Who was the oldest inhabitant of Middle-earth?
The answer depends on exactly what the question means. Below are listed a number of possible answers (as of the end of the Third Age), starting from the oldest. • Eru Iluvatar, the Creator… but he never inhabited Ea itself. • The Ainur (including Sauron, Gandalf, etc.): they existed before the Music that gave Middle-earth form. • Tom Bombadil. In addition to his direct claim that he is “Eldest” (confirmed at the Council of Elrond), he says that he “was here before the river and the trees”, and that he “remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn”. If he is one of the Ainur, this implies that he was the first of them to enter Middle-earth; if not, it probably means he was the first “native” inhabitant. • Some trees in Fangorn (and maybe elsewhere): Treebeard says that in some parts of his forest, “the trees are older than I am.” • Treebeard. Gandalf tells Theoden that he is “the eldest and chief of the Ents, and when you speak with him you will hear the speech of the oldest of al
The answer depends on exactly what the question means. Below are listed a number of possible answers (as of the end of the Third Age), starting from the oldest. • Eru Iluvatar, the Creator… but he never inhabited Ea itself. • The Ainur (including Sauron, Gandalf, etc.): they existed before the Music that gave Middle-earth form. • Tom Bombadil. In addition to his direct claim that he is “Eldest” (confirmed at the Council of Elrond), he says that he “was here before the river and the trees”, and that he “remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn”. If he is one of the Ainur, this implies that he was the first of them to enter Middle-earth; if not, it probably means he was the first “native” inhabitant. • Some trees in Fangorn (and maybe elsewhere): Treebeard says that in some parts of his forest, “the trees are older than I am.” • Treebeard. Gandalf tells Theoden that he is “the eldest and chief of the Ents, and when you speak with him you will hear the speech of the oldest of al
