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Old 03-22-2002, 08:16 PM   #15
Ringil
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Sting

Quote:
Well, I have read theories that good ole' Tom is actually Aule
Whoever Tom is, he's not Aule. Aule was a maker; Tom wasn't. Aule was on the side of Good; Tom was basically a non-combatant. Sauron could not defeat Aule; he almost certainly could defeat Tom. The Valar didn't live long-term in Middle Earth (excepting Morgoth in the First Age); Tom did.

Tom also lacks the majesty of the Valar.

Tolkien makes it clear that Tom is a one-of-a-kind being who's never fully explained. Tolkien's early view of Tom was as the spirit of the vanishing countryside. He also associates Tom with pacifism, neutrality, and pure (not practical) knowledge.
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