Birth: Unknown; during the Years of the Trees
Death: Unknown Race: Ents Culture: Ents (of Fangorn Forest) Height: 14 feet Hair Color: Grey beard with leafy hair Eye Color: Brown with a hint of Green Skin Color: Wooden Brown Parents: Created by Yavanna Siblings: None known Spouse: Fimbrethil Children: None known Residence: Wellinghall in Fangorn |
Biography
Treebeard was the oldest Ent at the time of the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age. He was one of the three surviving Ents who were the remnant of the first Ents ever to live in Middle-Earth. Ents were shepherds of the forest, and they were originally placed upon the earth to protect nature. They greatly resembled trees. Treebeard and the other first Ents were created by Yavanna, the Vala of growing things, sometime in the 1000s of the Years of the Trees. Treebeard, Leaflock, and Skinbark were the only three known original Ents, though it is known that there were more Ents at first that eventually died off. Treebeard and the Ents became instrumental in the defeat of Saruman during the War of the Ring.
Treebeard was a tall Ent, about fourteen feet tall, and he had a leafy grey beard with twigs and moss and dark eyes with a green glow to them. Gandalf once described Treebeard as the oldest living thing still to walk beneath the Sun in Middle-Earth. This statement's accuracy is not known, because Tom Bombadil once described himself as being older than the first tree. Either way, it is known that Treebeard had existed in Middle-Earth since before the arrival of the Elves. This would thus make Treebeard at least 11,000 years old at the time of the War of the Ring, for the Elves awoke in 1050 of the Years of the Trees.
Treebeard dwelt in the great woods in the Years of the Trees and the First Age. These woods were located west of the Misty Mountains. He occasionally visited Fangorn Forest, which was then just a small part of the great woods. The great woods went on for many miles, and in the woods the trees were strong and the leaves were green. Treebeard could recall a very ancient point in history in which he could sing in the woods and all that could be heard was the echo of his own song. The air was very clean and fertile and pollinated in the great woods, and Treebeard would spend weeks just breathing.
Treebeard did not have one fixed dwelling. During the Years of the Trees, Treebeard roamed westward beyond the Blue Muontains and into Beleriand. He would wander northward to Nan-tathren where there were willows. He would visit these each spring. In the summer, he would visit the elms in Ossiriand. Treebeard visited the beech trees in Neldoreth in the fall, and he would live with the pines in Dorthonion in the winter. At this point, nothing much besides nature lived in Middle-Earth, and it was a truly beautiful, natural place where the environment was allowed to thrive.
In 1495 of the Years of the Trees, evil came to Middle-Earth when Morgoth arrived. Female Ents known as the Entwives may have migrated eastward around this time, and across the Anduin to a land that would later become known as the Brown Lands. Among the Entwives to desert the Ents was Treebeard's beloved Fimbrethil. Treebeard loved Fimbrethil and missed her greatly after her departure. She and the other Entwives had become separate from the Ents, for they spent more time gardening and tending to orchards than roaming the great and wild forests as male Ents did. After the Entwives left, they were seldom, if ever, seen again by male Ents.
In 503 of the First Age, Beren was aided by Ents in hunting down the Dwarves who had killed Thingol for one of the Silmarils. The Ents drove the Dwarves into the forest beyond the Blue Mountains and the Dwarves were never seen again. It is not known if Treebeard was involved in these events.
The First Age ended with the War of Wrath and the destruction of Beleriand. During the Second Age, the great woods west of the Misty Mountains was greatly reduced in size. This was due to several factors, including the men of Numenor chopping down trees to build large ships. Another contributing factor to the demise of the great woods was Sauron's invasion of Eriador in 1697 of the Second Age, in which hundreds of thousands of trees were either burned or chopped down.
The remnant of the great woods became known as Fangorn Forest. Treebeard and many Ents continued to live there, but the population of Ents dramatically decreased over time. Though no Ents died naturally, many Ents were killed by the forces of Sauron burning down trees and many others became treeish and sleepy. Additionally, no new Ents were born because of the absence of the Entwives. Despite their decreasing numbers, the Ents continued to guard Fangorn Forest from the outside world.
Treebeard and the other Ents were known to the Elves of Lothlorien. At some point during the Second Age, Treebeard met with the King of Lothlorien, who was probably at that time Amdir, and they agreed that Fangorn and Lothlorien would remain separated and Fangorn would belong to the Ents while Lothlorien would continue to belong to the Elves, though the two races could visit each other if desired. On one visit, Treebeard met Galadriel and Celeborn, the future rulers of Lothlorien. Visits between the Elves and the Ents continued for several centuries but stopped occurring by the end of the Second Age.
During the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age, Sauron burned the Brown Lands where the Entwives had settled. It is not known what had become of the Entwives. Some speculated that they had been killed or enslaved by Sauron, while others suspected that they had ventured elsewhere. Treebeard and many Ents went to the Brown Lands and beyond to try and find the Entwives, but they were unsuccessful. They tried this on multiple occasions, but after many years Ents stopped leaving Fangorn and even more Ents became treeish.
There was a time of peace in Middle-Earth for many centuries in the Third Age. However, the borders of the forest of Fangorn continued to recede as the men of Gondor cut down trees to build ships. Both Ents and Elves tried to regulate the amount of trees that were chopped down. But the Ents had other matters to be concerned about.
In 1050 of the Third Age, an evil presence came to exist in Dol Guldur in Mirkwood. Many, including Treebeard, came to suspect that this evil presence was Sauron. In 2951, Sauron open declared his presence in Mordor, and Treebeard initially felt relieved because Mordor was not near any of his beloved forests. But Treebeard came to understand that Sauron threatened all of Middle-Earth, and he would destroy the forests if given the chance.
In 2759, a wizard named Saruman was granted the fortress of Isengard which was located very near Fangorn Forest at the southernmost tip of the Misty Mountains. Isengard had been given to Saruman by men from Gondor who hoped that he would guard it, and men of Rohan also hoped that Saruman would protect them from their enemies. Saruman had wandered the Forest of Fangorn early in his years living in Isengard, and he had become friendly with Treebeard. From Treebeard, Saruman learned much about growing things and about the history of Middle-Earth. But Saruman was turned evil and he was consumed by his greed for the One Ring. He joined with Sauron, and in the early 3000s of the Third Age he began breeding Orcs. Saruman created a new species of Orc called Uruk-Hai, and these Orcs could survive in daylight. As Orcs began infesting Isengard, they also began chopping down trees and wreaking havoc on the outskirts of the forest. Many Ents were killed or wounded by Saruman's Orcs.
On February 27, 3019, Treebeard saw Gandalf in the forest. Treebeard considered Gandalf to be a very good and caring wizard, and he regarded him as the only wizard to care for growing things. Gandalf was deep in thought at this time and did not speak to Treebeard.
On February 29, Treebeard met two individuals he had never encountered before. These people identified themselves as Hobbits, and said that their names were Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. Treebeard had never encountered such creatures before, and they were the first new creatures he had ever encountered.
Merry and Pippin were taken by Treebeard to Wellinghall, which was his home deep in the forest. As Treebeard and the Hobbits conversed, Treebeard told them of the Entwives, and the Hobbits told Treebeard of the Shire and their journey from it. Treebeard thought that the Shire sounded like the sort of place the Entwives would like to live, so he asked Merry and Pippin if they had seen any Entwives in the Shire, which they had not.
As the Hobbits told Treebeard of the horrors that were going on outside of Fangorn, Treebeard realized that it was only a matter of time before evil reached the forest. Treebeard then had an idea. On February 30, he summoned about 50 Ents to Derndingle in Fangorn where an Entmoot, a gathering of Ents, was held for the first time in many years. Merry and Pippin first attended the Entmoot, but they left early with Quickbeam who had already made up his mind to attack Isengard. Treebeard stayed at the Entmoot and it went on for three days until the Ents finally agreed to put an end to Saruman's destruction of their forest.
On March 2, the Ents arrived at Isengard. Treebeard sent an horde of Huorns, trees of great power, to Rohan to help the Rohirrim fight off the armies of Isengard. Treebeard and the Ents arrived at Isengard that night. Treebeard first requested with a booming voice that Saruman open his gates and surrender immediately, but he was only met with arrows being fired at him by Saruman's Uruk-Hai. Treebeard was enraged and he obliterated the gates of Isengard, and Saruman ran into his tower and locked to door behind him. The Ents began attacking Isengard, and they stepped on Orcs and killed many of them. Saruman tried to fight back by sending forth liquid fire from Orthanc, and his laughter could be heard by the Ents. This did not intimidate them, and it caused them to fight harder. Saruman managed to kill one Ent, Beechbone, and his death angered the other Ents even more. On March 3, Gandalf arrived and Treebeard told him that many Huorns were on their way to helping the Rohirrim win the Battle of Helm's Deep. On March 4, the Ents broke the dam of the River Isen and Isengard was flooded. Saruman was at last defeated by a force that he did not anticipate.
On March 5, Grima Wormtongue came to Isengard seeking Saruman. Gandalf had warned Treebeard that Grima had betray the Rohirrim to Saruman, and Treebeard offered that Grima remain with him or go into Saruman's tower. Grima fled to Orthanc where Saruman pulled him inside. Gandalf returned to Isengard later that day with King Theoden of Rohan, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Treebeard was thrilled to see the Elf Legolas, and he invited him to visit Fangorn any time he pleased. When Legolas suggested that he and Gimli could visit Fangorn together, Treebeard was hesitant because Gimli was a Dwarf who bore an axe that could cut down trees. Gandalf cast Saruman out of the Order of Wizards and banished him from the White Council. Treebeard promised to keep Saruman secure in Orthanc, and hem ade sure there were no underground tunnels from which Saruman could escape. Treebeard also ensured that Isengard would become green and beautiful again. As Gandalf and his company left, Treebeard called to his new friends Merry and Pippin, making them promise to let him know if he saw and signs of the Entwives in the Shire.
After Gandalf and company had left, Treebeard arranged for a Watchwood of trees to keep a constant eye on Orthanc to ensure Saruman's continued imprisonment there. Later on, the remnant of an army of Orcs from Dol Guldur who had attempted to invade Lothlorien wandered into the Wold of Rohan. Treebeard led a force of Ents out to defeat them. If it had not been for Treebeard's intervention, these Orcs may have destroyed the remaining Rohirrim while King Theoden was away at war.
On March 25, the One Ring was destroyed and Sauron was defeated. Treebeard continued maintaining gardens and orchards in Isengard. Treebeard often spoke to Saruman, and he told him long stories about the past. Saruman grew extremely bored in Treebeard's captivity, and he used his powerful voice to convince Treebeard that he posed no threat to the rest of Middle-Earth. Treebeard released Saruman on August 15 because he could not bare to watch a living thing suffer. As it turned out, Saruman wreaked havoc in the Shire and he caused great hardship there.
On August 22, Gandalf and company returned to Isengard. They were accompanied by Galadriel and Celeborn. Legolas and Gimli sought to permission from Treebeard to visit Fangorn. He granted them permission. Treebeard gave Merry and Pippin Ent-draught and told them to look out for the Entwives in the Shire. Aragorn gave the Ents the rights to live in Isengard and Fangorn Forest as long as they could effectively protect the trees there. Aragorn also told the Ents that they could expand as far as Wizard's Vale if they so desired, and they would be welcome to journey eastward to look for the Entwives, but Treebeard assured Aragorn that the Ents would not venture beyond Fangorn anymore. Treebeard said farewell to Galadriel and Celeborn, whom he had not seen in many years and whom he did not think he would ever see again. Galadriel said that perhaps they would be reunited with Treebeard when lands that were covered by Sea rose up again. It is unknown if this actually happened.
It is not known what happened to Treebeard, for he and the Ents fell out of the recorded history of Middle-Earth. It is unknown if Treebeard was immortal or simply very long-lived. If the latter was true, he may have died at some point, or he may have lived onto the ending of the world. The people of Gondor were under strict orders not to venture into Entish territory because this land was being restored, so in turn the Ents fell out of all knowledge.
Treebeard was a tall Ent, about fourteen feet tall, and he had a leafy grey beard with twigs and moss and dark eyes with a green glow to them. Gandalf once described Treebeard as the oldest living thing still to walk beneath the Sun in Middle-Earth. This statement's accuracy is not known, because Tom Bombadil once described himself as being older than the first tree. Either way, it is known that Treebeard had existed in Middle-Earth since before the arrival of the Elves. This would thus make Treebeard at least 11,000 years old at the time of the War of the Ring, for the Elves awoke in 1050 of the Years of the Trees.
Treebeard dwelt in the great woods in the Years of the Trees and the First Age. These woods were located west of the Misty Mountains. He occasionally visited Fangorn Forest, which was then just a small part of the great woods. The great woods went on for many miles, and in the woods the trees were strong and the leaves were green. Treebeard could recall a very ancient point in history in which he could sing in the woods and all that could be heard was the echo of his own song. The air was very clean and fertile and pollinated in the great woods, and Treebeard would spend weeks just breathing.
Treebeard did not have one fixed dwelling. During the Years of the Trees, Treebeard roamed westward beyond the Blue Muontains and into Beleriand. He would wander northward to Nan-tathren where there were willows. He would visit these each spring. In the summer, he would visit the elms in Ossiriand. Treebeard visited the beech trees in Neldoreth in the fall, and he would live with the pines in Dorthonion in the winter. At this point, nothing much besides nature lived in Middle-Earth, and it was a truly beautiful, natural place where the environment was allowed to thrive.
In 1495 of the Years of the Trees, evil came to Middle-Earth when Morgoth arrived. Female Ents known as the Entwives may have migrated eastward around this time, and across the Anduin to a land that would later become known as the Brown Lands. Among the Entwives to desert the Ents was Treebeard's beloved Fimbrethil. Treebeard loved Fimbrethil and missed her greatly after her departure. She and the other Entwives had become separate from the Ents, for they spent more time gardening and tending to orchards than roaming the great and wild forests as male Ents did. After the Entwives left, they were seldom, if ever, seen again by male Ents.
In 503 of the First Age, Beren was aided by Ents in hunting down the Dwarves who had killed Thingol for one of the Silmarils. The Ents drove the Dwarves into the forest beyond the Blue Mountains and the Dwarves were never seen again. It is not known if Treebeard was involved in these events.
The First Age ended with the War of Wrath and the destruction of Beleriand. During the Second Age, the great woods west of the Misty Mountains was greatly reduced in size. This was due to several factors, including the men of Numenor chopping down trees to build large ships. Another contributing factor to the demise of the great woods was Sauron's invasion of Eriador in 1697 of the Second Age, in which hundreds of thousands of trees were either burned or chopped down.
The remnant of the great woods became known as Fangorn Forest. Treebeard and many Ents continued to live there, but the population of Ents dramatically decreased over time. Though no Ents died naturally, many Ents were killed by the forces of Sauron burning down trees and many others became treeish and sleepy. Additionally, no new Ents were born because of the absence of the Entwives. Despite their decreasing numbers, the Ents continued to guard Fangorn Forest from the outside world.
Treebeard and the other Ents were known to the Elves of Lothlorien. At some point during the Second Age, Treebeard met with the King of Lothlorien, who was probably at that time Amdir, and they agreed that Fangorn and Lothlorien would remain separated and Fangorn would belong to the Ents while Lothlorien would continue to belong to the Elves, though the two races could visit each other if desired. On one visit, Treebeard met Galadriel and Celeborn, the future rulers of Lothlorien. Visits between the Elves and the Ents continued for several centuries but stopped occurring by the end of the Second Age.
During the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age, Sauron burned the Brown Lands where the Entwives had settled. It is not known what had become of the Entwives. Some speculated that they had been killed or enslaved by Sauron, while others suspected that they had ventured elsewhere. Treebeard and many Ents went to the Brown Lands and beyond to try and find the Entwives, but they were unsuccessful. They tried this on multiple occasions, but after many years Ents stopped leaving Fangorn and even more Ents became treeish.
There was a time of peace in Middle-Earth for many centuries in the Third Age. However, the borders of the forest of Fangorn continued to recede as the men of Gondor cut down trees to build ships. Both Ents and Elves tried to regulate the amount of trees that were chopped down. But the Ents had other matters to be concerned about.
In 1050 of the Third Age, an evil presence came to exist in Dol Guldur in Mirkwood. Many, including Treebeard, came to suspect that this evil presence was Sauron. In 2951, Sauron open declared his presence in Mordor, and Treebeard initially felt relieved because Mordor was not near any of his beloved forests. But Treebeard came to understand that Sauron threatened all of Middle-Earth, and he would destroy the forests if given the chance.
In 2759, a wizard named Saruman was granted the fortress of Isengard which was located very near Fangorn Forest at the southernmost tip of the Misty Mountains. Isengard had been given to Saruman by men from Gondor who hoped that he would guard it, and men of Rohan also hoped that Saruman would protect them from their enemies. Saruman had wandered the Forest of Fangorn early in his years living in Isengard, and he had become friendly with Treebeard. From Treebeard, Saruman learned much about growing things and about the history of Middle-Earth. But Saruman was turned evil and he was consumed by his greed for the One Ring. He joined with Sauron, and in the early 3000s of the Third Age he began breeding Orcs. Saruman created a new species of Orc called Uruk-Hai, and these Orcs could survive in daylight. As Orcs began infesting Isengard, they also began chopping down trees and wreaking havoc on the outskirts of the forest. Many Ents were killed or wounded by Saruman's Orcs.
On February 27, 3019, Treebeard saw Gandalf in the forest. Treebeard considered Gandalf to be a very good and caring wizard, and he regarded him as the only wizard to care for growing things. Gandalf was deep in thought at this time and did not speak to Treebeard.
On February 29, Treebeard met two individuals he had never encountered before. These people identified themselves as Hobbits, and said that their names were Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. Treebeard had never encountered such creatures before, and they were the first new creatures he had ever encountered.
Merry and Pippin were taken by Treebeard to Wellinghall, which was his home deep in the forest. As Treebeard and the Hobbits conversed, Treebeard told them of the Entwives, and the Hobbits told Treebeard of the Shire and their journey from it. Treebeard thought that the Shire sounded like the sort of place the Entwives would like to live, so he asked Merry and Pippin if they had seen any Entwives in the Shire, which they had not.
As the Hobbits told Treebeard of the horrors that were going on outside of Fangorn, Treebeard realized that it was only a matter of time before evil reached the forest. Treebeard then had an idea. On February 30, he summoned about 50 Ents to Derndingle in Fangorn where an Entmoot, a gathering of Ents, was held for the first time in many years. Merry and Pippin first attended the Entmoot, but they left early with Quickbeam who had already made up his mind to attack Isengard. Treebeard stayed at the Entmoot and it went on for three days until the Ents finally agreed to put an end to Saruman's destruction of their forest.
On March 2, the Ents arrived at Isengard. Treebeard sent an horde of Huorns, trees of great power, to Rohan to help the Rohirrim fight off the armies of Isengard. Treebeard and the Ents arrived at Isengard that night. Treebeard first requested with a booming voice that Saruman open his gates and surrender immediately, but he was only met with arrows being fired at him by Saruman's Uruk-Hai. Treebeard was enraged and he obliterated the gates of Isengard, and Saruman ran into his tower and locked to door behind him. The Ents began attacking Isengard, and they stepped on Orcs and killed many of them. Saruman tried to fight back by sending forth liquid fire from Orthanc, and his laughter could be heard by the Ents. This did not intimidate them, and it caused them to fight harder. Saruman managed to kill one Ent, Beechbone, and his death angered the other Ents even more. On March 3, Gandalf arrived and Treebeard told him that many Huorns were on their way to helping the Rohirrim win the Battle of Helm's Deep. On March 4, the Ents broke the dam of the River Isen and Isengard was flooded. Saruman was at last defeated by a force that he did not anticipate.
On March 5, Grima Wormtongue came to Isengard seeking Saruman. Gandalf had warned Treebeard that Grima had betray the Rohirrim to Saruman, and Treebeard offered that Grima remain with him or go into Saruman's tower. Grima fled to Orthanc where Saruman pulled him inside. Gandalf returned to Isengard later that day with King Theoden of Rohan, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Treebeard was thrilled to see the Elf Legolas, and he invited him to visit Fangorn any time he pleased. When Legolas suggested that he and Gimli could visit Fangorn together, Treebeard was hesitant because Gimli was a Dwarf who bore an axe that could cut down trees. Gandalf cast Saruman out of the Order of Wizards and banished him from the White Council. Treebeard promised to keep Saruman secure in Orthanc, and hem ade sure there were no underground tunnels from which Saruman could escape. Treebeard also ensured that Isengard would become green and beautiful again. As Gandalf and his company left, Treebeard called to his new friends Merry and Pippin, making them promise to let him know if he saw and signs of the Entwives in the Shire.
After Gandalf and company had left, Treebeard arranged for a Watchwood of trees to keep a constant eye on Orthanc to ensure Saruman's continued imprisonment there. Later on, the remnant of an army of Orcs from Dol Guldur who had attempted to invade Lothlorien wandered into the Wold of Rohan. Treebeard led a force of Ents out to defeat them. If it had not been for Treebeard's intervention, these Orcs may have destroyed the remaining Rohirrim while King Theoden was away at war.
On March 25, the One Ring was destroyed and Sauron was defeated. Treebeard continued maintaining gardens and orchards in Isengard. Treebeard often spoke to Saruman, and he told him long stories about the past. Saruman grew extremely bored in Treebeard's captivity, and he used his powerful voice to convince Treebeard that he posed no threat to the rest of Middle-Earth. Treebeard released Saruman on August 15 because he could not bare to watch a living thing suffer. As it turned out, Saruman wreaked havoc in the Shire and he caused great hardship there.
On August 22, Gandalf and company returned to Isengard. They were accompanied by Galadriel and Celeborn. Legolas and Gimli sought to permission from Treebeard to visit Fangorn. He granted them permission. Treebeard gave Merry and Pippin Ent-draught and told them to look out for the Entwives in the Shire. Aragorn gave the Ents the rights to live in Isengard and Fangorn Forest as long as they could effectively protect the trees there. Aragorn also told the Ents that they could expand as far as Wizard's Vale if they so desired, and they would be welcome to journey eastward to look for the Entwives, but Treebeard assured Aragorn that the Ents would not venture beyond Fangorn anymore. Treebeard said farewell to Galadriel and Celeborn, whom he had not seen in many years and whom he did not think he would ever see again. Galadriel said that perhaps they would be reunited with Treebeard when lands that were covered by Sea rose up again. It is unknown if this actually happened.
It is not known what happened to Treebeard, for he and the Ents fell out of the recorded history of Middle-Earth. It is unknown if Treebeard was immortal or simply very long-lived. If the latter was true, he may have died at some point, or he may have lived onto the ending of the world. The people of Gondor were under strict orders not to venture into Entish territory because this land was being restored, so in turn the Ents fell out of all knowledge.
References
The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers: "Treebeard," passim; "The Road to Isengard;" "Flotsam and Jetsam," passim
The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King: "Many Partings"
The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F: page 409
The Silmarillion: "Of Aule and Yavanna," page 46; "Of the Ruin of Doriath" page 235
The Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn: Appendix C - The Boundaries of Lorien," page 261
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Letter #247
The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King: "Many Partings"
The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F: page 409
The Silmarillion: "Of Aule and Yavanna," page 46; "Of the Ruin of Doriath" page 235
The Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn: Appendix C - The Boundaries of Lorien," page 261
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Letter #247
Timeline
Circa 1050 of the Years of the Trees:
The first Elves awoke in Middle-Earth. It is possible that the Ents awoke around this time as well.
Circa 1495:
Morgoth came to Middle-Earth and brought much evil with him. The Entwives crossed the Anduin and moved east to escape the evil spread by him. Treebeard remaining in the great woods west of the Misty Mountains.
Year 503 of the First Age:
Ents aided Beren in pursuing Dwarves who stole one of the Silmarils from Thingol. Treebeard may have been involved in these events.
545-587:
Morgoth's defeat; destruction of Beleriand.
590:
End of the First Age following Morgoth's banishment from Arda.
Years 3434-3441 of the Second Age:
During War of the Last Alliance against Sauron, the Entwives' lands east of the Anduin were destroyed. It is not known what became of the Entwives; Treebeard went searching for his beloved Fimbrethil but he never found her.
Circa 1050 of the Third Age:
An evil presence established itself in Mirkwood. Treebeard became worried about the presence. Unknown to him, the evil presence was Sauron who had built a stronghold in the forest.
2759:
The wizard Saruman was granted the fortress of Isengard near Fangorn Forest. Treebeard became acquainted with Saruman when he would take walks in the woods.
2942:
Sauron returned to his own realm of Mordor in secret.
2951:
Sauron openly declared his presence in Mordor. Treebeard was temporarily relieved because he felt that shadow had been lifted from the forest.
3019:
February 27: Treebeard saw Gandalf in Fangorn but did not speak to him.
February 29: Treebeard met two creatures he had never come across: two Hobbits named Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. Treebeard took them to his home at Wellinghall. Merry and Pippin told Treebeard of the horrors happening in Middle-Earth, many of which were caused by Saruman. Treebeard decided to act against Saruman.
February 30: Treebeard called many Ents to an Entmoot at Derndingle in the forest.
March 2: The Ents decided to go to war against Saruman and destroy Isengard if they could. they arrived at the gates of Isengard that night.
March 3: The Ents destroyed Isengard and imprisoned Saruman in Orthanc. Treebeard sent a host of Huorns to Helm's Deep to help the Rohirrim win a battle against the forces of Saruman.
March 4: The Ents flooded Isengard at midnight by breaking the dam of the Isen River.
March 5: Grima Wormtongue arrived at Isengard and Treebeard gave him the choice of remaining with Treebeard or being imprisoned in Orthanc with Saruman. Grima chose to follow Saruman. Gandalf arrived with King Theoden of Rohan, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Gandalf cast Saruman out of the Order of Wizards. When they left, they took Merry and Pippin with them. Treebeard was left in management of Isengard, and he promised to guard Saruman. The Ents vowed that they would make Isengard green and beautiful again.
March 12: The Ents defeated an army of Orcs that had wandered into Wold of Rohan.
March 25: Sauron was defeated after the One Ring's destruction.
August 15: Treebeard, pitying Saruman, released him from Orthanc.
August 22: King Aragorn and Gandalf and a company of Elves, men, and Hobbits arrived in Isengard. Aragorn granted the region of Isengard to the Ents and offered that they expand into the Wizard's Vale, but they did not anticipate that they would do so. Treebeard said farewell to Galadriel, Celeborn, Merry, and Pippin for the last time. The Ents passed out of the records of men in the Fourth Age.
Names & Meanings
Treebeard:
Treebeard was this Ent's name in the Common Speech. Treebeard did not reveal his real Old Entish name, but he did say that it was very long, encompassing the vast amount of time that Treebeard had lived in Middle-Earth.
Fangorn:
Fangorn is Sindarin for "Treebeard." It is derived from fanga meaning "beard" and orne meaning "tree."
The Old Ent/The Ent:
Treebeard was called The Old Ent or simply called The Ent because he was the eldest Ent left in existence. The word Ent is Old English for "giant." Treebeard was also called The Eldest by Celeborn.
Master of Fangorn's Wood:
Legolas called Treebeard the Master of Fangorn's Wood because Treebeard was recognized as a leader amongst the Ents.
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