What are Huorns?

[Smokey]

Could someone explain to me what exactly Huorns are? I've read the books many times but never quite understood. Are they evil ents or ents becoming trees or something different.

[Snaga]

There are ents that become treeish, but I think that a Huorn strictly is a tree that is becoming Entish. They are often full of evil, but I don't think by any means all are. In fact they do a good job of dismembering Saruman's orcs so I quite like them!

[Ancalagon]

Huorns were a breed apart from Ents, they could have been Ents who had become more Tree-ish, or they were trees whom had become less tree-ish and more Ent-ish over a long, long time. It is not absolutely certain. Some might even appear evil and rotten to the core, like 'Old Man Willow', while others simply wanted to protect the forests from being destroyed. They learnt the language of the forests, they were also protectors against any that threatened them.

Old Man Willow, I believe, was not evil, simply over-protective. He controlled the Old Forest, he enchanted the Forest and lulled any to him for they had trespassed in his realm. Thankfully, Tom Bombadil was able to counteract him with the strength of his own song. An odd relationship without doubt.

[pgt]

Followup question: To what degree, if any, was it established in the books or elsewhere that there was a connection between the Old Forest and Fangorn Forest? I always 'thought' the same thing about Willow but never saw it conclusively presented in the books. Was it? I do seem to recall some info from Treebeard that sounded like he was describing old Willow or similar.

Thanks

[aragil]

Treebeard sounds very interested in Merry & Pippin's tale of the Old Forest. Samwise tells all at the Green Dragon that his relative had seen a giant walking tree up on the North Border of the Shire. Gandalf (or maybe Bombadil or other character with authority) told the hobbits that squirrels used to be able to run branch to branch from the Shire to Dunland (next to Isengard, next to Fangorn).

[Ancalagon]

To what degree, if any, was it established in the books or elsewhere that there was a connection between the Old Forest and Fangorn Forest?

Treebeard does say to Merry and Pippin that 'there was all one wood once upon a time from here (Fangorn Forest) to the Mountains of Lune, and this was just the East End'.

The Mountains of Lune (Erid Luin) that run the length of Eriador and where the Gulf of Lune is the mouth of The Grey Havens, can only mean that it was all Forest, across Eriador, including the Shire, Including the Old Forest. Now, from my maps, I guess that not only was all this Forest connected, through the Gap of Rohan, but also too; Lorien and Mirkwood. This, I believe was before Man walked in Middle-Earth, but during the early awakenings of the firstborn.

Treebeard is this Old, and Older again, he would have herded across this expanse for that is what his purpose was. As the Forests were destroyed; damaged by Melkor, Sauron, Orcs, Men and Dwarves, so too did the role of the Ents diminish with it. The once huge expanses of woods that covered Middle-Earth became smaller shadows of their former glory. This fits in nicely with Tolkiens images of historical England, for it too was once covered with Trees, much of which was lost to industrialisation over the past centuries.

Thats my take on it anyway and only speculation.

[pgt]

Thank you and thank you.

As I clap my hand to my forehead with another 'oh yeah' - good call on that quote from Sam/Green Dragon too.

[Grond]

Originally posted by pgt
Followup question: To what degree, if any, was it established in the books or elsewhere that there was a connection between the Old Forest and Fangorn Forest? I always 'thought' the same thing about Willow but never saw it conclusively presented in the books. Was it? I do seem to recall some info from Treebeard that sounded like he was describing old Willow or similar.

Thanks To add to what Ancalagon quoted.... from FotR, Council of Elrond, "...Time was when a squirrel could go from tree to tree from what is now the Shire to Dunland west of Isengard. In those lands I journeyed once, and many things wild and stange I knew. But I had forgotten Bombadil, if indeed this is still the same that walked the woods and hills long ago, and even then was older than the old..." A clear insinuation that Bombadil must have lived in the woods in or near Fanghorn in the past and that the two forests, at that time, were one. :)

[aragil]

Originally posted by Grond
To add to what Ancalagon quoted.... from FotR, Council of Elrond, "...Time was when a squirrel could go from tree to tree from what is now the Shire to Dunland west of Isengard. In those lands I journeyed once, and many things wild and stange I knew. But I had forgotten Bombadil, if indeed this is still the same that walked the woods and hills long ago, and even then was older than the old..." A clear insinuation that Bombadil must have lived in the woods in or near Fanghorn in the past and that the two forests, at that time, were one. :)
Hey, that was my quote!
Originally posted by aragil
Gandalf (or maybe Bombadil or other character with authority) told the hobbits that squirrels used to be able to run branch to branch from the Shire to Dunland (next to Isengard, next to Fangorn).

:eek:
(that is a smiley face mocking an expression of outrage)

[Grond]

Aragil.... it's one thing to know a quote exists, another thing entirely to know exactly where it is in the works.:D

[Smokey]

Thanks for answering. Finally I have that cleared up.