What was the oldest creature in Middle Earth? The Ents, Tom Bombadil, Gandalf, Sauron, The Elves or other?

Answer 1

Tom Bombadil Definitely...Book I pg 180-181... 'Who are you, Master?' he asked. 'Eh, what?' said Tom sitting up, and his eyes glinting in the gloom. 'Don't you know my name yet? Thats the only answer. Tell me, who are you alone, yourself and nameless? 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.

Also Book I Pg 347 Elrond-- 'But I had forgotten Bombadil, if indeed this is still the same that walked the woods and hills long ago, and even then was older than the old. That was not then his name. Iarwain Ben-adar we called him, oldest and fatherless. But many another name he has since been given by other folk: Forn by the Dwarves, Orald by Northern Men, and other names beside.

I rest my case.

Answer 2

Gandalf and Sauron were around even before Middle Earth was created, so I'd say they're the oldest. They're something on the level of angels. I'm not exactly sure what Tom Bombadil is except he seems to be some kind of earth spirit.

Answer 3

Middle Earth, it would have been the Istari (the wizards) and Sauron. They were in fact older then the Earth. Bombadil was a mystery...he might have been as old as the Maier, but no one knows for sure.
Ents would have the next oldest, then the elves, then the dwarves. Humans and hobbits were about the same time period.

Answer 4

Let's try this again.

For those of you who don't know who Tom Bombadil is . . .

After Frodo and pals leave the Shire in "The Fellowship of the Ring," they encounter Tom when he rescues them from some harrowing experiences.

Doesn't Gandalf someplace call Tom "the oldest" or "the eldest"? One interesting thing about Tom is that the Ring has no power over him. He does not become invisible when he puts it on. Hmmm. . . Also, he is one of the several people who have possession of the Ring and freely give it up.

If you haven't read the books, you just don't know what you've missed. Tom is one part of the trilogy that apparently wouldn't fit into Peter Jackson's vision of what he could cover in three films. If you love the movies, don't you wonder what else you have missed by not reading the books?

Answer 5

Tom Bombadill, of those three However Ungoliat is at least as old if not older, and Illvutar was before middle earth, while not in it the Ainu or Valar specifically Manwe and Ulmo have been know to appear close to and sometimes in middle earth and they helped create it according to the mythology.

Answer 6

Tom says that he was there since the beginning of time - before the trees and before water. Since Treebeard is a tree... I would say Tom is the oldest creature.

And I totally agree with Deb up there - Read The Books! The movies were awesome, but the books will really take you there.

Answer 7

For those of you asking who Tom Bombadil is, I believe he is from The Hobbit (not The Lord of the Rings). He is a character the dwarves meet along their adventure.

Answer 8

believe the ents were. who's tom bombadil? but then again the elves were immortal right? arwen gave hers up to be with aragorn or is just for the royal elves that are granted immortality?

Answer 9

Actually, if you read the Silmarillion, you will find that one of the lower "gods" jumped the gun and created dwarves first, before the elves, that were to be firstborn. The top "god" (I forget the names and titles) ordered the dwarves to be put to sleep until after the elves were created and established.

Answer 10

I can't remember but you can find out in the Similarion (sp?) by JRR Tolkien. It's the whole history of all those creatures. I'd say Sauron was the eldest of those you mentioned.