Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-24993958-20150605221100/@comment-24891101-20150619044532

Bombadil doesn't really fit anything. Since he's an import from other projects, that makes sense, and he seems to reflect an early conception of Arda. See the excellent discussion here.

And while Maia is the null for these sorts of things, we have the odd description, which, while not definitive, is striking:

The Eldar knew not whence she came; but some have said that in ages before she descended from the darkness that lies about Arda, when Melkor first looked down in envy upon the Kingdom of Manwë, and that in the beginning she was one of those that he corrupted to his service.

The latter portion is consistent with a Maia, but that she descended before Melkor is shocking, and similar to Bombadil's presence before the Dark Lord. The Book of Lost Tales indicates that Melkor was the first of the Valar (and presumably of the Ainur in general, though I may be mistaken) to enter Arda. Likewise from the Book of Lost Tales, we have Moru, also known as Gungliont and Ungwe Lianti, who even to the Valar is mysterious.

She's also anomalously powerful, considering that she was able to incapacitate Melkor, and was only driven off by seven balrogs. The whole gorging on light bit is likewise odd. There's never been a satisfactory explanation for her.

Nothing about her makes sense, and it's difficult to say she's just a Maia. Besides, the default response to anything the least bit mysterious in the Legendarium is to say: "Maybe it's a Maia?"

Let us continue this on my wall, if you still wish to discuss.