Treebeard

2009-09-10T06:26:35Z

123.2.229.155: punct typo & citation needed

{{disambig-two|the Ent|the chapter|[[Treebeard (chapter)]]}}
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[[Image:John Howe - Treebeard.jpg|thumb|250px|''Treebeard'' by [[John Howe]]]]
{{Pronounce|Fangorn.mp3|Ardamir}}
'''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 [[eldest|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.{{Fact|date=Sept 2009}}

== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
'''1978: ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings|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: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:[[Stephen Thorne]] provided the voice of Treebeard.

[[Image:Treebeard.jpeg|thumb|right|''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 ==
* [[:Category:Images of Treebeard|Images of Treebeard]]

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[[Category:Ents]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[de:Baumbart (Fangorn)]]
[[fi:Puuparta]]

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Treebeard