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It's left a little unclear just what she is washing, or how, or where

squire
Half-elven


Oct 22 2012, 8:48pm


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It's left a little unclear just what she is washing, or how, or where [In reply to] Can't Post

"This is Goldberry's washing-day" suggests that like any housewife she washes up once a week. But she is heard singing outside, "above" the hobbits in a one-story house, singing with words that seem to be coming down on them with the rain, so that her song and the rain are one. Nor is there any sign of her about the house, although Tom can be heard noisily doing his chores. So she may not have brought the rain - she is no weather-master if her husband is not - but whatever she is doing, she's not doing her "washing" in any conventional sense.

I'm not surprised by, nor do I disagree with, any suggestion that in this scene Goldberry has somehow become incorporated into the rain. By this reading she is "washing" and "autumn-cleaning" the landscape of Tom's country itself, not just the house-linens and the flagstone floors. Such understated and unclear magic is, to me, perfectly appropriate for the wife of Tom Bombadil - a wife who, it is said, is the "daughter of the river."



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Subject User Time
Goldberry and similar historic examples Eruonen Send a private message to Eruonen Oct 22 2012, 3:58pm
    Sorry, I didn't recognize that quote - geordie Send a private message to geordie Oct 22 2012, 5:14pm
        The source is non-canonical but the spirit seems accurate Eruonen Send a private message to Eruonen Oct 22 2012, 6:40pm
            Does Nimrodel count as a water spirit also? squire Send a private message to squire Oct 22 2012, 7:34pm
                Oh, come now - 'rape scene'? geordie Send a private message to geordie Oct 22 2012, 8:13pm
                    You are right squire Send a private message to squire Oct 22 2012, 8:35pm
                        Well, geordie Send a private message to geordie Oct 22 2012, 8:43pm
                I think you protect too much... Eruonen Send a private message to Eruonen Oct 22 2012, 8:43pm
                The elves had some water power as illustrated Eruonen Send a private message to Eruonen Oct 22 2012, 9:49pm
                    Identity of figure and forms... Evernight Send a private message to Evernight Oct 25 2012, 1:29am
            I may be in a minority here - geordie Send a private message to geordie Oct 22 2012, 8:00pm
                A minority of two Voronwë_the_Faithful Send a private message to Voronwë_the_Faithful Oct 22 2012, 8:10pm
                    Thanks! geordie Send a private message to geordie Oct 22 2012, 9:22pm
                Possible but his line by Tolkien is odd - Eruonen Send a private message to Eruonen Oct 22 2012, 8:21pm
                    Ah, no - at least, I don't think so - geordie Send a private message to geordie Oct 22 2012, 8:40pm
                        How do we interpret "represents the actual seasonal changes" Eruonen Send a private message to Eruonen Oct 22 2012, 9:15pm
                It's left a little unclear just what she is washing, or how, or where squire Send a private message to squire Oct 22 2012, 8:48pm
    I wonder if Tolkien took some influences Elenorflower Send a private message to Elenorflower Oct 22 2012, 9:31pm

 
 
 

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