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Originally Posted by Bęthberry
Nil, good call on the Withywindle! I would think that the malevolence of this river is part of the general dangerous ground of the Old Forest, but I think it certainly is a way to carry over the slightly menacing tone from the poems into the LotR while 'sanitising' the characterisation of Tom and Goldberry.
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Malevolent, or just dangerous?
I wonder if it is exactly proper to classify the Withywindle, indeed the entire Old Forest, as evil. Certainly, it bears malice to the Hobbits (and others, it would seem), and it is self-serving, and definitely wild, but can we really call it evil?
It is much like the dark parts of Fangorn that Treebeard refers to, and I believe that the connection is even made by the old Ent. Yet does anyone ever say that parts of Fangorn are evil?
Certainly, there is danger to the Old Forest. It is not a "nice" place, or a "safe" place, and it works actively against those it does not welcome. But does this make it evil, or is it more representative of the 'wildness' of nature?
Actually, come to think about it, I'm seeing a lot of parallels between the Old Forest and Caradhras. Something to think on, anyway...