| This article refers to the house of Tom Bombadil. For other namesakes, see Underhill (disambiguation). |
Underhill, known poetically as under Hill[1], was the name of the house of Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry.[2]
Description[]
While many of the exterior details are untold, it is known that Underhill had window-panes[3] and a door with a wide stone threshold. It is also known that the north end of Underhill was connected to a penthouse which had a hard flagstone floor, clean stone walls, yellow curtains, and green hanging mats. There was also a chimney-shelf. The eastern wall of Underhill had a kitchen-garden extending from it.[4]
Underhill consisted of multiple rooms. The room before the outer door was low and long which consisted of a large polished table of dark wood. The top of the room had roof beams which many lamps were hung from. There were a lot of tall yellow candles on the table as well as rush-seated low chairs throughout the room. There was also a wide stone hearth. One of the other rooms was a kitchen, though it is untold what it looked like.[4]
History[]
At some point prior to TA 3018, Underhill was built under a steep cliff of bare gray stones upon a grassy knoll across a wooden bridge. The house was on the eastern edge of the Old Forest, and not far from the Barrow-downs.[3]
Upon rescuing the Hobbits from Old Man Willow on September 28, Tom Bombadil invited them to stay at Underhill, mentioning that the supper table was already set "with yellow cream, honeycomb, and white bread and butter".[3]
When Frodo Baggins and the Hobbits entered Underhill after following the Withy-path, they were greeted by Goldberry, who sat facing the door from the other end of the room. The Hobbits sat in low rush-seated chair as they waited for Bombadil and asked many questions about him to Goldberry. The Hobbits stayed in the penthouse that night.[4]
In other versions[]
In am earlier version of The Lord of the Rings, Underhill was presumably located east of the Barrow-downs since the Hobbits were rescued in this version before their stay at Underhill. Tolkien originally was going to have the Nazgûl literally show up at Underhill, but changed this so that they just show up in Frodo's dream in the penthouse.[5]
In adaptations[]
The Lord of the Rings Online[]
The House of Tom Bombadil makes its appearance in the game during multiple quests.
References[]
- ↑ The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book, No. 1: "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil"
- ↑ The Chronology of The Lord of the Rings, Year S.R. 1418, pgs. 34 (entry for September 28), 37 (note 28)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book One, Ch. VI: "The Old Forest"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book One, Ch. VII: "In the House of Tom Bombadil"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, The Return of the Shadow