[HairOfTheDog]

I hope D. Witch is a Hitchhikers Guide fan, because that was a good line.

The rest of your interpretation is great too. As a lover of Bombadil, and the River-Daughter, I am comfortable with just letting him be whatever he is. But I am impressed with your ability to allow for vagueness! Your reputation as a strict historian now has to make room for "I don't know and it doesn't really matter". Hi! Ho! Merry Dol!

[JenB]

Well, with Tolkien, there's room for vagueness, sometimes. If there's a fact, I try to know it - but if it's left open, I try to respect that, while still picking the best 'fit', as it were.

I wonder if there's such a thing as a doctorate in Tolkienology? I wonder what my parents would say if I said I wanted to study such a thing...