Long List of the Ents

From Tolkien Gateway

The Long List of the Ents[1] was a song of lore known to the Ents that listed every living creature known to them. It is a poem-list spoken by Treebeard on 29 February T.A. 3019[2], to Merry and Pippin.

The list must be very ancient, as Treebeard stated that he had learned it whilst he was still young. It is potentially much longer than what is recited here.

Poem[edit | edit source]

"Treebeard" by Alan Lee

Learn now the lore of Living Creatures!
First name the four, the free peoples:
Eldest of all, the elf-children;
Dwarf the delver, dark are his houses;
Ent the earthborn, old as mountains;
Man the mortal, master of horses:

Beaver the builder, buck the leaper,
Bear bee-hunter, boar the fighter;
Hound is hungry, hare is fearful...

Eagle in eyrie, ox in pasture,
Hart horn-crownéd; hawk is swiftest,
Swan the whitest, serpent coldest...

Pippin suggested adding Hobbits on a new line; Half-grown hobbits, the hole-dwellers and that it should go next to Man, to which Treebeard thought the suggestion was "Not bad, not bad".[3] After the parley with Saruman at Isengard on 5 March,[2] Treebeard revealed that he had indeed added Hobbits to the Long List:

Ents the earthborn, old as mountains,
the wide-walkers, water drinking;
and hungry as hunters, the Hobbit children,
the laughing-folk, the little people,[4]

See also[edit | edit source]

References