The Two Towers by J.R.R Tolkien (Harper Collins 1991, 2007) pp. 734-744
The smoking of pipes at the ruined gates of Isengard had created a quiet mood in which nothing is said but Legolas is anxious to know more about the story of the hobbits after their capture by orcs nine days before. Merry and Pippin spoke of their experience with the Uruk-hai and how they were able to escape amidst the confusion of battle when Éomer’s company attacked. As Gimli said about how Pippin was able to cut his bonds with an orc knife at an earlier point in the story the hobbits were lucky but they were able to seize their luck “with both hands”.
Inger Idelfelt imagines Merry and Pippin as prisoners of the orcs.
Merry and Pippin went on to speak of their meeting with Treebeard and of Entmoot when the Ents discussed what action they should take against Saruman. Then they spoke of how, at the end of their debate, the Ents “suddenly blew up”, of how they marched upon Isengard, and of how they were followed by huorns who came out of the forest behind them.
The Ents avenge destruction of the natural world such as this.
They spoke of how, as they reached Nan Curunir, the vale of the wizard, they were met by a tremendous sound of trumpets blaring and thought that they had been discovered by their enemies. But then they had realised that the noise was of the emptying of Isengard as Saruman sent his army to war against Rohan and how for an hour they watched them marching southward towards Helm’s Deep.
Treebeard watched them go and then said to Merry and Pippin, “My business is with Isengard tonight, with rock and stone”.
Tolkien describes how the Ents launched their assault upon the fortress, wonderfully showing how the slow, deliberate action of tree roots over a hundred years, an action about which all householders must be aware, was concentrated into a single night’s furious work.
“They pushed, pulled, tore, shook and hammered; and clang-bang, crash-crack, in five minutes they had these huge gates just lying in ruin; and some were already beginning to eat into the walls, like rabbits in a sand-pit.”
Merry and Pippin go on to describe how the destruction continues, how Saruman tried to respond by means of fire from within his impregnable fastness of Orthanc at the heart of Isengard; and how the Ents diverted the waters of the Isen from its natural course and flooded the fortress, turning Orthanc into an island in the centre of a lake, an island in which Saruman was now a prisoner.
I have already spoken of how, in this powerful piece of description, Tolkien shows how the action of a forest upon a house over many years is concentrated within a single night. We know that if any building is neglected for a period of time nature soon reclaims it, drawing it back into itself as what once seemed to be permanent is shown to be merely temporary. Tolkien did not know of James Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis, in which Lovelock suggested that the earth is a complex self-regulating system within which that which is organic and non-organic interacts in order to maintain the system as a whole but I suspect that he may have been inclined to like it if he did. Many scientists have criticised the hypothesis on the basis that it is teleological, in other words that it is descriptive of a set of conditions that will lead to a particular end, in this case about the survival of planet earth as a place for organic life, but Tolkien was a Christian, and Christians believe that everything is moving towards a conclusion, of a new heaven and a new earth.
In his Music of the Ainur Tolkien places the whole history of the earth within the framework of a single piece of music in which all creatures, both earthly and heavenly are active participants. Only Eru Ilúvatar, only God, knows how the music will end but it will be a beautiful resolution of all that has preceded that end. As the 14th century English mystic, Julian of Norwich put it, “All shall be well”. There may be a time in which figures like Saruman may triumph but as the Ents show, through their business with the rock and stone of Isengard, they cannot triumph forever.
Ted Nasmith depicts the destruction of Isengard by the Ents.
Wisdom from The Lord of the Rings 
So true what you say about nature reclaiming space. As a lifelong city dweller I’ve often seen green blades, or tree roots, rising up through cement. When Treebeard says that his business is with rock and stone, it’s just a great line that I’d never given much thought, but now I’m going to be thinking of him next time I see green growing through concrete!
Reading your post, Treebeard’s line also makes me think of forest and stone not just as conflicting elements but as living beings who can oppose each other, declare war on each other.
As you so often do, Kevin, you have got me thinking much more about the ideas in my blog. Is the business that Treebeard speaks of, a conflict? What is the essential relationship between the organic and the non-organic? Treebeard is certainly in conflict with Saruman but is he in conflict with the rocks of Isengard? And are urban trees in conflict with the materials of the city? A few years ago there was a terrific row in the English city of Sheffield when the city council cut down a large number of trees because they judged them to be a threat to the roads and pavements (sidewalks) on which they were situated. I have also long been intrigued by St Paul’s reference to creation groaning in travail as it awaits the final liberation of humanity. Does this refer only to organic life or to rock and stone as well?
Good questions in turn, Stephen. And without simple answers. I would say most basically that there is no necessary conflict. There is conflict between Treebeard and Saruman, rooted in circumstances. But since Treebeard chose to say that his business was with rock and stone, it’s left me thinking that there’s something deeper here. I don’t mean with Treebeard per se. I just think of the discussion between Legolas and Gimli about the Glittering Caves, that you blogged about recently — how the elf and the dwarf love completely different things, each to the depth of his soul, and finds his companion’s passion a foreign thing. But not so much that they can’t agree to try to understand each other. So it’s not a necessary/inherent conflict, no, but it’s something that came to mind when reading Treebeard’s declaration that he would be taking issue tonight with rock and stone.
Big issues here, fun to ponder. Your question about what Paul means: I have no idea. But you’ve given something there to think about, too.
Thank you so much for all that you share here. You have given me much to think about and I will do so.
I will reflect on this in a future post but I also want to think about the difference between Orthanc that the Ents have no impact upon, and Isengard, which they destroy. Gimli liked the Hornburg. I can’t remember if he comments on Orthanc. I think he would respect it. As you say, Legolas does not respect either. The Noldorin builders of Gondolin would admire it. Galadriel, though a daughter of the Noldor has gone native and become a Sylvan Elf.