Entling Youth, original upcycled vintage painting

‘There have been no Entings – no children, you would say, not for a terrible long count of years. You see, we lost the Entwives.’ —Treebeard

While Treebeard talked fondly about those early years, and of his beautiful Entwife, Fimbrethil, not a lot was recorded about their early life in Middle Earth, when Ent & Entwife cared for the forests. And aside from knowing Entings existed, we know little else about them.

I am enjoying exploring what they may have looked like with my illustration… they had bark-like skin, and resembled the trees they herded. Perhaps the Entings were more tree-like to begin with, their limbs splitting away from their trunks once they were strong enough to pull their feet from the ground and walk!

Once, forests covered all of Middle Earth. Lord Elrond said, "Time was once when a squirrel could carry a nut from tree to tree from Rivendell to the Great Sea…” However, as the dominion of Elves, Men and Dwarves spread across Middle Earth, the great sprawling forest the Ents tended began to shrunk. The purpose of the Ents to protect the trees became even more important.

And while the Ents were far away roaming and protecting the trees, I imagined the Entwives would have remained to protect the forests they immediately dwelled in, while also raising their vulnerable offspring, the Entings. The Entwives purpose had shifted, to feed and nurture the Entings to grow into strong Ents & Entwives themselves.

Their story continued, and J.R.R. Tolkien left breadcrumbs as to the fate of the Entwives across his poems, stories and letters. As I continue to illustrate these moments between Ent, Entwife and Enting… I hope you will follow along, and share any clues you may have found!

"Portrait of Entling Youth"
altered painting by Heather Castles

19.5 x 24.5 cm (8 x 10 inch) painting on vintage lithograph print on cardboard
29.5 x 24.5 vintage frame, resin