Well spotted Boring, and quite true, Middle Earth's moon was a late edition, and the ents were around before its coming.
I'd imagine when finding a word that rhymed with "hewn", Tolkien was concentrating on his poetry and temporarily forgot his own history lessons.
Thread: Is Gandalf Wrong or is it me?
Planet Tolkien is archived and no longer updated, but the forums remain browseable. We have established a Telegram group for old and new visitors to stay connected and discuss all things Tolkien.
Quote:
when young was mountain under moon
Ah, but I read it as the mountains were still young when the moon appeared, but Ents were there before even that happened, which of course was the case. Then again, I'm not a linguist, all I know is that the Ents were there to tend (guard) the trees when the Dwarves reawoke, as promised in chapter two of the Silmarillion. when young was mountain under moon
I agree with Grondy, the quote seems to mention all the things that the ents came before (ere).
To Theoden and other men, the moon is something that's always been there since the begining of their time, so to say that something is older than the moon would be quite significant from Theoden's perspective.
To Theoden and other men, the moon is something that's always been there since the begining of their time, so to say that something is older than the moon would be quite significant from Theoden's perspective.
I can`t really answer that question Boring. Sorry. 
The reason why is because I have not yet read the book, TTT. When I do read it I might be able to answer questions on FOTR, TTT, ROTK books!
It`ll be much more esier, don`t you think? 
The reason why is because I have not yet read the book, TTT. When I do read it I might be able to answer questions on FOTR, TTT, ROTK books!
It`ll be much more esier, don`t you think? Well the mountains near the ents were there many an age before the ascention of the moon so it would be wrong to say the mountains were young in comparison with the moon
The mountains would have been significantly older than the moon, according to Tolkien mythology.
Are we forgetting the ages of the Great Lamps, that were used to light the world before Melkor destroyed them?
The moon is said to be made with the light from a fruit of Telperion that was set in the sky. This happened after the lamps were destroyed.
Are we forgetting the ages of the Great Lamps, that were used to light the world before Melkor destroyed them?
The moon is said to be made with the light from a fruit of Telperion that was set in the sky. This happened after the lamps were destroyed.
I agree with grond, because the mountains and arda were still young, and the poem does not say that the moon was young, just he mountains
thats what we are trying to say the mountains weren't young
I was trying to say the mountains were young when the Ents came; not that they were young when the moon arrived. They may have been young relative to the moon's creation for we have no way of knowing the length of the First Age or how many pre-sun years would have passed from the creation until the birth of the sun and moon. Maybe time was more compressed back then.
More probable, Tolkien just needed a rhyming word; moon sounded better than spoon and June; and he never dreamed his future groupies would dissect his every jot and tild’ (or what ever dotted eyes and crossed tees are called.)
More probable, Tolkien just needed a rhyming word; moon sounded better than spoon and June; and he never dreamed his future groupies would dissect his every jot and tild’ (or what ever dotted eyes and crossed tees are called.)
If you read the book in sapanish you will realize that in this part Gandalf doesn't use a poem to describe it (it depends of the editorial) he just explains Theoden what is going on, and he talks about the moon and the mountains like things that came after the ents. But anyway I hadn't realized of that...
I'm sorry but it would be very hard for me to read lotr in spanish and to understand it.
Interesting subject Boring, I'd never really thought about it before. I agree that Tolkien probably just needed a rhyming word, I also liked Arwen*Evenstar*'s point very much.
