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Love in the treesTom Bombadil and the Ents have buried themselves in little niches and it seems there is no digging them up for new discussion. We should try to change that. The most common question asked about Bombadil is, "Why didn't the Ring affect him?" In reality, that question should be, "Why didn't Bombadil want the Ring." There is a difference. I believe the Ring did affect old Tom, at least to the extent that it roused his curiosity and drew his interest long enough that he had to satisfy himself regarding whether he was still his own master.As...

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water  Why did the Ents end up in Fangorn Forest? How, and when, did they make the trek across Middle-earth to the southern end of the Misty Mountains? And why did they move all the way down there? Fangorn tells Merry and Pippin that he once wandered through the willow-meads of Tasarinan. "Willow-meads" is a curious turn of phrase. Trees don't grow in meadows. But Tolkien loved to scatter willows around Middle-earth, along with rivers and lakes. And willows do grow beside rivers and lakes.The willow has long been...