a soul. "

~Lathron Mar 4, 2010

Wow, you've certainly digged deep into this one. From the letters of the good professor, I understood that T B('s attitude) was some sort of architype of english farmer at some district. I have always thought of Tom Bombadillo as a state of mind. He truly is a fasinating character and I was dissapointed that he didn't make to the film (except as Fangorns line). He balances things, both as a character in storytelling and as an action.

=Everild-Wolfden Mar 4, 2010 Professional Writer

Absolutely. In a metaphysical sense, he also helps to ground Frodo - he's the only one who can see him once he puts the Ring on, and the only one the Ring cannot affect. Even Gandalf was affected by the Ring - "You cannot give it to me, Frodo! Understand that I would use it to do good, but through me it would wield a power to great and terrible to imagine", and so was Galadriel, though she "passed the test. I will diminish, and go into the west, and remain 'Galadriel'." The fact that it doesn't affect Tom suggests that he's a greater power than Gandalf - or at least more removed from the world. It is possible, as one of the theories about him suggests, that Tom is more than a Maia, and is perhaps one of the Valar in disguise. The Valar, after all, can roam Middle Earth should they choose, it's just that they decided to stay put in Valinor and leave the fate of Middle-Earth in the hands of the Elves, and later, Men.

~Lathron Mar 4, 2010

I have to disagree to the idea that Tom would be a vala.
First of all, who would he be? Cheery Tulkas? nope. Yavanna? naah..
Oromë? not really... Melkor? Well, if anyone listened to Tom's songs
long enough, one would become eternally damned. So ...

No. Tom just is. Like goldberry said, too.
I wouldn't say that he was greater than Gandalf. If he would
be greater because of his relation to the ring, he would have to
greater than Sauron also. And the Counsil of Elrond was sure
that even old lad Bombadillo would fall under Sauron's might.
I think his orientation to things in general was just completely
different. I think the ring didn't have any use for Tom, 'cos
he didn't have any use for ring either.

=Everild-Wolfden Mar 4, 2010 Professional Writer

Like I said, that's just ONE of the many theories about Tom, and I didn't say I agreed with it!

I think it's more likely that Tom is another entity altogether, a spirit of nature, which is why the Ring doesn't have as much hold over him - like you said, because he has no need for it. I don't think he's a Maia, either. My own theory is that Tom is like Treebeard, in a way - as Treebeard controls Fangorn, so does Tom control the Old Forest (something that P.J picked up on when he gave Treebeard one of Tom's lines). They're both elements of Nature, semi-separate from the goings-on of the outside world - at least, they keep themselves to themselves, until the Ring and its effects are brought to their doors. Tom and the Old Forest would eventually have fallen to Sauron, you're quite right, and so would Fangorn had the Ents not been woken to march on Saruman. I think Merry hit it on the head when he asked 'But you're part of this world! Aren't you?' I think they are - but more deeply than any human or Elf. They are of Middle-Earth, literally as elements of nature. I think had Tom and Treebeard fallen to Sauron, that would have symbolised the death of Middle-Earth itself. Treebeard perhaps not so much, but Tom is so embedded into the fabric of Middle Earh that he is, as you say and as Goldberry says... just is.

~Lathron Mar 5, 2010

I think your own theory sounds very good. It's reasonable and well argued.

=Everild-Wolfden Mar 5, 2010 Professional Writer

Thanks! Well, I did spend about 2 years researching theories on Lord of the Rings and analysing it in depth (I knew what I was doing for my dissertation fairly early).

(1 Reply)

~Idril-Celebrindal May 30, 2008

Beautiful!
You think you have improved, but I have to tell you that you were great before too.

=Everild-Wolfden May 30, 2008 Professional Writer

Awww! Thanks!

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