Ere iron was found or tree was hewn
"Ere iron was found or tree was hewn" is the first line of a short poem recited by Gandalf to King Théoden, when asked about what caused the summoning of the Huorns during the Battle of the Hornburg. Could it have been an act of "wizardry?", asked Théoden. Gandalf said that it was "a power far older", and went on to recite the poem. Théoden identified Gandalf's lines of verse as a riddle.
The poem
Ere iron was found or tree was hewn,
When young was mountain under moon;
Ere ring was made, or wrought was woe,
It walked the forests long ago.
Composition
The poem contains four iambs in each line, and the lines rhyme in pairs. Verlyn Flieger has described the poem as a piece of "folk verse".
Name
Among fans, the poem is commonly called Gandalf's Riddle of the Ents.
Inspiration
It has been noted that Tolkien re-used a phrase from The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun:
Referencias
1. Esta ficha se ha importado inicialmente de TolkienGateway.net el día 25/05/2026.
