Could animals talk?

[davem]

I wonder where the talking badgers of the Adventures of Tom Bombadil fit in? I suppose this poem could be seen as a link between the world of traditional fairy tale & that of mythic history. Those two worlds seem to meet & blend in the Old Forest.

One thought did strike me- a 'connection' of sorts between The Hobbit & the story of Sigurd & Fafnir. Sigurd slays the dragon Fafnir & by consuming his heart comes ot understand the speech of birds. Bard, on the other hand, through his ability to understand the speech of a bird is able to kill Smaug - by shooting him through the heart.

I wonder also about Sam's words in reference to Bill, that if he statyed in Rivendell much longer he'd learn to speak. As Lalwende pointed out *about Ents, it was the Elves who taught them to speak. One wonders if they had equal facility in teaching animals speech...

(From Aldarion & Erendis: To Erendis they gave a pair of birds, grey, with golden beaks and feet...

'How shall I keep them?' said Erendis.

'Let them fly & be free,' answered the Eldar. 'For we have spoken to them & named you; and they will stay wherever you dwell.'

* Without once mentioning sanwe