There are a whole plethora of mysterious and other-worldly characters featured in Tolkien’s books that do not appear in Peter Jackson’s famous film adaptations, most notably of which is probably Tom Bombadil, the ancient magical being who lives in the old forest and is completely immune to the effects of the ring of power. Tom Bombadil brings lots of life and layers into the tale, but he is not often seen unaccompanied by his beautiful wife: Goldberry.
Goldberry, like Tom Bombadil himself, is of that ethereal realm that exists between nature and humanity, she is a lady of the forest, described most often as the ‘river-daughter.’ When the four hobbits get lost after being chased by the 9 ringwraiths into the old-forest, where they are quickly entrapped by the malicious trees who dwell there, Tom Bombadil has to come to their aid. He rescues them from the clutches of Old Man Willow, a particularly grumpy old spirit, and then they are led to the safety of the Bombadil house by a beautiful angelic voice.
Upon walking into a fine hall, with a fire on the hearth and a warmth strong enough to block out the tumultuous darkness outside, they come across a young woman sitting in her chair. ‘Her long yellow hair rippled down her shoulders, her gown was green, green as young reeds, shot with silver like beads of dew, and her belt was of gold, shaped like a chain of flag lilies, set with the pale blue eyes of forget-me-nots. About her feet in wide vessels of green and brown earthenware, white water-lilies were floating, so that she seemed to be enthroned in the midst of a pool.’
It appears, at first, that Goldberry is like a flower herself, and that if she leaves the water her feet are dipped in, she might wilt and perish, but this isn’t altogether accurate, for she is able to move freely and gracefully about Tom Bombadil's house, she goes about making the hobbit’s stay comfortable and pleasing, setting the table with candle-light and a veritable feast to settle them after their difficult adventures so far. She appears also to be able to influence their emotions, inspiring them to recite giddy poetry about her beauty and to feel an elevated form of joy unusual to their scenario and atmosphere. Yet despite all of this undulation she causes, many fans have spotted a sort of melancholy within her character. There is a sadness that grips her, beyond the frivolous and nimble purpose she serves in Tom’s house, as if a part of her longs to go back to the river she came from.
For some unknown reason, Tom Bombadil seems trapped in the Old Forest, unable to cross beyond the boundaries at the edge of the woods, and it is highly possible that this same fate has befallen his wife. She seems at first to be a jovial character, yet somewhat distracted, and always appears and disappears at unusual times and in unusual places, On The surface level, she is a comfort to those near her in dark times, presenting beautiful visions of water trickling down the hills, and singing songs in her golden voice, that would chase away the deepest blues. But underneath it all, there is a complexity to her that is difficult to understand, and even harder to portray on screen, which is probably, in part, why Peter Jackson left her and Tom Bombadil and their ethereal musings out of his films.
She is, in many ways, an amalgamation of the other female characters in Tolkien’s famous trilogy. She shares the golden strength and resilience of Eowyn of Rohan, seeming like a force to be reckoned with despite her flower-like appearance. She has all the elven grace and beauty of Galadriel, with the same love of the trees and the rivers that bore her, that Galadriel has of her own kingdom in Lothlorien. And finally, she has the enduring love and companionship of Arwen, seeming to live for Tom Bombadil and their small, comfortable home, away from the grander problems of the world.
She is only a fleeting character in the trilogy, intercepting the hobbits on their much wider journey on the way to the fires of Mount Doom to destroy the ring, but her full story can be read in the ‘Adventures of Tom Bombadil, in which she pulls Tom out of the River and he captures her, ultimately marrying her and bringing her back to his keep. Perhaps this was not the life she would have chosen for herself, had she not been ensnared by this charming Elder being, or perhaps she is content with the life they lead in the Old Forest. Either way, she is one of those characters that remain in the minds of the reader, long after the book is finished.