That's right: the other two were the "Ithryn Luin" (blue wizards) called
Alatar and Pallando (if memory serves me correctly...)
I've always loved Tom Bombadil. You do get the feeling that he's truly a
character of great antiquity and import who has gone back (?) to the simple
life, don't you? I think his way of speaking shows that somehow everyday
prose is not enough to contain his joy in the world - it seems to be a
reversion to the music of the Ainur.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Padraic Brown" <agricola@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2001 11:44 PM
Subject: Re: LOTR
> Am 11.09.01, The Gray Wizard yscrifef:
>
> > I first read LOTR long before The Silmarillion was published. When
rumors
> > of its imminent publication surfaced, I was certain that the overgrown
> > hobbit I knew as Tom Bombadil, would be transformed into Iarwain
Ben-Adar, a
> > being of more weight and substance, perhaps a Vala or a Maia. I
continued
> > with that expectation through all 12 volumes of HoME, but alas, I found
him
> > not.
>
> I expect he's just going to remain one of those enigmatic characters that
> we never find out anything about. Like Gandalf's lesser known bretheren
> (apart from Saruman, whom we find out rather a lot about). One of the
> guides to Middle Earth mentions at least two other Istari, who wandered
> off into the far East, in addition to Radagast.
>
> Padraic.
>
> > David