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Ilandir
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Post Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 05, 2010 01:26
I've always wondered what must have happened to the Entwives and although Tolkien (in one of his letters) said that they must have disappeared for good (probably in the Brown Lands during the Battle of the Last Alliance) I still found something in 'The Fellowship of the Ring' that made me think about this.

It's a conversation between Sam and Ted Sandyman in the chapter 'The Shadow of the Past' and it goes like this:

'All right,' said Sam, laughing with the rest. '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.'

Could these actually be a reminant of the Entwives who moved West of Middle Earth? And although here it refers to "Tree-men", I doubt the hobbits would distinguish between male and female.

And if it wasn't an Entwife, what was it then? An Ent? What was it doing there?

Just speculation of course ... I wonder what others think about this ...
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cirdaneth
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Post RE: Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 05, 2010 06:06
This passage intrigues me too, Ilandir. I have always hoped the entwives survived and the Shire is the obvious place for them to find sanctuary. I dreamed once that an apple tree dropped an apple into Elanor Gamgee's hand and when she looked up the tree was smiling down at her.

Awwwww!
FaronGurhoth
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Post RE: Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 06, 2010 02:19
Although there are no ents in the Shire, there are tree-like beings called huorns. Perhaps one was seen actually walking in the north of the Shire, but I have always thought that they were attached to the ground by their roots.
Ilandir
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Post RE: Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 07, 2010 03:47
Exactly. As you said Faron, Hourns were more 'sleepy' so to speak so I'm not sure whether one can be certain what it might have actually been ...
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Makil
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Post RE: Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 09, 2010 10:20
I think Master Tolkien was too smart a story teller to tell us the whole story. He left us little hints and tid bits here and there to keep us busy for years.
Things looking like walking trees had been seen near the shire.
Treebeard said some trees had become Entish, and some Ents had become Treeish. Like shepherds and their sheep.
Treebeard had never heard of the Shire. So possibley no male Ents had ever searched there for the Entwives.
So maybe there was some Entwives living in that area. And maybe they found each other later.
At least I like to hope so.
Dwarflord
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Post RE: Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 10, 2010 10:23


I logged on to ask you all if you think the mentioned walking tree in "The Shadow of the Past" could be an Entwife. And viola!! Here is a post about it.

I think it can't be a Huorn, from later events we know that they were very treeish. I think that only a huge event and a strong will (or order) could move them. So if there were Huorns in the Shire, they were probably asleep (The Shire was very peaceful).

So.... it could be an Entwife. I agree with Makil - Tolkien doesn't give us the whole story - so we can speculate and discuss. Maybe it was an Entwife, maybe it was an Ent, desperately looking for an Entwife.
This is all possible only if the Hobbit account was true, and not an aftermath of smoking too much Longbottom Leaf in a beautiful and secluded part of the Shire

cheers
Ilandir
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Post RE: Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 11, 2010 03:57
Agree with you both Makil and Dwarflord.
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Earmaiviel
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Post RE: Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 05, 2011 05:30
It is unfortunate that many Entwives left.. but Is it wrong to hold on to hope that maybe they were in a safe place and hidden? I love the mystery of this...ever since I was a young child and heard the stories read to me for the first time by my dad. If only Tolkien would have written more about them...
asea_aranion
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Post RE: Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 08, 2011 03:13
http://councilofelrond.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=XForum&file=viewthread&tid=8883

That thread probably has a lot of the conversation you're looking for.
Rulea
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Post RE: Entwives in the Shire ...
on: August 14, 2011 12:20
I think the ent wives might have went east because didnt Treebeard say there was a sighting in the two towers?
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