Bombadil's reference to Farmer Maggot

Chapter VII book 1

...It no longer surprised them[the hobbits]; but he[Bombadil] made no secret that he owed his recent knowledge largely to Farmer Maggot, whom he seemed to regard as a person of more importance than they had imagined. There's earth under his old feet and clay on his fingers;wisdom in his bones, and both his eyes are open," said Tom.

I was flipping through a lot of the old Bombadil links regarding his existance, the best arguement being that he was earth incarnate, and this question popped up in my mind. Even if you dont believe Tom to be Ea it is obvious that he is a powerful individual, so whats his connection with a farmer in the shire?

Both took the hobbits in and protected them(or ferried them to safety). While farmer Maggot is a little more menacing than Tom he is quick to show he good natured side much like Tom.

Its odd that Tom would travel so far to see farmer Maggot who lives near the borders of the shire but still not close to Bombadil's Old Forest. Or that old farmer maggot who seems like a normal stay at home hobbit would venture to find bombadil.

And Bombadils reference to him being more important than he seems eliminates the idea that he is a mere acquitance of Bombadil's.

So anyone have any theories on Maggot's real importance? Could he be the mortal version of Bombadil much like men were the mortal version of Eru's children?

[Curulin]

Interesting thought!
I think that maggot was just one of Tom's informers, and perhaps he also had ways of gathering information from Men and Elves. He certainly knows Gandalf, who goes to have a long talk with him at the end of RoTK, and he probably got information from him about the goings on in the wider world.
Perhaps he esteemed Maggot so highly because of Maggot's willingness to speak with Tom, something which would be quite rare. Maggot probably became more wise the more he met with Bombadil.
I do know, if you are interested, that there is more on the relationship between these two in a poem entitled "Bombadil Goes Boating" by Tolkien (In which Tom calls Maggot an "old friend" and they go drinking together), so if you wanted to try and find more clues you could go and read between the lines there! The poem also mentions Maggot's sons, so perhaps the connection was hereditory!
I'd be interested in what conclusions you came up with!
Curulin

[Nevolosse Maehayanda]

I agree that Maggot is probably one of his informers. However, is it possible that Tom is like a guardian for the Shire? A bit like the Rangers, but one that doesn't move? Maybe he looks into a palantir and sees the Shire...just a theory.


[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Nev'

[Child of the 7th Age]

Take a look at The Return of the Shadow (vol. 6 of HoMe) for the following references to Farmer Maggot. Tolkien says this in an early outline of the section on Bombadil:

p. 117 -- ...Make Maggot not a hobbit , but some other kind of creature--not dwarf, but akin to Tom Bombadil....

Later on the page we see the following reference from another early set of notes.

Relation of Tom Bombadil to Farmer Maggot (Maggot not a hobbit?)

Christopher Tolkien agan quotes an earlier draft of the chapter which makes reference to this same idea.

After the reference to Farmer Maggot, from whom Tom Bombadil got his knowledge of the Shire and whom he 'seemed to regard as a person of more importance than they i.e., the hobbits) had fancied,' F.R. p. 143, this text adds: 'We are kinsfolk, he and I. In a way of speaking: distantly and far back, but near enough for friendship." (in the orginal draft, 'We are akin, he said, distantly, very distantly, but near enough to count')

In footnote 7 on page 124, Christopher Tolkien notes that the original quotation by Frodo is emended in this way:

Frodo's original words on Maggot--'He lives in a house.

Additions to Frodo's words: 'He is not a hobbit--not a pure hobbit anyway....

Similarly, the description of Maggot changes from him having "a large round hobbit face" to him having a "a large round fair-framed face."

It seems clear then that, at one time, JRRT considered making Maggot a creature akin to Bombadil, but then went back and edited out most of those references in the later draft of the book.

But there are enough cryptic allusions left in the text to suggest that Maggot was indeed unusual for a hobbit. See Merry's remark that Farmer Maggot used to venture into the Old Forest at one time, and knew a thing or two outside the Shire (FR p. 113).

[akhtene]

Just a tiny thought...
As we never learn Mr.Maggot's name, Farmer (with capital F) becomes kind of his first name. And a farmer - is the one who is close to the land, knows the land and lives by it. And Tom (as was stated) is earth incarnate...
Oh, does it make sense to anyone? [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Legolas]

He's an intentional enigma. How can one argue that?

[Kuruharan]

Maybe Farmer Maggot is Iluvatar. That would certainly make him far more important than the hobbits had imagined.

[I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ]

[Gorwingel]

akhtene, it makes sense to me
[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] I never thought of that, that would make sense.
(after looking at all these book topics, I really need to re-read the stories)