Silmarillion - Chapter 19 - Of Beren and Luthien

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Nazgûl-king

I have re-read this chapter recently and came across something interesting; when the eagles come to rescue Beren and Luthien from Angband’s gate it says Now we are told that Huan could only speak three times, and none of those three times are talking to the animals, so how does Huan bid the animals to watch so that they can help Beren if he did not speak to them?

Well, everyone knows there is an international language of animals, a sort of fauna-esperanto, which has nothing to do with human speech -- and Huan was only allowed to speak human three times. Therefore, you are barking up the wrong tree. Besides, it's not like the other animals all speak Sindarin, I am sure the Eagles were strictly Quenyan in the 1st Age, and the Fox in Lord of the Rings was thinking aloud in Westron.

[Nazgûl-king]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Well, everyone knows there is an international language of animals, a sort of fauna-esperanto, which has nothing to do with human speech -- and Huan was only allowed to speak human three times. Therefore, you are barking up the wrong tree. Besides, it's not like the other animals all speak Sindarin, I am sure the Eagles were strictly Quenyan in the 1st Age, and the Fox in Lord of the Rings was thinking aloud in Westron.

Yes I had thought of that, and it is the most likely explanation. But I thought it would be interesting to bring up anyway so…