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Originally Posted by Ardamir the Blessed
However, he is right about the fact that the Ents were partly inspired by the Great Birnam wood in Macbeth; Tolkien himself tells us that:
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Yes, and I think most Tolkien fans around here (those who have read your quoted letter anyway) were familiar with that fact...
What I fail to see here, is a connection between INSPIRATION (as between Birnam Wood and the Ents) and anything to do with WILD GOOSE CHASES. Quite frankly, I am highly skeptical that Tolkien would have written any clues into his story regarding the Entwives. He was a good deal more enamoured of leaving some things complete mysteries, such as Tom Bombadil, than he was of private in-jokes, clues, and hidden messages. When he felt the urge to explain something, or fit in a new historical explanation, he did so completely straightforwardly, albeit in his usual, alternate-versions/indecision mode of draft writing. As examples, I point you towards the cats of Queen Beruthiel and the "rods of the Five Wizards". Both are completely anomalous terms insofar as we know anything of their origin with regards to the text of the
Lord of the Rings, but when Tolkien sat down to think up and explanation, he did not try to hide it whatsoever in his text elsewhere.