What a truly wonderful way to spend 17 minutes 10 seconds. A beautiful location, breath taking analysis, narration AND singing. Perfect for a summer's evening. 🙂
Omg there is SINGING in this video?? I paused right at the start. Because gosh, didn't expect her to sit in a cozy forest next to a little creek! I need me some good tea to get comfier before watching the rest :3
The Old Forest and the Barrow Downs are a school. They give the hobbits chances to fail, gain experience and wisdom, and to 'level up.' As such, they are important to the structure of the story.
Yes yes yes! I like to point out that Frodo starts the episode running up and down the forest and shouting like a child, but ends by steeling his will to his fate, and trusting in the incantation he was given.
Also @Rosedach: Yes, not only are the hobbits armed, but Merry now has that special blade made by the enemies of the Witch King, which will become so important later!
There is some really important character development going on. The hobbits enter with a sense that fear is their main enemy, and they ignore the very real dangers The Old Forest has in store for them. When Frodo next encounters real danger in the barrow, he finds his courage, fights back, and remembers to call Tom for aid. Imagine if he had not had this development by Weathertop - he would have failed to fight back against the Nazgûl, and he likely would not have called on Elbereth for aid.
Tom is one of the best side characters in the entire lore of Tolkien. I do love that Tolkien kept things like this in the books vs streamlining things for plots sake.
When I was young, I remember listening to the audiobook edition of Fellowship on a family trip , and complaining that Bombadil was annoying and bogged down the story. The terrible singing of the narrator was the biggest problem. My mom shot back with "Too bad! I like Tom Bombadil!"
This was one of your most charming videos. Someone who has lived in or near a forest understands how the wind moving the leaves causes an ever changing dance of shadows. The passage of the sun across the sky and the occasional intervention of a cloud causes the mood of a forest to constantly shift. Then the sun goes down and in the darkness the forest transforms yet again. I feel you captured the living changeableness of nature delightfully.
Have had one "in the back yard!", for 20 years! I SO hope it stays! Last Saturday morn', the Dog chased a deer out of our yard! But we also have heard the Coyotes, and the poor bunnies in the night.......... I don't want to think about the 'burbs'! ever.......
I love the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil. It’s weird, yes, but absolutely its own beautiful thing. And I love the way that Tom is outside time (and pretty much everything else).
Any video where Jess sings is a very good video. Thanks for standing up for the Old Forest and Tom as an essential part of the Hobbits arc from incompetent and fearful youths to powerful characters that saved the world. Until the Old Forest the hobbits had tried to be self-reliant, but afterwards (starting in Bree) they reached out for help. Also, no Bombadil, no barrow wight, no weapon to defeat the Nazgul lord on Pelennor Field in Merry's hand.
Without the Old Forest and Bombadil, the hobbits would not have been in the barrow and Merry would not have gotten the Dunedein sword without which the Witch King would not have been slain. Very necessary.
Why yes, I do love seeing a dark haired woman of elvish beauty sitting by a creek in the forest with a crown of flowers, gently singing the songs of old! Enjoyed every minute of this video, very Tolkien-esque!
The Old Forest... hmm.... welcome to my world... and yet it is a tricky subject. On the one hand, Tolkien wrote this bit before he had fully embraced the whole "One Ring" main plotline of this sequel to The Hobbit. As such, it was a legitimate first bit of wierdness for them to encounter, along with the Barrow Downs and Bree. Tom Bombadil was part of his personal mythology for his own children. On the other hand, this section is also a perfect example of how Tolkien was writing a possible alternative mythology for Britain, and he knew quite well how mythologies tend to have evolutions and layers of their own, and are only as historically reliable as the ones who tell it. You touched on these notions in your own analysis of the fall of Numenor, as if wondering whether the stories of that mythical isle were really historical even in the context of middle-earth itself. To what extent were those tales a mythical exaggeration or justification of the ancestors of the Gondorians and the Dunadain? Of course, in that case, there were continuities in the persons of Elrond and Galadriel who remembered and experienced aspects of those histories. The Old Forest, however, digs even deeper than that, far back to the natural and shamanic forces like Karadhras and the Pukel-men. [Biographically, Tom and Goldberry are a reflection of Tolkien's own reaction to the stories of Ukko in Finnish folklore, the tragic tale of the sky-hero who ultimately failed to bond with an earth-water nature spirit, resulting in the division of those realms. In Tolkien's personal romanticism, he took this chance to retell the story with a happier outcome, allowing the master of air-song to wed the goddess of waters. It's really a touching sentiment. It also shows how much of Tolkien's writing was really done to amuse himself, whether any reader caught on to the historical subtext or not.] As such,"The Lord of the Rings" is a mythology as set down in The Red Book of Westmarch -- and Tolkien made sure we knew it was so -- and so it is a tale of imperial succession and the reasons and glories to justify that to later ages. However, in those "hobbity experiences" the authors themselves reported on many older forces and characters that went BEHIND the official story, not just preceeding but apparently in some ways superseding them, with no apology for the discrepencies. This is typical of actual mythologies and cosmologies. You aren't supposed to cry foul about the contradictions, because the story is the story, and we all know the mountain was there before any of this. If anything, you run your heroes NEAR the mountain, near the water, pass through the Forest, have them discover the caves, and so you incorporate the older things into the new epic, and so perhaps absorb the older stories into the new. When it comes to a place like the ancient forests, fabled persons like Ukko or Thor that predate all written histories, or primal creatures like the Kraken (watcher in the water) or gryphon (golden eagles) or weather-spirits or song-magic that are the business of older lineages than the current dynasty, that's the best a mythos can do. Wander through, pass by, get some interaction with these primal forces, and it builds a bond between the epic you are telling and the elder backgrounds in which it is taking place. The tales of King Arthur borrowed Merlin from the kelts, and even the tales of Merlin borrowed bits of story from the Morrigan of earlier peoples, and even the ancient misty memories of the Morrigan borrowed from the proto-proto-ice-age memories of the Huntress-Witch, the Dark-Visaged-Girl, who in other lands would be called Artemis among the greeks, Kali-ma in India, and Amaterasu in Japan. In this way, if you will make an epic tale, you would do well to link that story to the ancient journeys of those who came long before. Tolkien was literally an academic expert in the processes of mythology, and so he wrote that process honestly into his own works, with all the gaps and potential contradictions included. In a way, as an avid fan of a particular religious-heroic literature tradition of his own choosing, he was admitting that he knew what he was doing , and that he had simply chosen his own version of holy ground on which to stand, based on how it served his own version of the love of his live. He loved Edith, and he loved trees; and he portrayed his idolization of her and his desire that the trees be heard in their own voice as best he could. As a result, we get Goldberry, beloved of the noaddje Tom, alien and yet familiar, in an ancient forest that could, if need be, rise up to defend itself. Later in the story, he doubled-down on this and gave us Fangorn. From that point of view, as "meta" as it may get, it's all perfectly natural.
Chapters like the old forest evidence why those who compare Tolkien to GoT and similar stories only understand Tolkien’s work at surface level. Tolkien saw magic in small things, in every droplet, every tree’s memory. No big battles were more important than a second breakfast under the sub. No honour larger than peace. And a simpler world would always bring joy. Stay Tolkinian, folks. Love peace and laughter over anything else you won’tt regret it
I'll say this for Tom Bombadil: His life strikes me as something close to ideal, living in a sufficient house on a hill in/on the edge of the Forest with his perfect mate & few concerns. We all should have it so good.
I always thought of this as part of the education of the hobbits. Tom speaks of Farmer Maggot and how smart he is. I think Tom is teaching them about respecting the land and being proper stewards of it. Keeping a proper balance between technological advances and the natural world.
While it’s a HUGE venn diagram between the two, there are still book fans and movie fans. The old forest and Tom Bombadil are kind of special for book fans, for all the reasons you mentioned and more. Also, it’s pretty cool how Tom knows, and compliments, Farmer Maggot.
I have never understood why some people dislike the old forest section of the story. As a little kid reading LotR for the first time (in a foreign language) I remember strugling through the previous chapters. The story just didn't ensnare me until that point. But the old forest chapter had the air of myths and stories I grew up on. Today my choice to pursue fantasy writing and songwriting I in part own to the old forest because from that chapter onwards I never looked back.
That's similar to my own experience. Those who first discover the story as children seem to enjoy the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil far more than those who wait until adulthood to read the books. I think that is due to children having a greater sense of wonder and being less jaded than adults are.
One of my favorite activities as a kid was sitting under the shade of an old tree with a book, and I spent just as much time exploring the deep woods. So imagining the scenes of all the forests of Middle-Earth has always evoked good memories and a sense of being close to nature. Even the most ancient and gnarliest woods suit me just fine. It looks like you picked the perfect spot to spend a summer day - I hope you had fun making the video!
I have always found the Tom Bombadill sub-story to be the most important symbolic section of the entire LotR saga. I was so disappointed when he did not appear in the movies. Though, like you, I understand from an entertainment-standpoint why he was omitted. Tom as the symbol for nature being above and beyond the machinations of the other sentient species/races, is an almost Joseph Campbell-esque metaphor and to me possibly the most literary artful bit. Once again great literary analysis. Well done.
@@arthurweise2573 I think both can be true. Its anger and sadness made it feel creepy to the hobbits, who didn't know anything about it until Tom explained.
The passage with the curtain of rain in the House Of Bombadil is one of my favorite passages in the trilogy, fantastic writing. Thanks for the coverage Jess.
Thank you very much for your great video. I love the Hobbits' encounter with Tom Bombadil. The sentence "He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless" is a wonderful thing to remember for me. Best regards 🙏 Beautiful singing, thank you.
Outstanding analysis. Tom Bombadil is both a representation of the spirit of Nature and Humanity. He has a human form, reminding us that though they might forget to their great detriment, humans are also part of nature.
Yet another fine post Jess. I recall the first time I read the Old Forest chapter so many decades ago and being enthralled by it: it opened whole new unexpected realms of depth, and imaginative possibility. If we had not been opened to those possibilities by this chapter we would not have been as prepared for Lothlorien, or (more importantly) Fanghorn Forest and the Ents. Regarding Tom Bombadil, I've often thought Tolkien very much wanted him to be unexpected and mysterious. Who and what he truly is is as great a conundrum to the other characters in the book (see the Council of Elrond) as is is to us the readers.
The Old Forest is truly one of my favourite locations in Middle Earth. I adore the singing and the storytelling, the history of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, the River King's Daughter. Even Old Man Willow with his malicious (and yet dare I say, mischievous) attack upon the Hobbits with his roots, is truly a delight. After the fear and dread the Hobbits had experienced since Gandalf last came and set Frodo about his journey, this was an uneasy yet necessary detour for them, so they might rest and prepare for the remainder of their trek to Bree. To me, this part of the story is just as important as the Battle of Helm's Deep, the Sacking of Orthanc, or the Scouring of the Shire. All of which were drastically altered, limited, or left out of the films entirely. Though they may end up left out for many reasons, it does make me sad, because each is a piece of the rich tapestry of Tolkien's world view, which is itself as crucial to the History of Middle Earth as Frodo's Journey to Mordor.
When I was reading the books, I found the passage about the Old Forest especially interesting as it reminded me of my home area where I was still living at the time. I grew up in an area of western Germany known as the Westerwald. The name literally means 'western forest' or 'forest of the west' if you like that better. As the name suggests, it used to be one big forest but nowadays civilisation and industry have obviously taken their toll but there is still a lot of forest land there. The village I grew up in is surrounded by forest in all directions and I loved wandering through it away from the official paths and trails. Because the area is so densely populated and the forest is interspersed with fields, roads and pastures, it is almost impossible to get lost in it. You just need to keep walking in the same direction and eventually you will inevitably come across a road leading to a village. I did manage to get lost once though. I was out on one of my usual walks, but had come to a part of the forest that I had rarely been to. Eventually I came across an old beech tree, so famous that it has its own name, the “Habalsebuch”. It is said to be about five hundred years old and its trunk is so large that it would take about five adults holding hands to measure its circumference. It also had a mushroom growing on its bark with a hat the size of a car tire. However, you could only see this tree if you stood right in front of it, because at some distance it was hidden by all the other younger trees around it. I admired the tree for a while and then continued my walk. After a while, to my surprise, I spotted another huge tree. Only when I got closer did I realize that it was exactly the same tree and I had just approached it from a different direction. So I had been walking in circles. It was fun, but it was also getting late and I was getting tired and wanted to go home. So I took a different path that would hopefully lead me to the edge of the forest. After half an hour, a huge tree appeared in front of me again and it was exactly the same tree as the last two times, which I had approached from yet a different direction. Now I was strating to get frustrated. I decided to follow the already setting sun and this time I came out of the forest and found a road, though in a spot I hadn't anticipated. But still it was a familiar road and I followed it back to my house. I have visited the Habalsebuch several times after this and never got lost again. Sadly some years ago the Habalsebuch was broken down by a storm and last time I visited this place there was nothing left of it but a ragged stump and some branches bigger than some trees.
If that were a willow in the Old Forrest, I would warn you about sitting on the roots. :) It's a delightful picture, I can almost imagine you as a young hobbit lass out for a forbidden adventure
I always liked the Old Forest. Right next door to the idyllic Shire is a place of unquiet and danger, which both contain the Hobbits and protect them from outside influence. They like to think of the outside world as far away, and the history of the world as nothing to do with them. The Old Forest reminds them that the outside world is just on the other side of the Hedge, and the Barrow Downs tell them that history is never truly past.
The old forest and Tom Bombadil is without a doubt my favorite part of the whole story. I’ve read that chapter before bed so many times. It’s a fantastic experience to read about the hobbits settling in for the night just before you fall asleep…
Watch out, Goldberry, there's a new river-daughter in the forest! I'm watching this on a cold, foggy day in December, which now seems a little brighter thanks to Jess.🌄
The Tom Bombadil section was an instant favorite with me from the first time I ever read LOTR, and it remains a favorite. I do think it's a wise choice to leave it out of most adaptations, but it absolutely deserves to be in the book. Great video, nice setting, nice singing!
The Old Forest and Barrow Downs story arc was actually one of my favorite parts of the story in Book 1. Granted, I was all of 6 years old and fresh from my introduction to the world of Tolkien from having "The Hobbit" read to me, which I enjoyed so much I insisted on being read "Lord of the Rings" as soon as it was done, despite warnings that it would be much harder to understand. While I didn't grasp many of the subtleties of the story at that age, I enjoyed it enough that I kept reading it for myself, over and over again, at least once a year from age 7 to adulthood. I really enjoyed your rendition of Frodo's song in the Old Forest. I also got a good chuckle out of the "not in Kansas anymore" reference, as that was where I lived when first introduced to the story, and the state has been my equivalent of "the Shire" ever since my family moved away shortly before I turned 8.
I so enjoyed this video! The woods of Ithilien are my favorite LOTR forest. Perhaps not as old and steeped in history, but they were a respite for Frodo and Sam (and Gollum, too). The passages about the waterfall--the Window on the West--are so beautiful. It is in Tom Bombadil's house that Frodo has his vision of the Western Lands: "Frodo heard a sweet singing running in his mind: a song that seemed to come like a pale light behind a grey rain-curtain, and growing stronger to turn the veil all to glass and silver, until at last it rolled back, and a far green country opened before him under a swift sunrise." I think the Old Forest chapters are a reminder that life is not "plotted." There may be moments that don't fit the expected flow or plan and seem unconnected with "real life" and current concerns--like just trying to get to Bree. But these kinds of moments can be a gift:. a mix of the beautiful, strange, amusing, bemusing, peculiar, and inexplicable like Tom and Goldberry. Difficult to fit into the focused temporal progression of our dominant narrative style, but very much part of the whole.
Love this video! Once again, you nail it, Jess. One of my favorite sections of LOTR starts with the chapter “Three’s Company” and runs through “At the Sign of the Prancing Pony.” I’ve grown to truly love the Old Forest/Tom Bombadil/Barrow Downs part as a sort of story within a story.
The part you read, beginning at 11:38 and especially the line at 12:00 are among my favourite parts of the Lord of the Rings. The sense of age and perspective Tom has and reveals ... Its beautiful and haunting. You read it well 🙂 "He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside."
@@Jess_of_the_Shire You seem to think The "Dark Lord from Outside" is Sauron, but in context I think he means Morgoth. If Tom is THAT old (whoever he is), older than the rain and the acorns, he's old enough to remember when Melkor himself entered Arda.
I'm one of 'those' people. Took me three tries to plow thru the Old Forest & meeting Bombadil, and finally get back to the road ahead. Love the scenery, Miss Jess! A wonderful, lovely location for this tale. Thank you
I love your singing voice. You really ought to strike out and do some folk singing with a band. If you haven't already. Loved the old forest and Tom was amazing. In the story he made me laugh and gave me hope. I think he is critical. You forest looks awesome!! And I really love your outfits. It keeps it all together like a warm fuzzy quilt.
As a child i spent much of my time in the woods , I would follow the streams down thru the fields in my grandfathers farm until i ended up meandering down the forest paths . I would be gone until the sunset much of the time i spent alone listening to the wind in the trees and the bubbling of the stream as i lay beside it . Much of the area i spent time in is gone today stripped of the trees i climbed and paths i walked i can identify with Tolkien in that way. Thank you Jess for another wonderful video
What a beautiful singing and wonderful place to talk about The Old Forest. It feels like we are listening to an elf telling a legend. Such a charming vídeo and the sound of water adds great detail and helps the listener imagine themselves in the scene
Nice setting. Like the flowing water. Don't think I have a favourite forest from the LOTR. My favourite forests in real life are on the west coast of BC and Vancouver island with high canopies and lots of space between the tree trunks. The ground is covered in moss and ferns. Walking in these places fills me with wonder and awe. Like walking into a fantasy. Quite a contrast to where I grew up where the trees grew in thickets one could not walk through unless someone cut a path. Also really like the big ceder trees just outside my living room window. I enjoyed the character of Tom B. I also enjoyed reading LOTR. The pacing of the book is not like the pacing of a movie.
Dear Jess in a forest tree. I'm loving the crown of flowers! In this video we were not only lucky enough to see you out in nature again, we also got to hear your lovely singing voice. Such a delight! I would have loved to hear you give Tom's silly song a sing. "Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo!" I know he's shoehorned into the story, but there's also an important message there. We always live in times when the world seems like it's ending. And yet it's also always possible to sing and make jokes. That's the real defeat of evil. Merriment, silliness, and ease.
Weirdly, I _think_ my favorite forest (in the Third Age, at least) is Mirkwood. The fact that the Elves there clung to it, refusing to leave, makes me think it must have been something special.
I think that the chapter: The Old Forest serves 2 main purposes: 1. Transition the 4 hobbits from their previous life in the shire to the journey they found themselves on with all the perils that come with it. Rather than jumping head first to fighting against the enemy they instead found themselves in an alien, clearly hostile, place but not one that was immediately trying to kill them. Or to put it more precisely, the trees in the forest absolutely did try, and almost succeeded, in killing them but that's why Tom Bombadil was introduced, to balance it out and create this sort of starting area so to speak. 2. Remind us that there are forces far greater than living beings. I mean the trees are technically alive and all, but the old forest symbolizes the power of nature. Just as today we're still incapable of fighting against earthquakes, volcanoes or hurricanes, there are some forces that are simply beyond our grasp. The old forest is the perfect manifestation of this.
Tom Bombadil and Goldberry are my daughter's favourite characters. This part of the book makes so much sense and serves as an contrasting image to the darkness ahead.
I had a friend who lived near Mosley Bog in Birmingham, near where Tolkien grew up, and we'd always go there whenever I visited. Even after all that time there was always something magical about that place that I could never put my finger on but I still remember every single route and trail we visited.
It was a peek at the old magical world (pre-WWI) with all their singing, dancing, naked meadow frolicking innocence before the horrors of Mordor took it all away and changed the world forever (post-WWI).
One of your best episodes. The location was perfect. At times the blend of light and shadow made you blend in like you were part of the forest. The songs are always a treat!
One of my favourite Chapters of the best book of the trilogy. You have put so much effort in this video its a real piece of art! love the singing as well :)
I walk to the forest every sunny day. During these past two weeks I watched a deer being born, a rabbit hop on by, a turtle rambling in a muddy stream and a groundhog running towards his home below the gazebo. Delightful, simply delightful. It is a wonderful place to sit with my God and contemplate his creation. I believe that Tolkien also understood this.
This part of the LotR has always baffled me. I read it in my late teens and it left a both terrifying and ridiculous impression on me. It was as if Tolkien was either trolling or trying to make a point. I believe you have absolutely nailed it down, the forest must have been a sacred ground for him, as it should for everyone. I wholeheartedly embrace his vision of the world, and share the love/hate relationship he had for his society. There is such a thing as righteous anger!
I get why it's in there but it definitely feels incongruous. Like a chunk of a totally different story plopped in there with a little lore sprinkled in to make it fit.
Haters seem to be obsessed with the skin color of the characters, so anything that outrages them doesn't surprise me anymore. Thanks for the upload, Jess. Great video! I actually loved the Old Forest chapter. I also really loved the Old Forest and Barrow Downs that was featured in the Fellowship of the Ring video game from awhile back.
Fascinating, insightful and wonderful analysis. From my first reading of this as a teen in the late 60s, I'd always regarded the Old Forest as a garden of the lost Ent Wives, but it's actually much more.
I was absolutely bewildered when I first read this part after onky having watched the movies. Now I love this part and wouldnt change a word. Its so psychedelic and freaky and Tom Bombadil is so mystical and mysteriously powerful. Plus I love the "creepy forest" trope, and as a fan of neolithic megaliths I love the Barrow Downs as well. I dig the vibes from this part.
I love how you 'get' the sojourn of the Hobbits through the Old Forest. It also gives the Hobbits their first opportunity to grow beyond the insular simple folk they are. The Old Forest, as you say, reprresents one of the aspects of the 'magic' of Middle Earth. And anyone who has ever been lost in a forest, will find the experience of the Hobbits very relevant. It does indeed feel as if the trees are hemming you in, the air is still and stifling, and there is a fear hard to define. As if, why, it is as if the forests is 'alive.' Which of course, it is.
I know of a bridge deep within the Green Mountain National Forest, built by the hands of depression era laborers, covered in thick, vibrant, dense moss. The Bridge is covered; the banks of the stream are covered; the tops of the rocks are covered. I have never seen such lush, vibrant green growth in my life. And nothing in nature lovelier than Jess herself.
The Old Forest is one of my favorite parts. Also, I must say that I am glad Tom Bombadil wasn't covered in the movies: I think this is bigger than life and can't be visualized to bring the right vibes
Man, I loved this part of Fellowship! I’m planning on getting a Tom Bombadil tattoo and he’s who I aspire to be when I’m old. Just an old dude picking mushrooms in the forest
The Old Forest, Chapter 7, is my most favorite part of book 1 of the Lord of the rings. It's not an easy read, knowing what is to come. The anticipation of the Fellowship. It certainly is something for them to remember come the ADVENTURE they will soon be taken. Thanks Ms Jess. 💓💓🙏👍🌼
I love how Tolkien can show right near the start that the big bad scary ring is actually powerless in a certain sense and then still proceed to tell a tale with immense stakes about its destruction.
I love the setting you have chosen - It does emphasize the jump cuts after practically every sentence - but it sure does work beautifully for your chosen topic. I love it.
Absolutely beautiful. I've never encountered a forest that failed to inspire a sense of mystery and awe. I do not believe I ever will. This aspect of Tolkien's sentiment reflected in his writings is near to my heart, and I respect him for it.
I always loved this part of Lord of the Rings, especially In the House of Tom Bombadil. I also love your choice of location, even if it isn't a willow tree.
Further to your point, the Old Forrest foreshadows that trees can be awake, preparing us for Fangorn later. When in Lothlorien we are warned against the Fangorn, we are more inclined to accept the advice, and we feel dread for what Merry & Ippin are heading into.
Great idea to shoot this one on location Jess, would be cool to see more instalments of this series filmed in locations evoking the book descriptions, or maybe eventually the Jackson trilogy filming locations themselves! Imagine the episode for Edoras/Rohan filmed at Mount Sunday, or the Misty Mountains with the Southern Alps in the background🇳🇿🏔️
@@Jess_of_the_Shire Make a trip to the Pacific Northwest some day. The Cascade Mountains are often referred to as "The American Alps." Not as magnificent as the South Alps perhaps, but still worth the trip. I've often thought that Mount Hood near Portland was a good candidate for "The Lonely Mountain" from some vantage points.
This is the best explanation of the Old Forest I have heard. I have skipped that chapter re-reading LOTR more than once. I liked the settings for this video, and your costume choices too.
This is a very good account of Bombadil’s significance in the story, and well-delivered. I would add that the Bombadil “diversion” is also a manifestation of Tolkien’s skill as a storyteller. It brings down the tempo and stress of the hobbits’ journey, providing a chance for the reader to catch their breath. In this, it is akin to the concept of dynamics in music. A pro includes a range of dynamics in a performance to make the climax(es) more impactful. Same here. Lorien is another example, as are the hobbits’ visits with Treebeard and Faramir. Tolkien expressly stated that he wished to create “a stupendously long narrative that could keep the reader’s attention right through.” A story that charges to “10” and then stays there could never do that-it would quickly become tedious, repetitive, and irritating (like most actions films today 😜). I think Bombadil is best thought of as an earth spirit, an elemental, but a unique and very powerful one. Finally, a nitpick: I think you go a bit too far at 13:11. It is specifically judged at the Council of Elrond that Bombadil would ultimately fall to the Dark Lord if he were to regain the ring (and this appears to be Tolkien’s (omniscient) voice talking). In the end, though, even this supports your point. If I recall right, it is said at this point that Sauron’s ability to torture the very earth is evidence for the judgment, which suggests both Bombadil’s nature as an earth spirit and Tolkien’s concern for the natural world that you cite. Great stuff!
I love this! Can't wait to hear you talk about other locations! I feel like it should be mentioned that the Old Forest/Tom Bombadil "interlude" is a staple of many many D&D campaigns. The characters are put through a bit of a wringer, and then a benevolent, mystifyingly powerful NPC (a "non-player character" who is controlled by the game master) takes the adventurers in and offers them succor. I've played through these scenarios, run more than one myself, and read them in many a D&D-style fictional account. If you want an example, look at the Forestmaster in _Dragons of Autumn Twilight_, an extremely D&D-based fiction, by Weis and Hickman.
Honestly I found the Old Forest to be a key part of the story and how alive Nature was to be later in the story. In some ways he's the kinder, gentler Beorn from the Hobbit. More of a worldtender than Beorn was a herdsman and fierce enemy of the Goblins.
Absolutely spectacular video; visually stunning and equally strong in analysis of the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil. I've read LOTRs many, many times and always appreciated the place that the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil have in Middle Earth. And I have always understood that Tom is first and oldest. But the connection you make between the achingly old spirits of the forest and their eons-old anger at being forced into ever shrinking place as the essential counterbalance to the the primal force that is Bombadil existing in that same new world that does not merit his place in it, was not a connection I had made. Your insights are so often brilliant. I'm excited every time I see a new one of your videos drop. Thank you!
I've always felt this part was written just to show there are mysterious and magical things that can still be found in the world if you know where to look. And meeting the eldest living being is a profound moment. Who can say what you might learn from old Tom? That, and the Hobbits had been in great peril of their lives and needed a breather.
What a truly wonderful way to spend 17 minutes 10 seconds. A beautiful location, breath taking analysis, narration AND singing. Perfect for a summer's evening. 🙂
Thank you so much! Have a marvelous evening!
Omg there is SINGING in this video?? I paused right at the start. Because gosh, didn't expect her to sit in a cozy forest next to a little creek! I need me some good tea to get comfier before watching the rest :3
@@Anymal104Stopping video and getting tea. Good idea. Don't have any long bottom leaf but will get out the old pipe too 😂
@@a5cent 😂 You weren’t eating 🥣 Second Breakfast or Elevensies, Were you? Hahaha Great line and great reference.
The Old Forest and the Barrow Downs are a school. They give the hobbits chances to fail, gain experience and wisdom, and to 'level up.' As such, they are important to the structure of the story.
Yes yes yes! I like to point out that Frodo starts the episode running up and down the forest and shouting like a child, but ends by steeling his will to his fate, and trusting in the incantation he was given.
Also, the hobbits are now armed and they realize it's not gentle stroll through the woodlands of the Shire.
Also @Rosedach: Yes, not only are the hobbits armed, but Merry now has that special blade made by the enemies of the Witch King, which will become so important later!
Basically, the tutorial level.
@@losthor1zon Well, really all four hobbits have the same type of blade.
There is some really important character development going on. The hobbits enter with a sense that fear is their main enemy, and they ignore the very real dangers The Old Forest has in store for them. When Frodo next encounters real danger in the barrow, he finds his courage, fights back, and remembers to call Tom for aid.
Imagine if he had not had this development by Weathertop - he would have failed to fight back against the Nazgûl, and he likely would not have called on Elbereth for aid.
Excellent point!
Good eye! This is an excellent example of my long held belief: "Tolkien never does anything once."
Tom is one of the best side characters in the entire lore of Tolkien. I do love that Tolkien kept things like this in the books vs streamlining things for plots sake.
When I was young, I remember listening to the audiobook edition of Fellowship on a family trip , and complaining that Bombadil was annoying and bogged down the story. The terrible singing of the narrator was the biggest problem. My mom shot back with "Too bad! I like Tom Bombadil!"
Based mother.
I'm with your mother!
mom told you to hop along
This was one of your most charming videos. Someone who has lived in or near a forest understands how the wind moving the leaves causes an ever changing dance of shadows. The passage of the sun across the sky and the occasional intervention of a cloud causes the mood of a forest to constantly shift. Then the sun goes down and in the darkness the forest transforms yet again. I feel you captured the living changeableness of nature delightfully.
Have had one "in the back yard!", for 20 years!
I SO hope it stays!
Last Saturday morn', the Dog chased a deer out of our yard!
But we also have heard the Coyotes, and the poor bunnies in the night..........
I don't want to think about the 'burbs'! ever.......
I love the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil. It’s weird, yes, but absolutely its own beautiful thing. And I love the way that Tom is outside time (and pretty much everything else).
But I also get why people don’t like it. It is, like Bombadil himself, outside the rest of Middle Earth.
Any video where Jess sings is a very good video.
Thanks for standing up for the Old Forest and Tom as an essential part of the Hobbits arc from incompetent and fearful youths to powerful characters that saved the world. Until the Old Forest the hobbits had tried to be self-reliant, but afterwards (starting in Bree) they reached out for help. Also, no Bombadil, no barrow wight, no weapon to defeat the Nazgul lord on Pelennor Field in Merry's hand.
Without the Old Forest and Bombadil, the hobbits would not have been in the barrow and Merry would not have gotten the Dunedein sword without which the Witch King would not have been slain. Very necessary.
Why yes, I do love seeing a dark haired woman of elvish beauty sitting by a creek in the forest with a crown of flowers, gently singing the songs of old! Enjoyed every minute of this video, very Tolkien-esque!
I love the chapters covering The Old Forest, Tom Bomadil's house and the Barrow Downs. They convey a unique sense of magic and wonder.
The Old Forest... hmm.... welcome to my world... and yet it is a tricky subject. On the one hand, Tolkien wrote this bit before he had fully embraced the whole "One Ring" main plotline of this sequel to The Hobbit. As such, it was a legitimate first bit of wierdness for them to encounter, along with the Barrow Downs and Bree. Tom Bombadil was part of his personal mythology for his own children. On the other hand, this section is also a perfect example of how Tolkien was writing a possible alternative mythology for Britain, and he knew quite well how mythologies tend to have evolutions and layers of their own, and are only as historically reliable as the ones who tell it.
You touched on these notions in your own analysis of the fall of Numenor, as if wondering whether the stories of that mythical isle were really historical even in the context of middle-earth itself. To what extent were those tales a mythical exaggeration or justification of the ancestors of the Gondorians and the Dunadain? Of course, in that case, there were continuities in the persons of Elrond and Galadriel who remembered and experienced aspects of those histories. The Old Forest, however, digs even deeper than that, far back to the natural and shamanic forces like Karadhras and the Pukel-men.
[Biographically, Tom and Goldberry are a reflection of Tolkien's own reaction to the stories of Ukko in Finnish folklore, the tragic tale of the sky-hero who ultimately failed to bond with an earth-water nature spirit, resulting in the division of those realms. In Tolkien's personal romanticism, he took this chance to retell the story with a happier outcome, allowing the master of air-song to wed the goddess of waters. It's really a touching sentiment. It also shows how much of Tolkien's writing was really done to amuse himself, whether any reader caught on to the historical subtext or not.]
As such,"The Lord of the Rings" is a mythology as set down in The Red Book of Westmarch -- and Tolkien made sure we knew it was so -- and so it is a tale of imperial succession and the reasons and glories to justify that to later ages. However, in those "hobbity experiences" the authors themselves reported on many older forces and characters that went BEHIND the official story, not just preceeding but apparently in some ways superseding them, with no apology for the discrepencies. This is typical of actual mythologies and cosmologies. You aren't supposed to cry foul about the contradictions, because the story is the story, and we all know the mountain was there before any of this. If anything, you run your heroes NEAR the mountain, near the water, pass through the Forest, have them discover the caves, and so you incorporate the older things into the new epic, and so perhaps absorb the older stories into the new.
When it comes to a place like the ancient forests, fabled persons like Ukko or Thor that predate all written histories, or primal creatures like the Kraken (watcher in the water) or gryphon (golden eagles) or weather-spirits or song-magic that are the business of older lineages than the current dynasty, that's the best a mythos can do. Wander through, pass by, get some interaction with these primal forces, and it builds a bond between the epic you are telling and the elder backgrounds in which it is taking place.
The tales of King Arthur borrowed Merlin from the kelts, and even the tales of Merlin borrowed bits of story from the Morrigan of earlier peoples, and even the ancient misty memories of the Morrigan borrowed from the proto-proto-ice-age memories of the Huntress-Witch, the Dark-Visaged-Girl, who in other lands would be called Artemis among the greeks, Kali-ma in India, and Amaterasu in Japan. In this way, if you will make an epic tale, you would do well to link that story to the ancient journeys of those who came long before.
Tolkien was literally an academic expert in the processes of mythology, and so he wrote that process honestly into his own works, with all the gaps and potential contradictions included. In a way, as an avid fan of a particular religious-heroic literature tradition of his own choosing, he was admitting that he knew what he was doing , and that he had simply chosen his own version of holy ground on which to stand, based on how it served his own version of the love of his live. He loved Edith, and he loved trees; and he portrayed his idolization of her and his desire that the trees be heard in their own voice as best he could. As a result, we get Goldberry, beloved of the noaddje Tom, alien and yet familiar, in an ancient forest that could, if need be, rise up to defend itself. Later in the story, he doubled-down on this and gave us Fangorn.
From that point of view, as "meta" as it may get, it's all perfectly natural.
Chapters like the old forest evidence why those who compare Tolkien to GoT and similar stories only understand Tolkien’s work at surface level. Tolkien saw magic in small things, in every droplet, every tree’s memory. No big battles were more important than a second breakfast under the sub. No honour larger than peace. And a simpler world would always bring joy.
Stay Tolkinian, folks. Love peace and laughter over anything else you won’tt regret it
Agreed. It's sometimes necessary to take up arms to defend what you love. But if you can't enjoy peace and happiness, what are you fighting for?
indeed.
This is an important comment, in Tolkien’s words, for those that can read it.
I'll say this for Tom Bombadil: His life strikes me as something close to ideal, living in a sufficient house on a hill in/on the edge of the Forest with his perfect mate & few concerns. We all should have it so good.
Indubitably 🤔 why do people generally fail to see/strive for this?
I always thought of this as part of the education of the hobbits. Tom speaks of Farmer Maggot and how smart he is. I think Tom is teaching them about respecting the land and being proper stewards of it. Keeping a proper balance between technological advances and the natural world.
Today I learned Jess has a rather pleasant signing voice. That was a nice surprise.
She made a cover of Gollum's Song you might well enjoy. It's one of the older videos here.
@@EriktheRed2023 Nice. I'll look it up. Thanks for the heads up :)
I love your very Brittish description of her voice, but I agree
While it’s a HUGE venn diagram between the two, there are still book fans and movie fans. The old forest and Tom Bombadil are kind of special for book fans, for all the reasons you mentioned and more. Also, it’s pretty cool how Tom knows, and compliments, Farmer Maggot.
That section in the Old Forest gives so much context for other parts of the tale.
I have never understood why some people dislike the old forest section of the story. As a little kid reading LotR for the first time (in a foreign language) I remember strugling through the previous chapters. The story just didn't ensnare me until that point. But the old forest chapter had the air of myths and stories I grew up on. Today my choice to pursue fantasy writing and songwriting I in part own to the old forest because from that chapter onwards I never looked back.
That's similar to my own experience. Those who first discover the story as children seem to enjoy the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil far more than those who wait until adulthood to read the books. I think that is due to children having a greater sense of wonder and being less jaded than adults are.
One of my favorite activities as a kid was sitting under the shade of an old tree with a book, and I spent just as much time exploring the deep woods. So imagining the scenes of all the forests of Middle-Earth has always evoked good memories and a sense of being close to nature. Even the most ancient and gnarliest woods suit me just fine. It looks like you picked the perfect spot to spend a summer day - I hope you had fun making the video!
That sounds like a marvelous way to spend a childhood! And yes, aside from logistical chaos, it was beautiful
@@Jess_of_the_Shire It really was quite soothing to watch!
I have always found the Tom Bombadill sub-story to be the most important symbolic section of the entire LotR saga. I was so disappointed when he did not appear in the movies. Though, like you, I understand from an entertainment-standpoint why he was omitted. Tom as the symbol for nature being above and beyond the machinations of the other sentient species/races, is an almost Joseph Campbell-esque metaphor and to me possibly the most literary artful bit. Once again great literary analysis. Well done.
Treebeard talks about the wake trees, saying the Fangorn forest has places much darker and that it once was part of the same forest
I love the chapter on The Old Forest! It's so creepy and spooky, the chapter would not be entirely out of place in a horror novel.
Right? It's surprising how eerie it is
Girl Next Gondor has an excellent video titled "Beyond the 'Nameless Things': Cosmic Horror in Middle-earth" that I highly recommend watching.
Your missing the point entirely, it wasn't a spooky forest, it was an angry sad forest. And Tom was it's keeper and servant.
@@arthurweise2573 Tom literally said he's the master
@@arthurweise2573 I think both can be true. Its anger and sadness made it feel creepy to the hobbits, who didn't know anything about it until Tom explained.
The passage with the curtain of rain in the House Of Bombadil is one of my favorite passages in the trilogy, fantastic writing. Thanks for the coverage Jess.
Thank you very much for your great video. I love the Hobbits' encounter with Tom Bombadil. The sentence "He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless" is a wonderful thing to remember for me.
Best regards 🙏
Beautiful singing, thank you.
Outstanding analysis. Tom Bombadil is both a representation of the spirit of Nature and Humanity. He has a human form, reminding us that though they might forget to their great detriment, humans are also part of nature.
Yet another fine post Jess. I recall the first time I read the Old Forest chapter so many decades ago and being enthralled by it: it opened whole new unexpected realms of depth, and imaginative possibility. If we had not been opened to those possibilities by this chapter we would not have been as prepared for Lothlorien, or (more importantly) Fanghorn Forest and the Ents.
Regarding Tom Bombadil, I've often thought Tolkien very much wanted him to be unexpected and mysterious. Who and what he truly is is as great a conundrum to the other characters in the book (see the Council of Elrond) as is is to us the readers.
The Old Forest is truly one of my favourite locations in Middle Earth. I adore the singing and the storytelling, the history of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, the River King's Daughter. Even Old Man Willow with his malicious (and yet dare I say, mischievous) attack upon the Hobbits with his roots, is truly a delight. After the fear and dread the Hobbits had experienced since Gandalf last came and set Frodo about his journey, this was an uneasy yet necessary detour for them, so they might rest and prepare for the remainder of their trek to Bree.
To me, this part of the story is just as important as the Battle of Helm's Deep, the Sacking of Orthanc, or the Scouring of the Shire. All of which were drastically altered, limited, or left out of the films entirely. Though they may end up left out for many reasons, it does make me sad, because each is a piece of the rich tapestry of Tolkien's world view, which is itself as crucial to the History of Middle Earth as Frodo's Journey to Mordor.
When I was reading the books, I found the passage about the Old Forest especially interesting as it reminded me of my home area where I was still living at the time. I grew up in an area of western Germany known as the Westerwald. The name literally means 'western forest' or 'forest of the west' if you like that better. As the name suggests, it used to be one big forest but nowadays civilisation and industry have obviously taken their toll but there is still a lot of forest land there. The village I grew up in is surrounded by forest in all directions and I loved wandering through it away from the official paths and trails. Because the area is so densely populated and the forest is interspersed with fields, roads and pastures, it is almost impossible to get lost in it. You just need to keep walking in the same direction and eventually you will inevitably come across a road leading to a village. I did manage to get lost once though. I was out on one of my usual walks, but had come to a part of the forest that I had rarely been to. Eventually I came across an old beech tree, so famous that it has its own name, the “Habalsebuch”. It is said to be about five hundred years old and its trunk is so large that it would take about five adults holding hands to measure its circumference. It also had a mushroom growing on its bark with a hat the size of a car tire. However, you could only see this tree if you stood right in front of it, because at some distance it was hidden by all the other younger trees around it. I admired the tree for a while and then continued my walk. After a while, to my surprise, I spotted another huge tree. Only when I got closer did I realize that it was exactly the same tree and I had just approached it from a different direction. So I had been walking in circles. It was fun, but it was also getting late and I was getting tired and wanted to go home. So I took a different path that would hopefully lead me to the edge of the forest. After half an hour, a huge tree appeared in front of me again and it was exactly the same tree as the last two times, which I had approached from yet a different direction. Now I was strating to get frustrated. I decided to follow the already setting sun and this time I came out of the forest and found a road, though in a spot I hadn't anticipated. But still it was a familiar road and I followed it back to my house. I have visited the Habalsebuch several times after this and never got lost again. Sadly some years ago the Habalsebuch was broken down by a storm and last time I visited this place there was nothing left of it but a ragged stump and some branches bigger than some trees.
If that were a willow in the Old Forrest, I would warn you about sitting on the roots. :) It's a delightful picture, I can almost imagine you as a young hobbit lass out for a forbidden adventure
I always liked the Old Forest. Right next door to the idyllic Shire is a place of unquiet and danger, which both contain the Hobbits and protect them from outside influence. They like to think of the outside world as far away, and the history of the world as nothing to do with them. The Old Forest reminds them that the outside world is just on the other side of the Hedge, and the Barrow Downs tell them that history is never truly past.
What a pretty singing voice you have!
Thanks so much!
I can barely express how much I love the setting and the music. Thanks Jess!
The old forest and Tom Bombadil is without a doubt my favorite part of the whole story. I’ve read that chapter before bed so many times. It’s a fantastic experience to read about the hobbits settling in for the night just before you fall asleep…
You definitely look at home in the woods. Beautiful singing and insightful stories as usual. I give 5 mushrooms out of 5 🍄
Watch out, Goldberry, there's a new river-daughter in the forest! I'm watching this on a cold, foggy day in December, which now seems a little brighter thanks to Jess.🌄
The Tom Bombadil section was an instant favorite with me from the first time I ever read LOTR, and it remains a favorite. I do think it's a wise choice to leave it out of most adaptations, but it absolutely deserves to be in the book. Great video, nice setting, nice singing!
The Old Forest and Barrow Downs story arc was actually one of my favorite parts of the story in Book 1. Granted, I was all of 6 years old and fresh from my introduction to the world of Tolkien from having "The Hobbit" read to me, which I enjoyed so much I insisted on being read "Lord of the Rings" as soon as it was done, despite warnings that it would be much harder to understand. While I didn't grasp many of the subtleties of the story at that age, I enjoyed it enough that I kept reading it for myself, over and over again, at least once a year from age 7 to adulthood.
I really enjoyed your rendition of Frodo's song in the Old Forest. I also got a good chuckle out of the "not in Kansas anymore" reference, as that was where I lived when first introduced to the story, and the state has been my equivalent of "the Shire" ever since my family moved away shortly before I turned 8.
This video is wonderful. Your love for Tolkien is endearing.
I love the old forest in the books. It 💯 makes the story better and more intriguing. I adore Tom Bombadil and Goldberry.
Thank you, Jess of the Shire, for yet another delightful, insightful commentary. I've always really liked the "detour" into the Old Forest.
I so enjoyed this video! The woods of Ithilien are my favorite LOTR forest. Perhaps not as old and steeped in history, but they were a respite for Frodo and Sam (and Gollum, too). The passages about the waterfall--the Window on the West--are so beautiful.
It is in Tom Bombadil's house that Frodo has his vision of the Western Lands: "Frodo heard a sweet singing running in his mind: a song that seemed to come like a pale light behind a grey rain-curtain, and growing stronger to turn the veil all to glass and silver, until at last it rolled back, and a far green country opened before him under a swift sunrise."
I think the Old Forest chapters are a reminder that life is not "plotted." There may be moments that don't fit the expected flow or plan and seem unconnected with "real life" and current concerns--like just trying to get to Bree. But these kinds of moments can be a gift:. a mix of the beautiful, strange, amusing, bemusing, peculiar, and inexplicable like Tom and Goldberry. Difficult to fit into the focused temporal progression of our dominant narrative style, but very much part of the whole.
Love this video! Once again, you nail it, Jess. One of my favorite sections of LOTR starts with the chapter “Three’s Company” and runs through “At the Sign of the Prancing Pony.” I’ve grown to truly love the Old Forest/Tom Bombadil/Barrow Downs part as a sort of story within a story.
The part you read, beginning at 11:38 and especially the line at 12:00 are among my favourite parts of the Lord of the Rings. The sense of age and perspective Tom has and reveals ... Its beautiful and haunting. You read it well 🙂
"He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside."
It's a wonderful line!
@@Jess_of_the_Shire You seem to think The "Dark Lord from Outside" is Sauron, but in context I think he means Morgoth. If Tom is THAT old (whoever he is), older than the rain and the acorns, he's old enough to remember when Melkor himself entered Arda.
I'm one of 'those' people. Took me three tries to plow thru the Old Forest & meeting Bombadil, and finally get back to the road ahead.
Love the scenery, Miss Jess! A wonderful, lovely location for this tale. Thank you
There's probably a highway a field away.
Lady, you are a beautiful soul. Thank you so much for your time and tale.
A true representation of beauty on every level.
I love your singing voice. You really ought to strike out and do some folk singing with a band. If you haven't already. Loved the old forest and Tom was amazing. In the story he made me laugh and gave me hope. I think he is critical. You forest looks awesome!! And I really love your outfits. It keeps it all together like a warm fuzzy quilt.
As a child i spent much of my time in the woods , I would follow the streams down thru the fields in my grandfathers farm until i ended up meandering down the forest paths . I would be gone until the sunset much of the time i spent alone listening to the wind in the trees and the bubbling of the stream as i lay beside it . Much of the area i spent time in is gone today stripped of the trees i climbed and paths i walked i can identify with Tolkien in that way. Thank you Jess for another wonderful video
What a beautiful singing and wonderful place to talk about The Old Forest.
It feels like we are listening to an elf telling a legend.
Such a charming vídeo and the sound of water adds great detail and helps the listener imagine themselves in the scene
Nice setting. Like the flowing water.
Don't think I have a favourite forest from the LOTR. My favourite forests in real life are on the west coast of BC and Vancouver island with high canopies and lots of space between the tree trunks. The ground is covered in moss and ferns. Walking in these places fills me with wonder and awe. Like walking into a fantasy. Quite a contrast to where I grew up where the trees grew in thickets one could not walk through unless someone cut a path.
Also really like the big ceder trees just outside my living room window.
I enjoyed the character of Tom B. I also enjoyed reading LOTR. The pacing of the book is not like the pacing of a movie.
Loved that you filmed this in the forest. Feels very right. Also, Fangorn is my favorite forest. I',m a bit of an Ent stan.
Dear Jess in a forest tree. I'm loving the crown of flowers! In this video we were not only lucky enough to see you out in nature again, we also got to hear your lovely singing voice. Such a delight! I would have loved to hear you give Tom's silly song a sing. "Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo!" I know he's shoehorned into the story, but there's also an important message there. We always live in times when the world seems like it's ending. And yet it's also always possible to sing and make jokes. That's the real defeat of evil. Merriment, silliness, and ease.
Weirdly, I _think_ my favorite forest (in the Third Age, at least) is Mirkwood. The fact that the Elves there clung to it, refusing to leave, makes me think it must have been something special.
I think that the chapter: The Old Forest serves 2 main purposes:
1. Transition the 4 hobbits from their previous life in the shire to the journey they found themselves on with all the perils that come with it. Rather than jumping head first to fighting against the enemy they instead found themselves in an alien, clearly hostile, place but not one that was immediately trying to kill them. Or to put it more precisely, the trees in the forest absolutely did try, and almost succeeded, in killing them but that's why Tom Bombadil was introduced, to balance it out and create this sort of starting area so to speak.
2. Remind us that there are forces far greater than living beings. I mean the trees are technically alive and all, but the old forest symbolizes the power of nature. Just as today we're still incapable of fighting against earthquakes, volcanoes or hurricanes, there are some forces that are simply beyond our grasp. The old forest is the perfect manifestation of this.
I was walking in the woods today thinking about the Hobbit and LOTR. Thank you for the perfect Hobbity ending to the day.
Goldberrys pretty sister explains Tom Bombadil. What a pleasure.
Tom Bombadil and Goldberry are my daughter's favourite characters. This part of the book makes so much sense and serves as an contrasting image to the darkness ahead.
I had a friend who lived near Mosley Bog in Birmingham, near where Tolkien grew up, and we'd always go there whenever I visited. Even after all that time there was always something magical about that place that I could never put my finger on but I still remember every single route and trail we visited.
It was a peek at the old magical world (pre-WWI) with all their singing, dancing, naked meadow frolicking innocence before the horrors of Mordor took it all away and changed the world forever (post-WWI).
One of your best episodes. The location was perfect. At times the blend of light and shadow made you blend in like you were part of the forest. The songs are always a treat!
I just have to say whenever someone puts tolkiens songs from writing to music its interesting to see how each person does it.
One of my favourite Chapters of the best book of the trilogy. You have put so much effort in this video its a real piece of art! love the singing as well :)
I walk to the forest every sunny day. During these past two weeks I watched a deer being born, a rabbit hop on by, a turtle rambling in a muddy stream and a groundhog running towards his home below the gazebo. Delightful, simply delightful. It is a wonderful place to sit with my God and contemplate his creation. I believe that Tolkien also understood this.
Jess, your singing voice is enchanting.
Great job on singing that Frodo tune. Did you come up with that melody yourself? Loved it! 🎉❤🎉
This part of the LotR has always baffled me. I read it in my late teens and it left a both terrifying and ridiculous impression on me.
It was as if Tolkien was either trolling or trying to make a point. I believe you have absolutely nailed it down, the forest must have been a sacred ground for him, as it should for everyone. I wholeheartedly embrace his vision of the world, and share the love/hate relationship he had for his society. There is such a thing as righteous anger!
I couldn't believe it when I found out I wasn't the only one who felt this way about this part. Stopped reading it for a year and started over strong.
I get why it's in there but it definitely feels incongruous. Like a chunk of a totally different story plopped in there with a little lore sprinkled in to make it fit.
I think that the old forest oart is great for listening to because it's wholesome and charming and easy to listen to
Haters seem to be obsessed with the skin color of the characters, so anything that outrages them doesn't surprise me anymore. Thanks for the upload, Jess. Great video! I actually loved the Old Forest chapter. I also really loved the Old Forest and Barrow Downs that was featured in the Fellowship of the Ring video game from awhile back.
It would be difficult to express how perfectly suited the tree roots in this video are suited for their task.
Fascinating, insightful and wonderful analysis. From my first reading of this as a teen in the late 60s, I'd always regarded the Old Forest as a garden of the lost Ent Wives, but it's actually much more.
I was absolutely bewildered when I first read this part after onky having watched the movies. Now I love this part and wouldnt change a word. Its so psychedelic and freaky and Tom Bombadil is so mystical and mysteriously powerful. Plus I love the "creepy forest" trope, and as a fan of neolithic megaliths I love the Barrow Downs as well. I dig the vibes from this part.
Very lovely setting to see and hear you in, including the beautiful singing (and I admit I usually skimmed the songs as a reader). Thanks!
Thank you Jess of the Shire, just lovely presentations)
I love how you 'get' the sojourn of the Hobbits through the Old Forest. It also gives the Hobbits their first opportunity to grow beyond the insular simple folk they are. The Old Forest, as you say, reprresents one of the aspects of the 'magic' of Middle Earth. And anyone who has ever been lost in a forest, will find the experience of the Hobbits very relevant. It does indeed feel as if the trees are hemming you in, the air is still and stifling, and there is a fear hard to define. As if, why, it is as if the forests is 'alive.' Which of course, it is.
I know of a bridge deep within the Green Mountain National Forest, built by the hands of depression era laborers, covered in thick, vibrant, dense moss. The Bridge is covered; the banks of the stream are covered; the tops of the rocks are covered. I have never seen such lush, vibrant green growth in my life. And nothing in nature lovelier than Jess herself.
The Old Forest is one of my favorite parts. Also, I must say that I am glad Tom Bombadil wasn't covered in the movies: I think this is bigger than life and can't be visualized to bring the right vibes
Man, I loved this part of Fellowship! I’m planning on getting a Tom Bombadil tattoo and he’s who I aspire to be when I’m old. Just an old dude picking mushrooms in the forest
The Old Forest, Chapter 7, is my most favorite part of book 1 of the Lord of the rings. It's not an easy read, knowing what is to come. The anticipation of the Fellowship. It certainly is something for them to remember come the ADVENTURE they will soon be taken. Thanks Ms Jess. 💓💓🙏👍🌼
This is one of my favorite parts of the book!
Wood thrushes in the background add great beauty to the scene
Thank you, Jess. Glad you can get out into the forest from time to time. ❤❤
I love how Tolkien can show right near the start that the big bad scary ring is actually powerless in a certain sense and then still proceed to tell a tale with immense stakes about its destruction.
I love the setting you have chosen - It does emphasize the jump cuts after practically every sentence - but it sure does work beautifully for your chosen topic. I love it.
Absolutely beautiful. I've never encountered a forest that failed to inspire a sense of mystery and awe. I do not believe I ever will. This aspect of Tolkien's sentiment reflected in his writings is near to my heart, and I respect him for it.
I always loved this part of Lord of the Rings, especially In the House of Tom Bombadil. I also love your choice of location, even if it isn't a willow tree.
Just the gentle and almost unnoticed poetry in Tom's speeches makes the 'Old Forest' and the 'Barrow downs' worth tarrying for.
the old forest is an unsolved mystery, or maybe a view of what Fangorn would be like without the ents.
That's an interesting point. It's all the rage of the forest without the personification of ents
Further to your point, the Old Forrest foreshadows that trees can be awake, preparing us for Fangorn later.
When in Lothlorien we are warned against the Fangorn, we are more inclined to accept the advice, and we feel dread for what Merry & Ippin are heading into.
Great idea to shoot this one on location Jess, would be cool to see more instalments of this series filmed in locations evoking the book descriptions, or maybe eventually the Jackson trilogy filming locations themselves! Imagine the episode for Edoras/Rohan filmed at Mount Sunday, or the Misty Mountains with the Southern Alps in the background🇳🇿🏔️
I'll have to see what I can do!
@@Jess_of_the_Shire Make a trip to the Pacific Northwest some day. The Cascade Mountains are often referred to as "The American Alps." Not as magnificent as the South Alps perhaps, but still worth the trip. I've often thought that Mount Hood near Portland was a good candidate for "The Lonely Mountain" from some vantage points.
This is the best explanation of the Old Forest I have heard. I have skipped that chapter re-reading LOTR more than once.
I liked the settings for this video, and your costume choices too.
This is a very good account of Bombadil’s significance in the story, and well-delivered.
I would add that the Bombadil “diversion” is also a manifestation of Tolkien’s skill as a storyteller. It brings down the tempo and stress of the hobbits’ journey, providing a chance for the reader to catch their breath. In this, it is akin to the concept of dynamics in music. A pro includes a range of dynamics in a performance to make the climax(es) more impactful. Same here. Lorien is another example, as are the hobbits’ visits with Treebeard and Faramir. Tolkien expressly stated that he wished to create “a stupendously long narrative that could keep the reader’s attention right through.” A story that charges to “10” and then stays there could never do that-it would quickly become tedious, repetitive, and irritating (like most actions films today 😜).
I think Bombadil is best thought of as an earth spirit, an elemental, but a unique and very powerful one.
Finally, a nitpick: I think you go a bit too far at 13:11. It is specifically judged at the Council of Elrond that Bombadil would ultimately fall to the Dark Lord if he were to regain the ring (and this appears to be Tolkien’s (omniscient) voice talking). In the end, though, even this supports your point. If I recall right, it is said at this point that Sauron’s ability to torture the very earth is evidence for the judgment, which suggests both Bombadil’s nature as an earth spirit and Tolkien’s concern for the natural world that you cite. Great stuff!
I love this! Can't wait to hear you talk about other locations!
I feel like it should be mentioned that the Old Forest/Tom Bombadil "interlude" is a staple of many many D&D campaigns. The characters are put through a bit of a wringer, and then a benevolent, mystifyingly powerful NPC (a "non-player character" who is controlled by the game master) takes the adventurers in and offers them succor. I've played through these scenarios, run more than one myself, and read them in many a D&D-style fictional account. If you want an example, look at the Forestmaster in _Dragons of Autumn Twilight_, an extremely D&D-based fiction, by Weis and Hickman.
Perfect for this Solstice time, when the world spins on a mind, that changes the hobbit's find .....Bombadil and his open skys ....
Honestly I found the Old Forest to be a key part of the story and how alive Nature was to be later in the story.
In some ways he's the kinder, gentler Beorn from the Hobbit. More of a worldtender than Beorn was a herdsman and fierce enemy of the Goblins.
Oh hey! It's been a while since we've had an outside episode!
Tom and the old forest has always been my favorite part of the book
Well done, great video! 🌳💚
Absolutely spectacular video; visually stunning and equally strong in analysis of the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil. I've read LOTRs many, many times and always appreciated the place that the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil have in Middle Earth. And I have always understood that Tom is first and oldest. But the connection you make between the achingly old spirits of the forest and their eons-old anger at being forced into ever shrinking place as the essential counterbalance to the the primal force that is Bombadil existing in that same new world that does not merit his place in it, was not a connection I had made. Your insights are so often brilliant. I'm excited every time I see a new one of your videos drop. Thank you!
I've always felt this part was written just to show there are mysterious and magical things that can still be found in the world if you know where to look. And meeting the eldest living being is a profound moment. Who can say what you might learn from old Tom? That, and the Hobbits had been in great peril of their lives and needed a breather.