The only pieces of the primal forest preserved by Frodo's time was Fangorn, the Old Forest and Mirkwood. I have always wondered about the Ents if it was their task to protect the forests from those who would destroy them, then they didn't do a good job. I have always been interested in this matter and indeed the hidden history of the Second Age of Middle Earth in general.

The earlier War of the Elves and Sauron also ultimately included the West-Men, in any case.Īll I can really say with any certainty so far is. My guess would have to be, if indeed Treebeard means 'roused' as in enough to go to War, that he's talking about the Last Alliance in some way, though again I'm not exactly sure why it wouldn't be considered in his 'Great Wars'.

They alone were undivided and followed Gil-galad.' In Of The Rings Of Power And The Third Age it was said (with reference to the Last Alliance): 'All living things were divided in that day, and some of every kind, even of beast and birds, were found in either host, save the Elves only. Earlier he says to Merry that he has not troubled about the Great Wars, but used to be anxious when the Shadow lay on Mirkwood: 'but when it removed to Mordor, I did not trouble for a while.'īy 'Great Wars' Treebeard might mean (as Robert Foster's entry agrees): 'The struggles of Men and Elves against Morgoth and Sauron, so called by Fangorn' But if Sauron is included then how about the Last Alliance? Or is this term reserved for the First Age when Morgoth and Sauron were together, and even the great Last Alliance is comparatively 'lesser'. Treebeard says he crossed over Anduin but found a desert, but doesn't say he participated in the War IIRC. Treebeard refers earlier to the war (singular) between Sauron and the Men of the Sea, which is very close in wording anyway, and by which he likely means The Last Alliance - concerning which Tolkien scholars Hammond and Scull agree, due to the comments concerning the Entwives and the 'scorched earth policy' by Sauron that burned their land.

The ents are going to war