What is the true fate of the Entwives?

[Grond]

Originally posted by Grond
We will never know as the author never definatively states what became of them.

Mithrandir_II, see post above with focus on definatively.

 

[Eonwe]

Grond can't you speculate? I mean of course it is stated elsewhere case closed that there is no answer...

But don't you think it is odd Sam mentions this in FOTR (it drives me crazy every time I read it)?

 

[Evenstar]

Well, realistically I think that they were killed off by Sauron. It seems that that is the most plausible explanation. However, that is so grim that I'm glad Tolkien left hope for the Entwives and Ents in the Shire.

 

[Grond]

Okay.. I'll speculate. As for the Shire...it could have been a troll (made in mockery of Ents), it could have been one of the trees from the Old Forest (remember that the Old Forest is the most closely associated with Fanghorn as explained, I think by Treebeard), it could be an Ent (unlikely) or it could be an Ent-wife.

The Ent-wives could have been swept away in Sauron's war and be no more (really sad and I don't believe it) or moved far east and be living in some secluded forest there waiting to be rediscovered by the Ents (which I really hope).

Despite the author's own words that they were likely destroyed by Sauron's army in the Second Age, I prefer to believe that they are still alive. Mainly, because they are creatures of Yavanna and I can't imagine her allowing them to be butchered. I'm sure that she would have nagged enough to her husband Aule, that he would have nagged to Orome and Tulkas and they would have hauled all of the Ent-wives to safety in the East.

Now.... how's that for speculation people!!!

 

[Eonwe]

Thank you. Interesting. I agree with your assessment. So maybe it was a Huorn?

Sometimes I feel like I am discussing the book with Mr. Spock

 

[Grond]

You're probably right Eonwe. My children and wife regularly accuse me of studying the works too much and not enjoying them enough (if you getn my drift). I tend to look at all the issues from black and white instead of shades of gray. Sorry, I'll try to be more sensitive in the future.

 

[Eonwe]

no need to apologize, hey I'm a big bad Maia!

Being compared to Mr. Spock isn't so bad

 

[Beleg Strongbow]

Where do you think the entwives could be?

High i was just wondering where you think the entwives could be and whether you thought Sauron killed them. I reckon that the wives might be near the Shire. I remember the conversation Sam had in the Shire in the Green dragon (i think) that he says that massive giants as tall as trees were there. What do ya'l think?

 

[lilhobo]

its actually Tom Bombadil, cross dresser extraordinaire

i mean come on yellow boots????

 

[Snaga]

To me the most likely answer is that, actually, they're all dead sadly. But they used to live south of Mirkwood, in what's now the Brown Lands. So perhaps they went further East after their gardens were destroyed... You have to cling to some hope... Boo hoo hoo sniff sniff **wipes tear**

I think the elm striding across the north downs is a red herring. The elves and the dunedain have been passing through Eriador for thousands of years and would have spotted them by now I think.

 

[Mad Adski]

Most of them were killed, but you never know, a couple might have got away and gone into the far east of Middle Earth, or maybe the far South.

 

[Kit Baggins]

I think the thing about the Entwives is really sad !

.:sniffles:.

~Kit

 

[DGoeij]

I guess the Rangers would have known if the Entwives would have been hidng near the Shire.
But aside from that, I do not have a clue. Sad story, the Amazon forests could do with a bunch of Ents nowadays.

 

[Bucky]

There were very few Rangers, so it's possible they missed them.
Aragorn seems to have never come across the 3 Trolls who were turned to stone.
He also states that the Ettenmoors is land largely unknown to him & it's not that far from Rivendell.

I always thought of that bit in the beginning of FOTR about a tree-man being sighted in the North Moors too.

But, as the 4th Age is the time of the dominion of Man, all other 'races' are fading away, so likely they're dead.
There's also alot of ME South of Umbar & east of Rhun. Anybody know where there's a map of it?

 

[Lantarion]

I think they were mostly slain with their gardens, but some may still be around. To back this up:

Sometime in the First or Second Age the male and female Ents became estranged; the Entwives crossed Anduin and tended their favorite plants--small trees, grasses, fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables--in what was later called the Brown Lands, while the male Ents tended their larger trees, especially in the great forest that stretched from the Old Forest to Fangorn. The Entwives were greatly honored by Men, to whom they taught the skills of agriculture, but sometime before the end of the Second Age their gardens were destroyed and they vanished.

I think Sauron destroyed the gardens, and killed all the Entwives he could find, but I also think he didn't find them all. At least I hope so. *sniff*

 

[BelDain]

Obviously the entwives long ago became the Periannath.
That's why Merry and Pippin got along with the Ents so well.

 

[Beleg]

I think they would be in a hole in the ground. Why, because Beleg Strongbow stole my name. *Consider yourself warned Beleg, any more insults like that and you will be flagged for removal by the Webmaster* Ancalagon

 

[Lantarion]

Now that's hardly appropriate, Beleg! Try a less insulting way of expressing your idiotic opinions, and maybe some poor soul will actually listen to them. Good day!

 

[starlight]

Did the entwives fall beneath the wave with the rest of Beleriand?

 

[My_Precious]

Unfortunatelly they were killed by Sauron during the last alliance... Tolkien himself wrote it, he said that even though Fangorn was old and wize, he was wrong about them being alive...