The entwives

[Helcaraxë]

I was always saddened by the Ent's loss of the Entwives. What actually happened to them? Does Tolkien say in "the letters"? (Have'nt read those yet.)

MB

 

[Finduilas]

Here's a quick reference:

Letter 144, To Naomi Mitchison:

[...]
I think that in fact the Entwives had disappeared for good, being destroyed with their gardens in the War of the Last Alliance (Second Age 3429 - 3441)when Sauron pursued a scorched earth and policy and burned their land against the advance of the Allies down the Anduin (vol. II p. 79 refers to it). They survived only in the 'agriculture' transmitted to Men (and Hobbits). Some, of course, may have fled east, or even have become enslaved: tyrants even in such tales must have an economic and agricultural background to their soldiers and metal-workers. If any survived so, they would indeed be far enstranged from the Ents, and any rapprochment would be difficult - unless experience of industrialized and militarized agricultire had made them had made them a little more anarchic. I hope so. I don't know.

Letter 338, To Fr. Douglas Carter:
Answering te question: did the Ents ever find the Entwives?

As for the Entwives: I don't know. I have written nothing beyond the first few years of the Fourth Age. [...]

 

[Helcaraxë]

How sad. I hate when things are unknown .

MB

 

[Finduilas]

Yep, sad.
But many things are unknown and will forever remain so...some are better to be unknown...anyway, here's something I found, nothing of much help, but interesting.

http://lotrscrapbook.bookloaf.net/stories/serial/challenge/entwives/

 

[Helcaraxë]

Thanks for the link. Yes, I remember that passage.

Of course, as we are free to interperate Tolkien's work as we will, we could have the ents find the enwives on our conception of his world .

MB

 

[Belegmacar]

Letter 144 is the most logical explanation...right from the big man himself.

 

[Finduilas]

Yes, logical and yet uncertain.

So, I think that this is one of the places where Tolkien has left a 'door out', an exit, depending on our imagination and expextations. He hopes that they have become more anarchic, but he's uncertain. He develops his own continuation, without writing it down and 'forcing' us to accept it.
I believe that here we can assume different endings.