[ 09.2014 | Mannheim ]

on a day in fall 2014, babysitting for a friend’s child, I went for a walk along the river Rhine in Mannheim, Germany. the little one and I were walking through an adjoining park when I suddenly got the distinct impression of being observed. and as I turned around, there he was: Mr. Ent, standing just an arm’s length away. he seemed quite grumpy, so I asked my young companion to wave her hand and say hello. the 2year-old and I sat down on a bench opposite the tree and tried to find reasons why Mr. Ent could possibly have a bad day. we (more or less I) also came up with potential solutions to make him happy again. until it began to rain…

as ancient shepherds of the trees, ents are a race of immortal, sentient beings, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. their name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘ent’, meaning ‘giant’. in the fantasy world, the very tall, humanoid creatures are of tree-like appearance and remind one of talking trees in worldwide folklore tales. likewise, trees play an important role in mythology where they are strongly rooted.

retrospectively being convinced Mr. Ent was just missing a friend to talk with, I painted a little boy on one of his branches. maybe a late descendant of Frodo Baggings?

in 2012, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21st the International Day of Forests which celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. I guess Mr. Ent and his family and friends might have a party today 🙂

sources:
tolkiengateway.net | authorsden.com | un.org