Entwives - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Bêthberry · 05-04-2008, 05:18 PM

It is rather interesting that the Legendarium includes two (possibly) extinctions: that of the ents and that of the dwarves. The elves sail west and so that does not count quite as an extinction while the hobbits are said still to be around but in hiding.

So, two extinctions, both apparently brought about by the lack of female members (

) of the species. Yet in the study of paleontology and biology, extinction is not generally related to gender, but to some sort of disruption in the ecosystem, such as catastrophic volcanoes, extra-terrestrial meteors, gas hydrates--at least at the level of mass extinction.

So was Tolkien getting all hung up on sex or was he saying that it was Eru's will that the dwarves and ents became extinct? Or is extinct too strong a word?

05-04-2008, 05:18 PM	#18
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	It is rather interesting that the Legendarium includes two (possibly) extinctions: that of the ents and that of the dwarves. The elves sail west and so that does not count quite as an extinction while the hobbits are said still to be around but in hiding. So, two extinctions, both apparently brought about by the lack of female members ( ) of the species. Yet in the study of paleontology and biology, extinction is not generally related to gender, but to some sort of disruption in the ecosystem, such as catastrophic volcanoes, extra-terrestrial meteors, gas hydrates--at least at the level of mass extinction. So was Tolkien getting all hung up on sex or was he saying that it was Eru's will that the dwarves and ents became extinct? Or is extinct too strong a word? __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away. Last edited by Bêthberry; 05-04-2008 at 07:16 PM.