Treebeard

This article is about the Ent. For the the chapter, see Treebeard (chapter).

The name Fangorn refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Fangorn (disambiguation).

"...It is a long tale..." — Aragorn This article or section needs expansion and/or modification. Please help the wiki by expanding it.

Treebeard by John Howe

	Fangorn.mp3
	By Ardamir. (Help; more articles)

Treebeard, also known as Fangorn, was the oldest of the Ents, a tree-like being who was a sort of "shepherd of trees". Very tall and stiff-limbed, with bark-like skin and leafy hair, he befriended Meriadoc Brandybuck ("Merry") and Peregrin Took ("Pippin") after they escaped from Orcs. He lived in Fangorn Forest, which was named after him (or he after it).

Like most Ents, Treebeard took a long time to make up his mind. He repeatedly spoke of not "being hasty". Treebeard is described along with Tom Bombadil as the oldest being in Middle-earth. Treebeard however said that there were trees in Fangorn that were "older than he".

Etymology

Treebeard is the direct translation of the Sindarin name Fangorn (from fang = "beard" and orn = "tree").

Inspiration

Treebeard was inspired in many ways by C.S. Lewis including his speech patterns and some aspects of his personality; a loud, bombastic man known for his powerful stride and overwhelming presence.

Portrayal in Adaptations

1978: The Lord of the Rings:

John Westbrook provides the voice of Treebeard. His actions in the overthrow of Isengard are not mentioned: he merely brings Merry and Pippin to Gandalf.

1981: BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings:

Stephen Thorne provided the voice of Treebeard.

File:Treebeard.jpeg

Treebeard in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings

2002: Peter Jackson's The Two Towers:

Treebeard is a combination of a large animatronic model and a CGI construct; his voice is performed by John Rhys-Davies, who also plays Gimli.

The Ents at the Entmoot initially decline Merry and Pippin's request for help. Treebeard is carrying the hobbits through the forest, when Pippin gets an idea. He asks Treebeard to carry them towards Isengard, because that is the last place Saruman would look for them. When Treebeard gets close to the forest's edge, he sees the devastation wrought by Saruman's orcs. The trees have all been chopped down to serve as fuel for Saruman's war machine. Treebeard then makes a momentous decision, and calls for the other Ents. They attack Isengard and manage to flood it.

2003: Peter Jackson's The Return of the King:

Treebeard, fully CGI, makes some last appearances at Isengard.

See Also

• Images of Treebeard