Re: More Bombadil
Rich P.

As far as I can see the arguements for the inclusion of Bombadil as a personality in the story are all very valid; in terms of protraying anything new to the general view of the ring he has little importance. However, Bombadil is used in the books in order to introduce a number of objects of extreme importance into the story. For instance, when he gives Pippin the sword from the Barrow, that has huge implications for the rest of the story, because it is that sword in the end that kills the Ringwraith and saves Gondor. To remove Bombadil from the story also removes the giving of the sword, surely it would be just as easy to include Bombadil than to invent a whole new scene where the sword is picked up.