Eru in Arda : God in Tolkien's Middle-earth

Eru (God)

In The Lord of the Rings the conflict is not basically about 'freedom', though that is naturally involved. It is about God, and His sole right to divine honour. (J.R.R. Tolkien, Letters #183)

This article addresses the issue of the presence of God in the prose writings of English author and scholar J.R.R. Tolkien, specifically his greater legendarium, including The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, wherein the Elvish word Eru is applied. The task of locating examples is complicated by the fact that the Christian God exists in the form of the Blessed Trinity, comprising three distinct, though united, elements - the Father (in Tolkien's Elvish called Eru Ilúvatar for God the Father), the Son (also known as the Logo, or Word of God), and the Holy Spirit / Holy Ghost. The latter is called by Tolkien the Secret Fire / Flame Imperishable. The search fir God in amongst Tolkien's expansive universe is aided by this multiplicity of forms, though at the same time limited therein by the fact that his greater legendarium takes place in a pre-Christian equivalent (i.e., pre Jesus Christ) world called Middle-earth. This is, in fact, our own world, for Tolkien has stated outside of his prose, that:

The theatre of my tale is this earth, the one in which we now live, but the historical period is imaginary. (Letters #183)

Though Tolkien's world is pre-Christian, the Son of God of the Blessed Trinity nevertheless existed prior to the earthly manifestation of Jesus Christ and remains eternal, present in Christian mythology and belief at the beginning of time as the Logos, or Word of God, and existing as such within Tolkien's legendarium. The Holy Spirit is, however, more clearly defined and observed, as Tolkien notes:

And I shall send forth the Flame Imperishable into the Void and it shall be at the heart of the world (Ainulindalë, The Silmarillion)

Herein he is referring to the fact that The Void [in the Elvish Quenya Eä] is The World / The Universe, which in turn includes Arda [Earth], and Middle-earth [Europe]. Therefore, he is telling us that God will be present on Middle-earth, because the Flame Imperishable / Secret Fire is the Holy Ghost, which is God, and "is with [i.e., within]" and "distinct from" Ilúvatar (God the Father)". It is likewise Divine and has, as a manifestation of God (Eru), the power to create life. No other entity in the legendarium has this power. The Valar (equivalent to angels) can create things, but they cannot give life (sentience), or a soul, to such things.

Unfortunately, much of this religious and theological information provided by Tolkien is not known or understood by the majority of readers of his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. Also, there is a paucity of understanding amongst commentators, both amateur and academic, of the fact of the presence of God on Middle-earth and within the wider legendarium. They ignore what Tolkien wrote, in preference to what he said in conversation and letters, becoming victims of the author's obfuscation and wordplay as he sought to hide this fact amidst a fear of exposure to the claims of allegory. The information below reveals the truth of the foundational Ainulindalë statement and other comments by Tolkien outside of the legendarium.

In addition, within the legendarium, Tolkien went beyond his own earthly experience, in providing a literal manifestation of the Secret Fire / Flame Imperishable in the form of the character Tom Bombadil. Aspects of this will be discussed below.

Missing in action?

It is commonly held that there is no God in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings; no presence either in body or spirit; no manifestation in the wider, pre-Christian legendarium of Tolkien's Catholic belief in the Blessed Trinity, comprising (1) God the Father, (2) God the Son (the Word or Logos) and (3) God the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. In fact, there is no religion in The Lord of the Rings.

Such is the view of many readers, critics, film makers, academics and even religious commentators, though the latter often point to related, though vague, symbolism and allegorical elements, real or implied. This is understandable, as millions of people have encountered Tolkien's works over almost a century and enjoyed them without picking up on any religious sentiment, apart from the generic theme of good vs. evil. Tolkien is responsible for creating this view. He is also responsible for debunking it. As he noted shortly after the publication of the first volume of The Lord of the Rings:

Some reviewers have called the whole thing simple-minded, just a plain fight between Good and Evil... (25 September 1954, Letter #153)

But they were wrong, or rather, mistaken. The ongoing release of material unpublished during Tolkien's lifetime reveals the Catholic foundation to much of his work, and the presence of God therein. What is the proof of this?

Where is God?

In reality, God IS present within Tolkien's greater legendarium., in some of the following instances:

During the First and Second Ages within The Book of Lost Tales / Unfinished Tales / The Silmarillion, begun in 1916, updated throughout Tolkien's life, and issued posthumously since 1977;
During the Third Age in The Lord of the Rings, substantially written between 1937-48 and published during 1954-5; and
During the First Age within the Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, written around 1959.

The present article reveals instances of God, and the adoration of God, in such works. It includes those made available during Tolkien's lifetime, and the plethora of unpublished material made available after his death in scholarly works such as The History of Middle-earth, compiled by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in twelve volumes between 1983-1996.

Whilst alive, Tolkien was hesitant about revealing God within his fantasy fiction, for he did not want it to be seen as Christian allegory. However, he did make a number of private statements outside of his mythological writings to reveal God's presence, such as in letters and individual conversations. Within all the more public material he sought to defer accusations of allegory or preaching, by stripping away obvious Catholic theology and references to related individuals, buildings, events or ceremonies. For example, in a letter from late 1951 he told Milton Waldman that if myth 'explicitly contains the Christian religion' then that 'seems to me fatal' (Letter #131). It is not the role of myth and fantasy to preach, but to entertain and teach, through example.

Towards the end of his life Tolkien was less reticent about revealing the Catholic core of his Middle-earth mythology. For those who now go looking, there is much to find and many clues left by the learned professor. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Tolkien commentators continue to steer clear of any such references in their analyses, as religion can generate unwanted political controversy and sectarianism. For example, a recent detailed YouTube presentation (linked below) concerning the meaning of the Secret Fire / Flame Imperishable, which featured in both The Book of Lost Tales, The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, failed to mention the fact that Tolkien had specifically identified this as a representation in Middle-earth of God the Holy Spirit, an element of the Blessed Trinity. Connecting the fantasy with Christianity is once again shied away from.

As time passes, the significance of the Catholic core of the legendarium is becoming clearer, with an increasing body of work - books, articles, videos and presentations - available expanding upon it (Organ 2022a). The present article is one such attempt to dig deeper into Tolkien's philosophical and religious background as expressed in various forms, through a focus on the topic of God, who he saw as the supreme being and creator of the universe. It should be noted, however, that in writing his greater legendarium, Tolkien felt in some way personally disconnected from the world he was creating, as though he was a mere puppet, holding the possessed pen. In his letter to Waldman he noted:

...always I had the sense of recording what was already 'there', somewhere: not of 'inventing'. (Letter #131)

This disconnect was mentioned on a number of occasions, referring to how stories would come to him unconsciously, in whole or part, and not that he was simply rehashing Christian doctrine. The autobiographical allegory Leaf by Niggle was a good example, arriving in a dream and written almost instantaneously upon waking. This was also the case with The Lord of the Rings, with large swathes written unconsciously, without prior thought, while his mind was taken on a journey from the Shire to Mount Doom. As a result, Tolkien would sometimes be loathe to discuss or expand upon what he had written because, in fact, he could not. He felt that he was being used by a greater force outside of himself in the development of his legendarium. This may seem inexplicable, especially to non-Christians. But it is nonetheless true. As such, it was often only after Tolkien had edited his work, that he came to truly understand, or even consider, its deeper meaning. It also explains why in many instances he had difficulty answering questions about what he had written. This can be seen in the following discussion regarding the precise elements of his presentation of God within the legendarium.

God and the Catholic core

Tolkien made a number of specific references to the importance of Catholicism as the foundation of his greater legendarium, and of the presence of God - who he also referred to as The One - as a driving force in regard to the narratives contained therein. Of course The One actually referred to the many, as in the three of the Blessed Trinity. This belief was so ingrained in his psyche as a result of a childhood Catholic upbringing that it occurred unconsciously. He was always reticent to reveal this, and often ambiguous in his statements as a result, whilst at the same time noting that there was enough information provided by him for those keen to go down the path of discovery and revelation. Seven such significant statements outlining the Catholic core and presence of God in Tolkien's legendarium are illustrated below.

(1) 2 December 1953 - J.R.R. Tolkien letter to Father Robert Murray:

The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or cut out, practically all references to anything like ‘religion’, to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism…. As a matter of fact, I have consciously planned very little. (Letters #142)

Herein Tolkien refers to the significant subconscious element in the creation of The Lord of the Rings. This is not an expression of humility on the part of the writer, but rather simple fact.

(2) September 1954 - draft letter to Peter Hastings concerning The Lord of the Rings and the adoration of God by the Númenóreans:

There are thus no temples or 'churches' or fanes in this 'world' among 'good' peoples. They had little or no religion in the sense of worship. For help they may call on a Vala (as Elbereth), as a Catholic might on a Saint, though no doubt knowing in theory as well as he, that the power of the Vala was limited and derivative. But this is a 'primitive age': and these folk may be said to view the Valar as children view their parents or immediate adult superiors, and though they know they are subjects of the King, he does not live in their country nor have there any dwelling.

I do not think Hobbits practised any form of worship or prayer (unless through exceptional contact with Elves).

The Númenóreans (and others of that branch of Humanity, that fought against Morgoth, even if they elected to remain in Middle-earth and did not go to Númenor: such as the Rohirrim) were pure monotheists [i.e. they believed in one God]. But there was no temple in Númenor (until Sauron introduced the cult of Morgoth). The top of the Mountain, the Meneltarma or Pillar of Heaven, was dedicated to Eru, the One, and there at any time privately, and at certain times publicly, God was invoked, praised, and adored: an imitation of the Valar and the Mountain of Aman. But Númenor fell and was destroyed and the Mountain engulfed, and there was no substitute. Among the exiles, remnants of the Faithful who had not adopted the false religion [of Sauron] nor taken part in the rebellion, religion as divine worship (though perhaps not as philosophy and metaphysics) seems to have played a small part; though a glimpse of it is caught in Faramir's remark on 'grace at meat'. (Letter #153)

Herein Tolkien is pointing out how small a role religion plays in the world of The Lord of the Rings. It is not a forced message to the reader, nor does it come across as a premonition of the post-Christian world which he was to see emerge following the end of World War II through to the end of the millennium. In this case it is simply a part of good myth-making and story telling.

(3) circa 1956 - Personal notes in response to a review of The Lord of the Rings by W.H. Auden:

In The Lord of the Rings the conflict is not basically about 'freedom', though that is naturally involved. It is about God, and His sole right to divine honour. The Eldar and the Númenóreans believed in The One, the true God, and held worship of any other person an abomination. Sauron desired to be a God-King, and was held to be this by his servants; if he had been victorious he would have demanded divine honour from all rational creatures and absolute temporal power over the whole world. (Letters #183)

Tolkien here highlights the core spiritual driver of his fictional narrative, namely its Catholic foundation, with God at its head.

(4) 26 October 1958 - letter to Mrs. L.M. Cutts regarding the importance of his Christianity:

If I may say so, with humility, the Christian religion (which I profess) is far the most powerful ultimate source [for The Lord of the Rings]. On a lower plane: my linguistic interest is the most powerful force ...

Once again, Catholicism is a core element of The Lord of the Rings and the greater legendarium.

(5) 1964 - BBC interview with Deny Gueroult outlining references to God:

Gueroult: Where is God in The Lord of the Rings?

Tolkien: Mentioned once or twice….

Gueroult: Is he the One, mentioned above all others?

Tolkien: The One …. Yes…. God is supreme, the creator, outside, transcendent…. But the place of the “gods” is taken by the angelic spirits created by God, created before the particular time sequence which we call the World, which is called in their language “Eä” i.e., that which is, that which now exists. Those are the Valar - the power. It is a construction of geo-mythology in which a large part of the demiurgic [creation] of things has been handed over to powers that are created therein under the One.

Gueroult: Therefore, you have in your theocracy an ultimate One whom you call…

Tolkien: The One only. (Tolkien 1964)

Tolkien, late in life, comes clean on the hidden presence of God in his most famous work.

(6) 1966 - conversation with Clyde Kilby, American author, professor of English, and research assistant to Tolkien at the time:

Professor Tolkien talked to me at some length about the use of the word ‘holy’ in The Silmarillion. Very specifically he told me that the ‘Secret Fire sent to burn at the heart of the World’ in the beginning was the Holy Spirit. (Kilby 1976).

This is a significant revelation regarding the presence of God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, in the world of Middle-earth. It is, furthermore, the contention of the present author that this manifest in the person of Tom Bombadil.

(7) 22 March 1968 - interview with Charlotte and Denis Plimmer for the London Daily Telegraph Magazine.

Tolkien: [The Lord of the Rings] is not about anything but itself. It has no allegorical intentions, topical, moral, religious or political. It is not about modern wars or H-bombs, and my villain is not [Adolf] Hitler....

Plimmer: Some people have criticized The Lord of the Rings as lacking religion.

Tolkien denies this: Of course God is in The Lord of the Rings. The period was pre-Christian, but it was a monotheistic world.

Plimmer: Monotheistic? Then who was the One God of Middle-earth?

Tolkien was taken aback: The One, of course! The book is about the world that God created - the actual world of this planet. (Plimmer 1968)

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In another unpublished letter from 1968 Tolkien also addresses the issue of God within The Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, Tolkien created confusion by implying an absence of God's presence in Middle-earth within a draft letter of September 1954 to Catholic bookshop proprietor Peter Hastings. How can this equate with the aforementioned references to the opposite? The answer lies in the fact of Tolkien's personal reality, wherein God does not walk the earth in any physical form, as he did during the time of Christ, but is nevertheless present in corporeal form as the Holy Spirit. Tolkien's creation of the Tom Bombadil figure as a manifestation of the Secret Fire is therefore a cheat, and one he sought to keep hidden lest his legendarium be classed mere allegory.

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God in The Lord of the Rings

It can be seen from the tone of the 1968 interview above that Tolkien was frustrated that his greater legendarium, which ultimately appeared (in part only, as edited by his son Christopher) as The Silmarillion, had not at that stage been published. Therein the importance and present of God as Eru was revealed. The sseven examples cited above clearly set out what many people failed to see upon release in 1937 and 1954 of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, namely:

1) that Tolkien embedded Catholic teaching and mythology within his legendarium;

2) that he specifically placed God in works such as The Lord of the Rings, but to such a degree that the presence therein is largely hidden; and

3) that God the Holy Spirit is specifically manifested in The Lord of the Rings through the character of Tom Bombadil, unlike the other two elements of the Blessed Trinity - God the Father (Eru) and God the Son.

It can generally be said that God is not fully present as the Blessed Trinity within the greater legendarium, but rather, as the supreme divine entity called by Tolkien Eru, and 'hidden' under the guise of Tom Bombadil.

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Eru - The One

Eru is the Elvish language Quenya word meaning The One or He who is alone. Tolkien is therefore emphasising the fact that, as the creator of the universe, God is ultimately the original being, with nothing prior, and therefore alone, though also existing as the Blessed Trinity.

One of the elements of the Trinity - God the Father - is known to the Elves of Middle-earth as Eru Ilúvatar, with Ilúvatar the Quenya word for Father of All or All Father or Sky-father.

The significance of Eru, or the Blessed Trinity, is highlighted by the first line of the first chapter of Tolkien's creation myth, the Ainulindalë, as published during 1977 in The Silmarillion. Therein it states:

There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar.

This is of necessity a contradition, in line with Catholic theology, wherein God is both singular and plural at all times.

The Ainulindalë is equivalent to the Book of Genesis in the Catholic Bible, wherein the first line tells us:

In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.

The Biblical process of creation is basically through sound, or the Logos, as it is in various mythologies such as those of the Australian Aborigines. Tolkien likewise uses music and song within his creation myth, which he refers to as the Music of the Ainur.

He had begun his world building in the trenches of France during 1915, and initially developed the concept of Eru - in the form of Ilúvatar for God the Father - during 1916-17, as seen in the compilation of early writings published in 1983-4 as The Book of Lost Tales. Therein, Ilúvatar was introduced during 1918-20 in a chapter on the Music of the Ainur.

As regards the Blessed Trinity, Paul Kocher, in a 1985 Mythlore article, notes the history of the early references therein to a God and the Trinity (Kocher 1985). The Music of the Ainur chapter was thereafter refined during the 1930s for ultimate inclusion in The Silmarillion, by which time the single word Eru had gained prominence, encompassing the three elements of the Blessed Trinity beyond simply God the Father.

In seeking to sell his manuscript for The Lord of the Rings following its completion in 1948, Tolkien downplayed his use of God (Eru) and lesser gods, or angels equivalent (the Valar and Maiar) within that work as:

.... a mere narrative device ... which can yet be accepted .... by a mind that believes in the Blessed Trinity. (Letter #131)

He was eventually successful in having the book published during 1954-5, with scant awareness on the part of the majority of readers regarding its Catholic, or Christian, core, such was the skill of the writer. However, his efforts to have The Silmarillion published prior to The Lord of the Rings had failed. Therefore, a greater understanding of the presence and role of God / Eru was not available to the vast majority of readers of The Lord of the Rings between its initial publication and the appearance of The Silmarillion more than two decades later in 1977. Neither did many read the rather dense Appendices within The Return of the King, and therefore pick up on some of the pre-Third Age material contained therein, including fleeting reference to Eru. The arrival of The Silmarillion after Tolkien's death did not immediately change the situation due to the encyclopedic density and lack of narrative flow of that work, which made a reading and analysis difficult. Nevertheless, it was within that book, which covers elements of the history of the First and Second Ages of his greater legendarium and the origins of Middle-earth and the characters present therein, that the Catholic foundation was most fully revealed, along with the central role of God.

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God (Eru) as hero

The love of Arda was set in your [Númenórean] hearts by Ilúvatar, and he does not plant to no purpose (Akallabeth, in The Silmarillion)

The entering into Men of the Elven-strain is indeed represented as part of a Divine Plan for the ennoblement of the Human Race, from the beginning destined to replace the Elves (Letter #153)

God (Eru) was both creator and guardian of the universe, including Arda and Middle-earth. The issue of predeterminism - a Divine Plan - on the part of God (Eru), as revealed by the two quotes above, and the corresponding importance of the concept of free will given to the various races on Arda, is strong within The Lord of the Rings. The Peter Jackson films brought this to the fore with Gandalf's statements to Frodo around the subjects of the One Ring, the role of Gollum in the ultimate, seemingly accidental destruction of the Ring, and the part played by hobbits - Bilbo, Frodo and Sam - as Ring bearers (Jackson 2001-3). Gandalf, in a roundabout way, therein indicates to Frodo that Eru, in part through the Valar, has set in train a series of events which will lead to the ultimate defeat of Sauron, the main purveyor at the time of evil on Middle-earth and subject to the influence of Melkor, a Lucifer equivalent.

Part of this Divine Plan by Eru was to have the the five Ishta (Maia) 'wizards' sent down to Middle-earth by the Valar (higher angels) to assist the sentient beings therein in their fight against Sauron. This fight was also known as the War of the Ring. Gandalf was one of these celestial spirits, equivalent to Catholic angels and the lesser Greek gods. They would primarily assist those in Middle-earth, rather than simply destroy Sauron or the One Ring at the outset. This task was not carried out by divine beings because, as in Tolkien's real world, within the legendarium the Elves, Men, Dwarves, Ents, and other higher sentient beings of Middle-earth have a free will, which implies a responsibility to determine one's fate. This also explains why the Maia Eagles did not simply transport Frodo to Mount Doom to dispose of the One Ring, rather then forcing him to undertake a physical journey and quest in which he would ultimately fail, it being Gollum who - accidentally(?) - completed the task.

Saruman also failed as an Ishta, whilst Gandalf eventually completed his mission following the intervention of Eru, perhaps partially through the Valar, in allowing him to return to Middle-earth as Gandalf the White following his devastating encounter with another Maia - the Balrog known as Durin's Bane. Other members of the Fellowship of the Ring failed along the way. Their path in life may have been set in train by Eru and the Valar, but their ultimate fate, and success or otherwise in getting there, was up to them. Boromir and Frodo fell by the wayside at various stages. Frodo, with the help of Sam and Gollum, nevertheless played an important part in the ultimate destruction of the One Ring and evil on Middle-earth. As such, Eru is the ultimate hero of The Lord of the Rings, though this role is unseen and unknown to many readers and commentators. Instead, Frodo is the titular hero, and made so by the author. Once again, Tolkien is able to show us that life is never simply black or white, just as behaviour is never simply a case of good versus evil, though it may appear so on the surface, and in fantasy fiction where protagonists must necessarily encounter antagonists.

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Númenor's public adoration of God (Eru)

The failure to release Tolkien's greater legendarium prior to publication of The Lord of the Rings was to impact upon the reading and understanding of that work. One good example concerns the character of Aragorn, a Númenórean. Within The Silmarillion, especially the section entitled Akallabeth, and later works such as Unfinished Tales, we read of the various religious beliefs and ceremonies carried out by the Númenóreans on the island of Númenor, which focused on worship of Eru, specifically during the Second Age of Middle-earth. In contrast, The Lord of the Rings is set in the Third Age. However, prior to that we subsequently read of the creation of Númenor by the Valar for a race of Men called the Edain, who are in turn given increased powers and long life by Eru, after which they are known by various names, including the Dúnedain. Aragorn is one of these, and the middle of their star-shaped island is a tall, steep mountain called Meneltarma - the Pillar of Heaven. This is the only known direct reference within Tolkien's legendarium to the Christian eternal kingdom. Upon Meneltarma three ceremonies honoring Eru, known as the Three Prayers, were held annually over a period of some 3,100 years. They were lead therein by the rulers of the island - kings and queens. The ceremonies have been summarised by the fandom as follows:

They were called Erukyermë ("Prayer to Eru"), Erulaitalë ("Praise of Eru"), and Eruhantalë ("Thanksgiving to Eru") and took place in the spring, midsummer, and autumn respectively. During these ceremonies, the King (or Queen) of Númenor and many of the people, clad in white and wearing garlands, would ascend the Meneltarma. The ruling King or Queen would make a fruit offering on the summit. Usually there was an utter silence in the hallow of the Meneltarma, but during the Three Prayers, the King or Queen would speak during the offering. In Númenórean thought, the rulers alone had the right to make these offerings and give speeches on the summit of the Holy Mountain, as they were descended from the Elves and the Maiar through Lúthien, Idril and Nimloth. (Tolkien Gateway 2022)

These ceremonies ceased when the Númenórean leadership, under the influence of Sauron, rebelled against the Valar and the deification of Eru, who Sauron referred to as the Phantom. A temple was then built for Sauron in which human sacrifices of believers in Eru were carried out. This, amongst other actions, resulted in the eventual destruction of the island through a 'wrath of God' Atlantean apocalypse.

The story of Númenor and its sad fate is perhaps the clearest presentation of Tolkien's Catholicism within his legendarium, apart from the obvious parallels within the Ainulindalë creation myth. Tolkien outlined aspects of this Eru worship and the destruction of Númenor in one of his letters as follows:

So ended Númenor-Atlantis and all its glory. But in a kind of Noachian situation [viz. the story of Noah and his Ark] the small party of the Faithful in Númenor, who had refused to take part in the rebellion (though many of them had been sacrificed in the Temple by the Sauronians) escaped in Nine Ships (Vol. I. 379, II. 202) under the leadership of Elendil (=Ælfwine. Elf-friend) and his sons Isildur and Anárion, and established a kind of diminished memory of Númenor in Exile on the coasts of Middle-earth – inheriting the hatred of Sauron, the friendship of the Elves, the knowledge of the True God, and (less happily) the yearning for longevity, and the habit of embalming and the building of splendid tombs – their only 'hallows': or almost so. But the 'hallow' of God and the Mountain had perished, and there was no real substitute. Also when the 'Kings' came to an end there was no equivalent to a 'priesthood': the two being identical in Númenórean ideas. So while God (Eru) was a datum of good Númenórean philosophy, and a prime fact in their conception of history, He had at the time of the War of the Ring no worship and no hallowed place. And that kind of negative truth was characteristic of the West, and all the area under Númenórean influence: the refusal to worship any 'creature', and above all no 'dark lord' or satanic demon, Sauron, or any other, was almost as far as they got. They had (I imagine) no petitionary prayers to God; but preserved the vestige of thanksgiving. (Those under special Elvish influence might call on the angelic powers for help in immediate peril or fear of evil enemies.) It later appears that there had been a 'hallow' on Mindolluin, only approachable by the King, where he had anciently offered thanks and praise on behalf of his people; but it had been forgotten. It was re-entered by Aragorn, and there he found a sapling of the White Tree, and replanted it in the Court of the Fountain. It is to be presumed that with the reemergence of the lineal priest kings (of whom Lúthien the Blessed Elf-maiden was a foremother) the worship of God would be renewed, and His Name (or title) be again more often heard. But there would be no temple of the True God while Númenórean influence lasted. (Tolkien letter #156)

We see here reference to temples, a priesthood, and adoration of Eru / God, all being very Catholic elements of belief, and ones that were not carried over into Middle-earth during the Third Age and the events of The Lord of the Rings following the destruction of Númenor. A detailed account of the Eru-focussed religion of the Númenóreans is contained in the following video from The Tolkien Road Podcast:

Númenor's Religion, The Tolkien Road Podcast, 28 August 2021, duration: 57.27 minutes.

The video presentation highlights the significance of the adoration of Eru not only to Númenórean society, but also following the migration of some of its members to Middle-earth, both before and after the cataclysmic destruction of the island. Their religion was in many ways pre-Christian, with the kings being the high priests, and the greater population largely excluded from involvement in ceremony. This reflects events in the Old Testament of the Bible. Things would change, of course, with the arrival of Jesus Christ and the creation of the Catholic religion that Tolkien practiced, but an equivalent would not occur within the greater legendarium as it was historically older and pre-Christian. One could refer to it as substantially pagan.

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Tom Bombadil as God the Holy Spirit in Middle-earth

One occasion during 1954 is known where it was put to Tolkien that a character in The Lord of the Rings, namely Tom Bombadil, was a manifestation of God on Middle-earth. His response at the time was nothing but obfuscation, and neither affirmation nor denial. In a related later admission during 1966, Tolkien specifically told his friend Clyde Kilby that God the Holy Spirit was present as the Flame Imperishable or Secret Fire. In regard to this matter, and following a detailed investigation into what Tolkien did and did not say, the present author has argued that God the Holy Spirit was manifest in the form of Tom Bombadil - a mysterious, enigmatic and powerful character who the author was loathe to discuss in detail, but who nevertheless featured in the early part of The Lord of the Rings, alongside his equally enigmatic wife Goldberry. Tolkien also informed us that Bombadil was ageless, eternal, as only God could be.

In his September 1954 draft letter to Peter Hastings, proprietor of a Catholic bookshop, Tolkien addressed references therein to Bombadil as ‘the Master’ and 'Eldest' and to Hastings' proposition that he was God on Middle-earth. Despite common readings that Tolkien's response was emphatically negative, it was actually evasive – he never actually denied Hastings’ assertion – expansively informative, and actually positive. A section of the letter, annotated by Tolkien and with interspersed comments by the current author, is reproduced below:

... As for Tom Bombadil, I really do think you are being too serious, besides missing the point. (Again the words used are by Goldberry and Tom, not me as a commentator). You rather remind me of a Protestant relation who to me objected to the (modern) Catholic habit of calling priests Father, because the name father belonged only to the First Person, citing last Sunday’s Epistle - inappositely since that says ex quo. [MO: Here Tolkien evades answering the question directly by criticising the questioner.]

Lots of other characters are called Master; [MO: Not true. Tolkien is emphatic within The Lord of the Rings as to the significance of its reference therein to Bombadil as the creator of Arda and therein Middle-earth.]

and if ‘in time’ Tom was primeval he was Eldest in Time. [MO: Bombadil is immortal and was present at the beginning of time, before the creation of the universe. Therefore, he is God.]

But Goldberry and Tom are referring to the mystery of names. See and ponder Tom’s words in Vol. I p. 142 [I.7:129]. You may be able to conceive of your unique relation to the Creator without a name - can you? For in such a relation pronouns become proper nouns. But as soon as you are in a world of other finites with a similar, if each unique and different, relation to [the] Prime Being, who are you? [MO: Tolkien in his argument herein makes references to Bombadil as 'the Creator' and the 'Prime Being' i.e. God.]

Frodo has asked not ‘what is Tom Bombadil’ but ‘Who is he’. We and he no doubt laxly confuse the questions. Goldberry gives what I think is the correct answer. [MO: Obfuscation was commonly used by Tolkien, as here.]

We need not go into the sublimities of ‘I am that I am’ -- which is quite different from ‘he is’.* [MO: Direct Biblical reference to Bombadil as God.]

[*Only the first person (of worlds or anything) can be unique. If you say ‘he is’ there must be more than one, and created (sub) existence is implied. I can say ‘he is’ of Winston Churchill as well as of Tom Bombadil, surely?] [MO: Indirect reference to the Blessed Trinity, tripartite aspect of God as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.]

She adds as a concession a statement of part of the ‘what’. He is master in a peculiar way: he has no fear, and no desire of possession or domination at all. He merely knows and understands about such things as concern him in his natural little realm. He hardly even judges, and as far as can be seen makes no effort to reform or remove even the Willow. [MO: Further discussion of the Master label.]

I don’t think Tom needs philosophizing about, and is not improved by it. But many have found him an odd or indeed discordant ingredient. In historical fact I put him in because I had already ‘invented’ him independently (he first appeared in the Oxford Magazine) and wanted an ‘adventure’ on the way. [Evasion; downplaying Bombadil's significance. Diverting the conversation by introduction of an irrelevancy.]

But I kept him in, and as he was, because he represents certain things otherwise left out. [Emphasizing the significance of Bombadil. Tolkien does not directly tell us what those 'certain things' are he represents, but we can identify them from what the author has written.]

I do not mean him to be an allegory - or I should not have given him so particular, individual, and ridiculous a name - but ‘allegory’ is the only mode of exhibiting certain functions: he is then an ‘allegory’, or an exemplar, a particular embodying of pure (real) natural science: the spirit that desires knowledge of other things, their history and nature, because they are ‘other’ and wholly independent of the enquiring mind, a spirit coeval with the rational mind, and entirely unconcerned with ‘doing’ anything with the knowledge: Zoology and Botany not Cattle-breeding or Agriculture. Even the Elves hardly show this: they are primarily artists. [Bombadil is the only truly allegorical being within the book.]

Also T.B. exhibits another point in his attitude to the Ring, and its failure to affect him. You must concentrate on some part, probably relatively small, of the World (Universe), whether to tell a tale, however long, or to learn anything, however fundamental — and therefore much will from that ‘point of view’ be left out, distorted on the circumference, or seem a discordant oddity. The power of the Ring over all concerned, even the Wizards or Emissaries, is not a delusion — but it is not the whole picture, even of the then state and content of that part of the Universe.... (Letters #153) [Bombadil and his power is greater than simply Middle-earth. It is universal.]

This letter, though cryptic in many ways, is perhaps ultimately the most revelatory in regards to both who and what Tom Bombadil is. In it Tolkien admits to the character’s allegorical credentials and to being both a ‘particular embodying’ and ‘a spirit’, but does not openly reveal any hidden religious meaning, apart from Tom being a goodly pacifist as against an evil warmonger. He informs us that if he had meant Bombadil to be an allegory he would have given him a special name, as he did with many other beings through the use of Quenya, the fictional language devised around 1913 and purportedly used by the Elves. Tolkien actually did give him such a name - the Elvish Iarwain Ben-adar - but Tom Bombadil was already in play and took prominence. The fact that Tom possessed a ‘ridiculous’ name derived from a toy did not, nevertheless, hinder development of the character. Tolkien’s defensiveness is limited due to the fact that he allowed Goldberry to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, when she informed Frodo that Tom was master of ‘wood, water and hill’, which refers not only to Middle-earth, but to the world generally - called by Tolkien Arda - and its creation. What such mastery entails is not made clear. This nevertheless relates to the questions of ‘what’ Tom is. We know ‘who’ he is from his actions within the book and statements by those who know him, or know of him. But we are not sure ‘what’ he is – i.e., what kind of being he is, or his true nature – apart from his partner Goldberry’s partial answer in referring to him rather vaguely as ‘the Master’. Perhaps of most significance is the fact that Tolkien points out in the Hastings letter that you don’t need a name in order to consider a relationship with the Creator – the ‘Prime Being’ - which in this particular instance is seemingly referring to Tom Bombadil and the initial question by Hastings as to whether he was a representation of God. In discussing the numerous names allocated to him, Tolkien points to ‘the Creator without a name.’ This follows on Tom’s own rejection of the idea of a name, merely telling Frodo that he is ‘Eldest’ and therefore, in fact, nameless, i.e., he is the nameless Creator. The absence of a name is therefore linked to the Creator or Prime Being – a matter of supreme significance to Tolkien, who made language and names the very foundation of his Middle-earth legendarium. As such, the common reading of this letter as a refutation of the claim that Tom is a manifestation of God is shown to be false, as Tolkien does not openly reject the proposition. In fact, he deflects a straight Yes / No answer by belittling his correspondent as being ‘too serious’ and then providing a cryptic answer which tends to support the assertion. Furthermore, Tolkien’s statement ‘If you say ‘he is’ there must be more than one, and created (sub) existence is implied,’ makes sense in the context of the Christian concept of the Blessed Trinity to which Tolkien adhered (Williams 2003, Hensler 2013, Tolkien Fans 2013, Moxon 2014, Klamut n.d.). There are many additional clues in The Lord of the Rings pointing to Tom Bombadil as a manifestation of God the Holy Spirit, imparting grace and providing empowerment to the hobbits at the beginning of their quest to destroy the One ring. The most substantive is the following draft manuscript, as Tom addresses the hobbits and informs them of his eternal, primary nature:

‘Eh, what?’ said Tom sitting up, and his eyes glinted in the gloom. ‘I am an Aborigine, that’s what I am, the Aborigine of this land. I have spoken a mort of languages and called myself by many names. Mark my words, my merry friends: Tom was here before the River or the Trees. Tom remembers the first acorn and the first rain-drop. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the Little People arriving. He was here before the kings and the graves and the [ghosts] Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward Tom was here already - before the seas were bent. He saw the Sun rise in the West and the Moon following, before the new order of days was made. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside. (The Return of the Shadow 121)

The final, published version, was briefer, though just as expansive:

But you are young and I am old. Eldest, that’s what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside. (The Lord of the Rings 129)

These paragraphs clearly indicate that Bombadil was present at the beginning of time, before the Music of the Ainur was initiated by Eru, resulting in the creation of Eä, i.e., the universe (Davis & Organ 2022). As such, the only being he could be was Eru, and the only way to explain that is through an understanding of the Catholic concept of the Blessed Trinity as three persons in one. An analysis of the powers of Bombadil as allocated by Tolkien align with the powers of the Holy Spirit, which in The Lord of the Rings is the Secret Fire / Flame Imperishable. Therefore, in the writing and editing of the book Tolkien has created Tom Bombadil as a manifestation on Middle-earth of God the Holy Spirit.

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References

Carter, Humphrey and Tolkien, Christopher, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Allen & Unwin, 1981.

Davis, Daniel Côté and Michael Organ, Guests, Hosts and the Holy Ghost: Who Tolkien's Tom Bombadil and Goldberry are and why it really matters, The Authors, London & Sydney, 2022, 254p. Forward by Joseph Pearce.

Jackson, Peter (director), The Lord of the Rings [film trilogy], New Line Cinema, Hollywood, 2001-3.

Kilby, Clyde S., Tolkien & the Silmarillion: A Glimpse at the Man and his World of Myth, Harold Shore, Wheaton, 1976.

Kocher, Paul, Ilúvatar and the Secret Fire, Mythlore, 12(1), 1985, 36-7.

Organ, Michael, Religious studies of the work of J.R.R. Tolkien - a chronological bibliography, [Blog], 21 October 2022.

Plimmer, Charlotte and Denis, The Man Who Understands Hobbits, London Daily Telegraph Magazine, 22 March 1968, 31-32, 35.

Tolkien, Christopher (editor), The History of Middle-earth, Allen & Unwin, London, 1983-96. Comprises:

The Book of Lost Tales 1 (1983);
The Book of Lost Tales 2 (1984);
The Lays of Beleriand (1985);
The Shaping of Middle-earth (1986);
The Lost Road and Other Writings (1987);
The Return of the Shadow (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.1) (1988);
The Treason of Isengard (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.2) (1989);
The War of the Ring (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.3) (1990);
Sauron Defeated (includes The History of The Lord of the Rings v.4) (1992);
Morgoth’s Ring (The Later Silmarillion v.1) (1993);
The War of the Jewels (The Later Silmarillion v.2) (1994);
The Peoples of Middle-earth (1996).

Tolkien, J.R.R., The Lord of the Rings, George Allen & Unwin, London, 3 volumes, 1954-5.

----- , The Silmarillion, Allen & Unwin, London, 1977. Edited by Christopher Tolkien,

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Last updated: 2 April 2023

Michael Organ, Australia

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