Ent Totally Explained

Everything about Entmoot totally explained

Ents are a fictional race of humanoid trees 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 below).

Etymology

The word "Ent" was taken from 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 Roman ruins; see Orthanc). In this sense of the word, Ents are probably the most ubiquitous of all creatures in fantasy and folklore, perhaps second only to dragons. The word Ent as it's historically used can refer to any number of large, roughly humanoid creatures, including, but not limited to, giants, trolls, orcs, 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 wizards, knights, princesses, and dragons, although modern English-speakers would probably not call them by their traditional name.
Along with Ettin and Old Norse Jotun, "ent" came from Common Germanic *etunaz.

Description

Treebeard, the oldest living Ent, was described as
Ents are a very old race that appeared in Middle-earth when the Elves did. They were apparently created by Eru Ilúvatar at the behest of Yavanna after she learned of Aulë's children, the Dwarves, knowing that they'd want to fell trees. Ents were envisioned as Shepherds of the Trees, to protect the forests from Orcs, Dwarves and other perils. Although the Ents were sentient beings at the time of their awakening, they didn't 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 couldn't be forgotten ("They always wished to talk to everything, the old Elves did.").
Unlike the Dwarves, the Ents didn't 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.

History

First Age

Almost nothing is known of the early history of the Ents. After the dwarves were put to sleep by 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," of them and she reacted with: "They will delve in the earth, and the things that grow and live upon the earth they won't heed. Many a tree shall feel the bite of their iron without pity." 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 that'll arouse at their peril." 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 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.", further indicating that all of Eriador was once a single vast primeval forest, of which Fangorn forest was just "the Eastern End of it" 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 taught the race of Men much about the art of agriculture. However, this entire area was destroyed by Sauron (most likely during the War of the Last Alliance), and the Entwives disappeared. The Ents looked for them but never found them. It is sung by the Ents that one day that'll find each other.
   In The Fellowship of the Ring, Samwise Gamgee mentions his cousin Hal claims to have seen a treelike giant in the north of the Shire. However, this might have been merely a reference to the size of the creature. During the Fangorn episode, Merry and Pippin tell Treebeard about the Shire. Treebeard says the Entwives would like that land. This, combined with the giant-sighting by Sam's cousin Hal mentioned above, has led to some speculation that the Entwives may now live 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…".
   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)).
   At the end of the story after Aragorn is crowned king, he promises Treebeard that the Ents can prosper again and spread to new lands with the threat of Mordor gone, and renew their search for the Entwives. However, Treebeard sadly laments that forests may spread but the Ents will not, and he predicts that the few remaining Ents will remain in Fangorn forest until they slowly dwindle in number or become "treeish". "Sheep get like shepherd, and shepherds get like sheep. [...] But it's quicker and closer, with trees and Ents", he says. — 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'd do it right.

Named Ents

]] In the narrative of The Lord of the Rings, six Ents are named by name. The main Ent character, and the first encountered by the readers and the hobbits, is Fangorn (Treebeard). The other ents are Beechbone, Bregalad, Fimbrethil, Finglas, and Fladrif.

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, Treebeard states that he's never heard of hobbits, while in the book, Treebeard doesn't express this sentiment, and it's implied that he does know what hobbits are.

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'd awake in wintertime, but eventually he remained in place year-round. He was covered in leafy hair.

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 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 birches that he favoured and refused to come down.

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.

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 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 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 doesn't expressly appear in film adaptation, there's a "Rowan Ent" seen in the film that many fans have taken to be Quickbeam pared down to a non-speaking role.

Fimbrethil: Treebeard's long-lost wife, also known as Wandlimb. 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 Entwives, Fimbrethil had been missing since Sauron's forces destroyed the gardens of the Entwives during the Second Age. (Of course this is presumed to be the case. There is one obscure hint in The Fellowship of The Ring to a "Tree-Man", seen on the northern reaches of the Shire. Treebeard himself thought that the Entwives would like the Shire. Perhaps the "Tree-Man" was an Ent-Wife. See below for Sam Gamgee's discussion on the event.)) At the time of the War of the Ring, Treebeard hadn't seen his beloved Fimbrethil for over 3,000 years. Many other races wrote tragic songs about the loss of the Entwives and the remaining Ents' sad search for them; the Elves made many songs about it, one of which Treebeard recited to Merry and Pippin. Treebeard said that the Ents made no great songs about the lost Entwives; they were content to chant their beautiful names under their breath whenever their thoughts turned back to them. During the Last March of the Ents against Isengard, Treebeard felt that many of the Ents were marching to their doom, and that indeed, he might never see his Fimbrethil ever again. Treebeard told Merry and Pippin that Saruman had to be stopped, although he'd dearly have liked to see Fimbrethil once again. Treebeard thought the Entwives would find the Shire attractive. Indeed, in "Many Partings" he implores the Hobbits not to forget to send word to him if they "hear any news" of the Entwives "in your land." In the earlier chapter entitled "Three is Company" it's told that when the Hobbits rested near the border of the Shire, it was under "thin-clad birches, swaying in a light wind." Thus, despite Tolkien's denial that the fate of the Entwives could be gleaned from the text, it appears that he left some clues. For example, early in the narrative, Sam and Ted Sandyman have an argument over an account from Sam's cousin Hal: "But what about these Tree-men, these giants, as you might call them? They do say that one bigger than a tree was seen up away beyond the North Moors not long back......But this one was as big as an elm tree, and walking--walking seven yards to a stride, if it was an inch." (Fellowship, Chapter 2, The Shadow of the Past, pg. 48)

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. 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 games such as Dungeons & Dragons, EverQuest,, Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Square Enix's Final Fantasy series, and the Warcraft PC game series, Tolkien-like Ents are known as Treants, Treemen or Treefolk, for trademark reasons (much like Hobbits are only referred to as Halflings in D&D, Heroes of Might and Magic, Overlord and EverQuest). Tolkien-like Ents are also depicted in the MMORPGs RuneScape and Rubies of Eventide, the console role-playing game Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, as well as the real-time strategy game , 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 Huorns of Fangorn). For instance, in the MMORPG Shadow Bane 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).
The Fall of Troy has a song entitled "The Last March of the Ents" on their self-titled debut album released in 2003.

Further Information

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