Despite being the author of an intricate and large universe, Tolkien often does not take the credit for his creativity. He claims his ideas just came to him either in a dream or unprompted inspiration. One such spontaneous creation is the ents, in particular Treebeard, whose namesake chapter Tolkien claims to have written without any previous thought on its details [1]. In this spontaneous creation we can see some of Tolkien's other work and influences seep into his ideas.
It is already a theory that Treebeard was related to another green colored giant, the green knight from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight which Tolkien translated. Both characters Tolkien describes as being troll-like [2]. Furthermore the old English word for giant used to describe the knight is 'ent' [2]. The green knight from the tale has an interesting intersection between the wild and the civilized shared by Treebeard and his ents. The green knight initially gives off a chaotic and wild persona: walking into the court of Arthur and wishing to play a beheading game [3]. Let alone the description of a pure green knight is one that implies a chaotic and outlandish figure. Yet, in reality the green knight is the noble lord Bertilak de Hautdesert who is a hospitable and civilized persona [3]. Even under the guise of the green knight he strictly keeps to his word and the rules of the game, even better than the protagonist - the noble Sir Gawain - who cheats [3]. What, from the outside, appeared to be a wild and uncouth knight, in reality, was a civilized and noble character.
This duality of wild on the outside but civilized on the inside is mirrored in the character of Treebeard. From the outside, Fanghorn, the forest and the ent, are dangerous and wild places. Celeborn warns against going there as it strange and unknown [4]. It is deadly to the unwanted interloper, as going near the green chapel was considered a death sentence by Gawain's guide [3]. Furthermore, appearances, like with the green knight, give a wild and outlandish impression: Treebeard looks like a tree and like a troll [4]. Trolls and trees are wild things although, in different connotations of the word, one is literally wild as in natural the other is wild as in abnormal and uncouth. We can see Tolkien mimics the outward chaotic or wild appearance of the green knight in Treebeard. Also like the green knight, Treebeard in reality is very civilized. Personifying carefulness, he is often "do to not be hasty" [4]. Before acting he calls an entmoot which is a debate where the ents gather in a circle and discuss their actions [4]. There is another interesting parallel to Arthurian legend where the ents discuss in a circle looking at each other's faces treat each other as equals in discussion much like the purposes of the round table. Here 'in the wild' there is an organized government and decision making process which is anything but rash. The ents are quite civilized once you get to know them.
Treebeard and the green knight present us with the dual nature leader, one who is both wild and civilized. I want to focus less on their internal connections but on a deeper influence that affected both Tolkien and the author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Bible. In particular the idea of the shepherd king: David. The man after god's own heart and one of the mightiest kings of Israel, David presents us with a cultured and civilized character. But, this king was originally a lowly shepherd who worked out in the wilderness. Here is an earlier Christian version of the kingly noble who originally was outwardly perceived as a man who worked in the wilderness alongside nature. It is no doubt that Tolkien, someone with an impressive mass attendance record, and the author of Sir Gawain, a piece full of Christian ideas, were both well versed in this motif of the intersection of the wilderness and kingship.
I do not think it is much of a stretch to call Treebeard a shepherd king. For one thing he is certainly a shepherd: referring to himself as one and being referred to by others as a shepherd of the trees. The only thing up for debate is his king status. Treebeard has seniority among the ents being one of the three first-born ents remaining [4]. Celeborn calls Treebeard "eldest" [5]. Treebeard is arguably the eldest creature in middle-earth, but certainly the eldest ent. Yet being old does not make you king, though it certainly helps give you authority. Treebeard says that among his many names, he can even be referred to as "The Ent" (author's italics) [4]. Again this doesn't make Treebeard the king of the ents but hints that he is more important than the rest. Furthermore, Treebeard called together the entmoot. We don't know if this is a kingly privilege, but Quickbeam clearly wanted to go to war before the entmoot yet never called one [4]. Whether it was the direct authority or clout that Quickbeam lacked to call an entmoot is unclear. In either case, this is another example of Treebeard having exceptional influence over the other ents. In addition, before the entmoot the other ents are caught bowing before Treebeard and do not see him bowing back [4]. Bowing to elders is a custom that could explain this but also bowing to a leader is another explanation. Finally, in the entmoot the other ents are in a circle around Treebeard, he is set apart [4]. You could possibly explain this as he is the one who called the entmoot he had the center stage, but it also could be because he was the leader. All this evidence for Treebeard being the leader/king is circumstantial and can be explained away for other reasons, yet the sheer quantity of circumstantial evidence points to the fact there is likely something very special about Treebeard with respect to the other ents. Possibly just respect but likely a form of authority if not kingship.
The wording of David being 'the man after God's own heart' resembles Treebeard being "The ent". Even if the ents are all equal, Treebeard is the first (both literally the eldest and figuratively one with high authority) which reminds me of the title 'first among equals' which in multiple Christian sects (though not roman catholic) is a term for the head of the church and in multiple nations is the term for the head of state (including Great Britain). This term is quite applicable to David being both a head of state and the primary role model (counting Christ separate) of the Christian leaders. Treebeard is "The ent", so I think the title of 'first among equals' fits him well. Like how David is singled out of the sinners being the greatest among the equals, Treebeard is the greatest among the ents (or at least oldest and the one who has best preserved his entishness over the years). So besides being shepherd king, Treebeard's titles single him out from other free folk and ents resembles one of David's other titles of being 'the man after God's own heart' the man singled out among all other fallen men.
The theme of the rustic noble or the king from the wilderness is in the story of David, Treebeard, and the Green Knight. All three present the seeming contradicted qualities of the civilized and the wild in the same being. Furthermore, I have done this analysis without mentioning the more mainstream example of this: Aragorn. This is why Treebeard is a shepherd king not the shepherd king. Tolkien was a lover of harmony of nature and well-versed in the story of David, so it is not surprising that this theme occurs multiple times. This theme challenges our typical conception of civilized, a word based on city, to be applied to the wilderness a place without cities. Whether it is Tolkien's conscious iteration of this theme or if it is part of himself coming through his spontaneous spurts of writing, in either case, it is a theme that should be identified not only in its obvious examples - like Aragorn - but its more subtle appearances like with Treebeard and the green knight.
John Hopper
[1] The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien edited by Humphrey Carpenter Letter no. 180
[2] Flieger, Verlyn Scholarship and Fantasy
[3] Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
[4] J.R.R. Tolkien The Fellowship of the Ring "Farewell to Lórien"
[5]J.R.R. Tolkien The Return of the King "Many Partings"
2 comments:
The ents are not rash, yet they are certainly fierce, and terrifying if crossed!
David seems to be an apt comparison to Treebeard in that they are shepherds, and “kings” leading their armies to battle. But I’m not so sure how much further the comparison goes. Indeed, Christ was considered both “Shepherd” and “King.” Shepherds are important in the Bible for being both lowly in stature, and paradoxically worthy of exaltation (Think Abel, David, Joseph, Moses, the Israelites more generally, and Jesus “the Good Shepherd”)—it is not so much wild vs. civilized. Moreover, one could argue that a shepherd is decidedly not wild, as the leader of domesticated sheep. A shepherd may be somewhere between wild and civilized already, much like the Entwives who taught Men to cultivate plants.
Yet, the characterizing of the ents as “shepherds” is almost definitely biblical in understanding. The fact that trees are to be “shepherded” (literally from “sheep” “herded”) is striking. The metaphor serves for human beings too! It implies not only leadership but following (or going astray) on the part of the sheep. Why do the trees need a leader, and what kind of leader? Why do we? -LB
I had not considered extending Treebeard's role as "shepherd" to an understanding of him as the Ent Not-King, but I am persuaded! Another element in the Davidic imagery possibly at play: David is known as the author of Psalms, and Treebeard composes songs, too. I wonder whether Treebeard's making lists of living creatures could also be tied to the psalms? RLFB
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