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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
May 14 2014, 2:32pm
Post #1 of 8
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I ran across this article about a surprising possible source for Tom Bombadil
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We all know Tom was originally a doll. This article claims that some of his adventures may have come from Pawnee stories. http://pawneeland.wordpress.com/2014/05/14/born-before-the-world/
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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squire
Half-elven
May 14 2014, 5:50pm
Post #3 of 8
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Very interesting, and a complete surprise to anyone who thought the progress and general sources of Tolkien's created mythology were pretty well known.
I'd like to read the original book by Roger Echo-Hawk to see how he establishes the connection he is so certain of. All he says in his blog is "One day in early 1919, ... my research shows that JRR Tolkien opened the pages of Traditions of the Skidi Pawnee. What he found there intrigued him." Additional information so far seems to be that the book was in the Oxford University library system, and several of the tales and characters in the Traditions.... book seem to be echoed closely by several of Tolkien's tales and characters in his years of composition between the late '10s and early '30s. Not just Bombadil, but Gandalf too, for instance.
This is a job for Hammond and Scull, I'd say! At least, those two scholars seem to me to be the world's experts at piecing together just what Tolkien was reading and thinking at Oxford in the late teens and during the twenties.
Maybe it's true! and maybe it isn't... or maybe it's like a lot of ideas about an author's sources, that can only be suggested, never proven. I wonder if this one will turn out to be a kind of literary-hot-potato that will follow Tolkien for decades to come, like the story about the hobbits being based on Appalachian hillbillies about whom he heard colorful details from an American college-mate in his youth.
squire online:
RR Discussions: The Valaquenta, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Lights! Action! Discuss on the Movie board!: 'A Journey in the Dark'. and 'Designing The Two Towers'.
Footeramas: The 3rd & 4th TORn Reading Room LotR Discussion and NOW the 1st BotR Discussion too! and "Tolkien would have LOVED it!"
squiretalk introduces the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: A Reader's Diary
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Heatherleawv
Bree
May 14 2014, 11:40pm
Post #5 of 8
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always find this kind of info fascinating. I had to laugh when you mentioned Appalachia. I actually live in West Virginia. I always imagined the Shire would look like our beautiful rolling hills. I am basically a hobbit because I'm short, ,I like good food and Im shy around strangers! 
All that glitters is not gold...
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Cillendor
Lorien
May 15 2014, 2:08pm
Post #6 of 8
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As a real-world explanation, this is very fascinating.
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For an in-world story, though, this essay is by far the best I've ever read.
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Matthias132
The Shire
May 19 2014, 4:57am
Post #7 of 8
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I'm from the glorious Mountain State, too! I live in New Orleans now, sadly. I have to agree that the shire is kinda like WV hills.
Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.Courage is found in unlikely places - J.R.R. Tolkien (Gildor)
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Matthias132
The Shire
May 19 2014, 5:24am
Post #8 of 8
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I think it is interesting to presume that Tolkien got his influences from a Native American tradition. Especially, since he was so focused on Norse mythology and creating a mythology for England. Using American folklore really fascinates me.
Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.Courage is found in unlikely places - J.R.R. Tolkien (Gildor)
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Gosh Aunt Dora
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