Who's the oldest?

Good to see you all and see this topic! I haven't been around here in over a year.

GildorInglorion has made I point that I thought of after reading the first couple of posts. That point has barely been acknowledged, so it should be repeated.

One may be "eldest" without being "eldest sentient".

Trees were around before Elves, we know that. Then the Elves went around awakening the trees, apparently creating Ents. So Treebeard is older than any Elf, even Cirdan, when you count his years as a tree. (Trees, after all, are alive, if not sentient.) But, as a sentient being, Treebeard is younger than the first-awoken Elves.

As for Bombadil, he is as Tolkien stated: An enigma. Fun to speculate about, no doubt; but, in the end, an enigma.

[Iarwain]

Yes, I think that age is all a matter of perspective. If you include Iarwain despite his enigmatic nature, he will be eldest, merely because it is agreed to be so by the White Counsel and Bombadil himself. Also, one must consider the Maiar living in Middle-Earth, Radagast was most likely older than Treebeard, and definately older than any elves.

Iarwain

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by the mortal elf

I've got three contestants for the oldest person/creature in middle earth, and each has pretty solid evidence.

Who's the oldest?

Tolkien was in Middle-earth before anyone else, so my money's on him being the oldest Middle-earthling.