Tom Bombadil's House

The house sits under the brow of a hill on the far side of the Old Forest, with the Withywindle below it and open downland to the east. It has a long low room, yellow lamplight in the windows and a doorstep that runs with rainwater, and it is the only house marked between Buckland and Bree.

Tom Bombadil lives there with Goldberry, the River-daughter. Tom calls himself Eldest and says he was there before the river and the trees, and the Ring has no effect on him at all: he put it on, did not vanish, and handed it back. Elrond's Council later considered giving the Ring to him and decided he would forget it or throw it away.

The hobbits stayed two nights, sleeping without fear for the first time since leaving Hobbiton. Tom taught them a rhyme to call him by, which saved them on the Barrow-downs two days later, and armed each of them with a dagger from the barrow hoard. Merry's blade, forged in Arnor against the Witch-king, later broke his spell of invulnerability.

Events at this place

1. TA 3018, September 26 · The Lord of the Rings

   The hobbits are given shelter

   Tom led the four hobbits out of the Old Forest to his house on 26 September, where Goldberry received them and they rested for two nights.

2. TA 3018, September 27 · The Lord of the Rings

   The Ring fails on Tom

   Bombadil put on the Ring, stayed visible, made it vanish instead and returned it, showing it had no hold over him.

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