A Primer on Ents- Yes, they are a real, not real thing.
Anyone that has been regularly trolling the NYT crosswords over the past few weeks has noticed an influx of “Lord of the Rings” clues. (If you aren’t a complete nerd like me, you are just going to have to take my word for it.)
And really, when I say an influx of clues, I mean hints about one particular creature.
The big barky guys pictured below.
Do you remember when Merry and Pippin take an awkward piggy-back ride on one of these bad boys? They are called Ents (which is an incredibly useful collection of letters for a crossword puzzle) and they are a fictional race of sentient trees that take forever to do anything.
Check out the clip below.
I am guessing they are part of the reason that these movies run longer than the actual labor of my first child. I had a hard time even getting through this clip without reaching for a snack.
However achingly slow their meetings seem to be, (and could they have maybe sent an email through their root system first?) the Ents do play a vital role in J.R.R. Tolkien’s overall narrative.
They are first introduced into the trilogy in the second book, “The Two Towers” when Merry and Pippin escape from orcs into the Fangorn Forest. Here’s a map for those who are interested. Fangorn Forest is north of Rohan and to the east of the Misty Mountains. For those who love “The Hobbit”- yes, those Misty Mountains.
It is in the forest that our Hobbit pair meet Treebeard, the leader of the Ents, who eventually is convinced to join forces with the fellowship to fight against Sauron and Saruman- which, for the record, have names that are WAY too similar.
A few more facts about Ents that might help you solve a crossword puzzle:
- They are an ancient race with long lives and a deep connection to the forests and trees of Middle Earth. They are also referred to as “tree shepherds.”
- They are extremely tall but humanoid in appearance- with rough bark skin, branches for arms and legs, and roots for their feet.
- They are probably the slowest creatures in Middle Earth. They are also some of the oldest creatures in the world. They live for thousands of years, and their long life is linked to the trees they protect.
- Related: Entwives- a distinct group of beings who were skilled in garden cultivation. They have been lost to the Ents during various conflicts. There is a sense of loss among the Ents because of the Entwives continued absence.
Here are a few examples of actual crossword clues that have ENTS as an answer:
- Tolkien’s tree shepherds.
- Guardians of Fangorn Forest.
- Slow-moving creatures in fantasy literature.
- Middle-earth’s tree-like race.
- Characters who awakened to fight Saruman.
- Sentient beings of the forest.
- “The Two Towers” characters.
Have you read LOTR yet? YOU SHOULD!
Here’s the king we don’t deserve. Can you remember this guy’s name?
Until next time, keep your pencils sharp and your pen at the ready!
Kasey
