Ent 2403435 224499912 2008-07-09T03:20:34Z 69.207.228.204 /* Popular culture */ {{otheruses|ENT}} [[Image:TREEBEARD.jpg|120px|thumb|right|"Treebeard and Hobbits" by Tom Loback.]] '''Ents''' are a fictional [[race (fantasy)|race]] of humanoid [[tree]]s from [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s fantasy world of [[Middle-earth]]. They appear to have been inspired by the [[talking trees]] of many of the world's folklores (see [[tree (mythology)]] for more information). At the time ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' takes place, there are no young ents (known as entings) because the entwives (female ents) were lost (see [[Ent#History|below]]). == Etymology == The word "Ent" was taken from [[Anglo-Saxon language|Anglo-Saxon]], where it means "giant". ([[Tolkien]] extracted the word from the Anglo-Saxon poetry fragments ''orþanc enta geweorc'' = "work of cunning giants" and ''eald enta geweorc'' = "old work of giants", which described [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] ruins; see [[Isengard|Orthanc]]). In this sense of the word, Ents are probably the most ubiquitous of all creatures in fantasy and folklore, perhaps second only to [[dragon]]s. The word ''Ent'' as it is historically used can refer to any number of large, roughly humanoid creatures, including, but not limited to, [[giant (mythology)|giants]], [[troll]]s, [[orc]]s, and even [[Grendel]] from the poem [[Beowulf]]. In this meaning of the word, Ents are one of the staples of [[fantasy]] and [[folklore]]/[[mythology]], alongside [[Wizard (fantasy)|wizards]], [[knight]]s, [[princess]]es, and dragons, although modern English-speakers would probably not call them by their traditional name. Along with [[Old Norse]] [[Jötunn|Jotun]], "ent" came from [[Common Germanic]] *''etunaz''. == Description == [[Treebeard]], the oldest living Ent<ref name="EA-Treebeard">{{cite web |url=http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/t/treebeard.html |title=Encyclopedia of Arda: Treebeard |author=Fisher, Mark |date=1999-12-30 |accessdate=2007-11-25}}</ref>, was described as {{quote|...a large Man-like, almost [[Troll (Middle-earth)|Troll]]-like, figure, at least fourteen foot high, very sturdy, with a tall head, and hardly any neck. Whether it was clad in stuff like green and grey bark, or whether that was its hide, was difficult to say. At any rate the arms, at a short distance from the trunk, were not wrinkled, but covered with a brown smooth skin. The large feet had seven toes each. The lower part of the long face was covered with a sweeping grey beard, bushy, almost twiggy at the roots, thin and mossy at the ends. But at the moment the hobbits noted little but the eyes. These deep eyes were now surveying them, slow and solemn, but very penetrating.<ref name="TTT book 3 ch 4">''[[The Two Towers]]'', book 3, chapter 4: "Treebeard".</ref>}} Ents are a very old race that appeared in [[Middle-earth]] when the [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]] did. They were apparently created by [[Eru Ilúvatar]] at the behest of [[Yavanna]] after she learned of [[Aulë]]'s children, the [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|Dwarves]], knowing that they would want to fell trees. Ents were envisioned as Shepherds of the Trees, to protect the forests from [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Orcs]], Dwarves and other perils. Although the Ents were sentient beings at the time of their awakening, they did not know how to speak until the Elves taught them. [[Treebeard]] said that the Elves "cured us of dumbness" that it was a great gift that could not be forgotten ("They always wished to talk to everything, the old Elves did.").<ref name="TTT book 3 ch 4" /> Ents are [[tree (mythology)|tree]]-like creatures, having become somewhat like the trees that they shepherd. They vary in traits, in everything from height (standing about fifteen feet high) to their size, colouring, and the number of fingers and toes. They had the same mortal weakness as well, fire, and anything larger than them that could crush them. An individual Ent more or less resembles the specific species of tree that he typically guards. For example, [[Quickbeam]] guarded [[Rowan|Rowan trees]] and thus looked very much like a Rowan (tall and slender). In the [[Third Age]] of Middle-earth, the forest of [[Fangorn]] was apparently the only place Ents still inhabited, although the Ent-like [[Huorn]]s may still have survived elsewhere, as in the [[Old Forest]]. [[Treebeard]] boasted to [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] about the strength of the Ents. He said that they were much more powerful than [[Troll (Middle-earth)|Troll]]s, which [[Morgoth]] (in the Elder Days or [[First Age]]) supposedly made as mockeries of the Ents but did not come near to their power. He compares this with how [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Orc]]s were Morgoth's imitation of [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]]. Ents are tall and very strong, capable of tearing apart rock and stone. Tolkien describes them as tossing great slabs of stone about, and ripping down the walls of Isengard "...like bread-crust."<ref name="TTT book 3 ch 9">''The Two Towers'', book 3, chapter 9: "Flotsam and Jetsam".</ref> Unlike the Dwarves, the Ents did not bother to keep their own language, a very long and tedious language known as [[Entish]], a secret, since no other races could master it. The Elvish name for the Ents (as a race) is ''Onodrim'', a single Ent is ''Onod'', and multiple Ents is ''Enyd''.<ref name="EA-Onodrim">{{cite web | url=http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/o/onodrim.html |title=Encyclopedia of Arda: Onodrim |author=Fisher, Mark |date=2002-12-14 |accessdate=2007-11-25}}</ref> == History == === First Age === Almost nothing is known of the early history of the Ents. After the [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|dwarves]] were put to sleep by [[Eru Ilúvatar|Eru]] to await the coming of the elves, [[Aulë]] told [[Yavanna]], his wife who "is the lover of all things that grow in the earth,"<ref>''[[The Silmarillion]]'', [[Valaquenta]]</ref> of them and she reacted with: "They will delve in the earth, and the things that grow and live upon the earth they will not heed. Many a tree shall feel the bite of their iron without pity."<ref>''The Silmarillion'', chapter 2: "Of Aulë and Yavanna"</ref> After this she went to [[Manwë]] and appealed to him to protect the trees, the ents were the result. Yavanna then warned Aulë "now let thy children beware! For there shall walk a power in the forests whose wrath they will arouse at their peril."<ref> Ibid.</ref> They are there mentioned as the "Shepherds of the Trees". [[Treebeard]] told of a time when apparently all of [[Eriador]] was one huge forest and part of his domain, but these immense forests were cut by the [[Númenor|Númenóreans]] of the [[Second Age]], or destroyed in the calamitous War of the Elves and Sauron of the 17th century of the Second Age. Treebeard's statement is also supported by remarks [[Elrond]] made at the Council of Elrond. Elrond said that "Time was when a squirrel could go from tree to tree from what is now the Shire to Dunland west of Isengard."<ref name="FOTR book 2 ch 2">''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', book 2, chapter 2: "The Council of Elrond".</ref>, further indicating that all of Eriador was once a single vast primeval forest, of which Fangorn forest was just "the Eastern End of it"{{citequote}} according to Treebeard. === Entwives === There used to be ''Entwives'' (literally "Ent-women"), but they started to move farther away from the Ents because they liked to plant and control things, while the Ents liked to let things take their natural course, so they moved away to the region that would later become the [[Brown Lands]] across the Great River [[Anduin]], though the male Ents still visited them. The Entwives, unlike the Ents, interacted with the race of Men and taught them much about the art of agriculture. Apparently the male Ents and female Entwives exhibited a marked degree of [[sexual dimorphism]]; the male Ents all resemble wild forest trees that they guard (oaks, rowans, etc.), but the Entwives guarded agricultural plants, and it would thus seem to be implied that they resembled the various agricultural plants and trees they guarded: Treebeard remarks that their hair was the hue of ripe corn (grain). The Entwives lived in peace until their gardens were destroyed by [[Sauron]] (most likely during the War of the Last Alliance), and they themselves disappeared. The Ents looked for them but never found them. It was sung by the Elves (Ents were content to simply "chant their beautiful names")<ref name="TTT book 3 ch 4" /> that one day the Ents and Entwives would find each other. Indeed, in ''[[The Return of the King]]'' Treebeard implored the Hobbits not to forget to send word to him if they "hear any news" of the Entwives "in your land."<ref name="ROTK book 6 ch 6">''[[The Return of the King]]'', book 6, chapter 6: "Many Partings".</ref> In ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', [[Samwise Gamgee]] mentions his cousin Hal claims to have seen a treelike giant, which resembled an elm not only in size but actual appearance, in the north of the [[Shire (Middle-earth)|Shire]].<ref name="FOTR book 1 ch 2">''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', book 1, chapter 2: "The Shadow of the Past".</ref> During the Fangorn episode, [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] told Treebeard about the Shire. Treebeard said that the Entwives would have liked that land. This, combined with the giant-sighting by Sam's cousin Hal mentioned above, has led to some speculation by readers that the Entwives may have lived near the Shire. Tolkien himself spent much time considering what actually happened to the Entwives (at one point simply saying even he didn't know), however eventually he stated in ''Letters'' #144: "I think that in fact the Entwives have disappeared for good, being destroyed with their gardens in the War of the Last Alliance…".<ref name="Letters 144">{{cite book |title=[[The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien]] |last=Tolkien |first=J. R. R. |authorlink=J. R. R. Tolkien |editor=Carpenter, Humphrey with Christopher Tolkien |year=1981 |publisher=George Allen & Unwin/Houghton Mifflin |location=Boston |isbn=0-0482-6005-3 }}</ref> At the end of the story after [[Aragorn]] is crowned king, he promised Treebeard that the Ents could prosper again and spread to new lands with the threat of [[Mordor]] gone, and renew their search for the Entwives. However, Treebeard sadly lamented that forests may spread but the Ents would not, and he predicted that the few remaining Ents would remain in Fangorn forest until they slowly dwindled in number or become "treeish". "Sheep get like shepherd, and shepherds get like sheep. [...] But it is quicker and closer, with trees and Ents", he said.<ref name="TTT book 3 ch 4" /> ===Entings=== Although never seen and only briefly mentioned, Entings are young Ents. There are almost no descriptions of Entings, but it can be presumed from descriptions of Quickbeam (a young and hasty Ent) and Treebeard's comments about younger Ents as being more "bendy" than older ones, that they are much like saplings and such, and perhaps even seedlings at their youngest. It is not at all made clear if they are born similar to the trees they shepherd, or they become that way, or even how they are born at all. According to Treebeard there are no Entings upon Middle Earth at the time of the Third Age, and there haven't been any for quite some time. And there will never be any more Entings afterwards either "as there are no Entwives". === The Last March of the Ents === {{wiktionarypar|moot}} In ''[[The Two Towers]]'', the second volume of Tolkien's ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', the Ents—usually a very patient, deliberate people—become angry at [[Saruman]], whose armies are cutting down large numbers of their trees. They convene an ''Entmoot'', a meeting of the Ents of Fangorn forest at Derndingle. After lengthy deliberation (three days; though from the perspective of the Ents, this is very quick action), they march on Saruman's fortress at [[Isengard]]: the Last March of the Ents. They are led by Treebeard, the oldest Ent, and accompanied by the [[Hobbit]]s [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] and [[Peregrin Took]]. The Ents that marched against Isengard numbered about 50, plus Huorns. They destroy Isengard in an all-out assault, ripping down the wall around it, and eventually becoming so enraged the power of their voices alone causes great destruction — "If the Great Sea had risen in wrath and fallen on the hills with storm, it could have worked no greater ruin."<ref name="TTT book 3 ch 8">''[[The Two Towers]]'', book 3, chapter 8: "The Road to Isengard".</ref> — and trap Saruman in the tower of [[Orthanc]]. Tolkien later noted that the destruction of Isengard by the Ents was based on his disappointment in [[Macbeth]]; when "Birnham Wood be come to Dunsinane", Tolkien was less than thrilled that it amounted to men walking on stage with leaves in their hats. He decided that when he did that scene for himself, he would do it right.{{ME-fact|date=November 2007}} ==Named Ents== [[Image:beechbone.jpg|thumb|right|An Ent presumed to be Beechbone in [[Peter Jackson|Peter Jackson's]] [[The Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers (film)|The Two Towers]]]] In the narrative of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', six Ents are identified by name. The main Ent character, and the first encountered by the readers and the hobbits, is [[Treebeard|Fangorn]] (Treebeard). The other ents are Beechbone, Bregalad, Fimbrethil, Finglas, and Fladrif. <div id="Fangorn"> *'''Fangorn:''' Also known as [[Treebeard]], by the end of the [[Third Age]], he, [[Skinbark]], and [[Leaflock]] were the last remaining of the first Ents who appeared in [[Middle-earth]] sometime in the [[First Age]], and as such, were among the oldest of creatures. In the long passage of time, the domain of the Ents was gradually reduced to [[Fangorn]] forest, named for Treebeard's Sindarin name. In the film adaptation of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'', Treebeard states that he has never heard of hobbits, while in the book, Treebeard does not express this sentiment, and it is implied that he does know what hobbits are.</div> <div id="Finglas"> *'''Finglas:''' Translated from the Elvish as Leaflock, by the end of the [[Third Age]], he, [[Skinbark]], and [[Treebeard]] were the last remaining of the first Ents who appeared in [[Middle-earth]] sometime in the [[First Age]], and as such, were among the oldest of creatures. In the long passage of time, the domain of the Ents was gradually reduced to [[Fangorn]] forest. By the time of the [[War of the Ring]], Leaflock had become sleepy and treeish. He began to stand alone in a meadow and doze during the summer. At first, he would awake in wintertime, but eventually he remained in place year-round. He was covered in leafy hair. (It is not clear whether or not Tolkien derived the name from [[Finglas]] in Dublin, Ireland, or whether the name is merely coincidental.)</div> <div id="Fladrif"> *'''Fladrif:''' Translated from the Elvish as Skinbark, by the end of the [[Third Age]], he, [[Leaflock]], and [[Treebeard]] were the last remaining of the first Ents who appeared in [[Middle-earth]] sometime in the [[First Age]], and as such, were among the oldest of creatures. Skinbark lived on the mountain slopes west of [[Isengard]]. [[Saruman]]'s [[Orc (Middle-earth)|orcs]] ravaged this area, cutting down trees and killing Ents. Skinbark himself was wounded by them. He retreated far up the mountain slopes to live among the [[birch]]es that he favoured and refused to come down.</div> <div id="Beechbone"> *'''Beechbone:''' An Ent who was burned and died by Saruman's devices. His death angered the rest of the Ents. In [[Peter Jackson]]'s film adaptation, an Ent presumed to be Beechbone is briefly seen extinguishing himself in the flood that engulfs Isengard and therefore is presumed to be alive.</div> <div id="Bregalad"> *'''Bregalad:''' Also known as Quickbeam, Bregalad was a relatively young Ent at the time of the [[War of the Ring]], roughly "middle aged" and not nearly as old as [[Treebeard]] (though he was a full adult; there had been no Ent children since the disappearance of the Entwives). Bregalad guarded [[rowan]] trees, and as such he resembled a rowan himself. The word "quickbeam" is an English dialect word for the [[Sorbus aucuparia|mountain ash]] or [[rowan]] tree. His [[Sindarin]] name (Bregalad) translates roughly as "Quickbeam" (from ''bragol'' "sudden" and ''galad'' "tree"). He received this name when he said "yes" before another Ent had finished asking a question; this showed that he was unusually "hasty" for his race. At the Entmoot, Bregalad lived up to his reputation for hastiness; he was the first to decide to attack [[Isengard]], since [[Saruman]]'s [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Orcs]] had destroyed many of his rowan groves. Seeing that Bregalad's mind was already made up, Treebeard sent him to watch over [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] and [[Peregrin Took]] while the debate among the other Ents continued. He later played an important role in the attack on Isengard, nearly capturing Saruman himself. Although Quickbeam does not expressly appear in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (film)|The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'' film adaptation, there is a "Rowan Ent" seen in the film that many fans have taken to be Quickbeam pared down to a non-speaking role.</div> <div id="Fimbrethil"> *'''Fimbrethil:''' [[Treebeard]]'s long-lost wife, also known as Wandlimb the lightfooted. The pair were beloved since before even [[Morgoth]] first arose in power during the youth of the world. Translated, her name meant according to the ''1966 Index'' 'slim-birch' (according to Appendix F 'slender-beech'). As with all of the other [[Ent#Entwives|Entwives]], Fimbrethil had been missing since Sauron's forces destroyed the gardens of the Entwives during the Second Age. At the time of the War of the Ring, Treebeard had not seen his beloved Fimbrethil for over 3,000 years.</div> ==Statue== There are plans to erect a [[statue]] of [[Treebeard]] by [[Tim Tolkien]], J.R.R. Tolkien's great-nephew, near his former home in [[Moseley]], [[Birmingham]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moseleystatue.org/ |title=Moseley Statue |date=2007-09-05 |accessdate=2007-11-25}}</ref> It is possible that nearby [[Moseley Bog]] may have been one of the first places where the young Tolkien regularly encountered veteran trees of various species. == Popular culture == In fantasy and [[role-playing game]]s such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', ''[[EverQuest]]'', ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'', [[Games Workshop]]'s [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], [[Square Enix]]'s ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' series, and the ''[[Warcraft]]'' PC game series, Tolkien-like Ents are known as [[Treant]]s, Treemen or Treefolk, for [[trademark]] reasons (much like [[Hobbit]]s are only referred to as [[Halfling]]s in [[D&D]], [[Heroes of Might and Magic]], [[Overlord]] and ''EverQuest''). Tolkien-like Ents are also depicted in the [[MMORPG]]s ''[[RuneScape]]'' and [[Rubies of Eventide]], as well as the real-time strategy game ''[[Myth: The Fallen Lords]],'' among other games. In some incarnations, these tree-people are very close in spirit to their Tolkienesque forebears, although others, like, D&D have explored the concept of corrupt trees and tree-like monsters (akin to [[Old Man Willow]] and the [[Huorn]]s of Fangorn). For instance, in the MMORPG ''[[Shadowbane]]'' Treants are mid-level monsters. Ent is also Internet slang for a valuable contributor to a discussion, as opposed to a troll (in reference to the mutilation and corruption of Ents done to develop Trolls).{{Fact|date=November 2007}} The Wood comes alive to save the Narnians in the final battle of [[Prince Caspian]], which was written by fellow [[Inklings]] member C. S. Lewis. In the movie, these trees are depicted to be closer to Huorns than Ents. [[The Fall of Troy]] has a song entitled "The Last March of the Ents" on their self-titled debut album released in 2003. ==References== {{Middle-earth portal}} {{reflist}} {{ents}} [[Category:Ents|*]] [[bs:Enti]] [[bg:Ент]] [[ca:Ent]] [[cs:Enti]] [[da:Ente]] [[de:Figuren in Tolkiens Welt#Ents]] [[es:Ent]] [[fr:Ent]] [[gl:Ent]] [[hr:Enti]] [[it:Ent]] [[nl:Ent (Midden-aarde)]] [[ja:エント]] [[no:Ent]] [[pl:Ent]] [[pt:Ent]] [[ru:Энты]] [[sl:Entje]] [[fi:Entti]] [[sv:Ent]] [[th:เอนท์]] [[tr:Entler]]