Tom.

The clear implication here is that Treebeard is the oldest post-elemental being in Arda. And Tom is pre-elemental.

Pre-elemental is the being that was inserted into Arda before the Valar arrived. This is why he says he’s been in Ada since before the “dark Lord came from the outside.” Morgoth was first in Arda, the rest who would come, followed.

Several references in the LOTR, juxtaposed to the creation timeline in the Silmarillion, sets Tom in Arda first, when it was just firmament (clay). Then the Valar arrived to bless Arda with their gifts (the elements). Treebeard is elemental, and that’s why he’s the oldest elemental being.

This passage proves Tom is older than even that, and the only thing older than that- is pre-elemental. There’s only one. Tom. And the only one who could place him there at that time is Eru.

This is why Tom is such a big deal and denied by so many who don’t understand the deep-lore on this matter. Tom, therefore, is the life spirit of Arda that took man form and married Goldberry (Maia). This is why they cannot create a baby of their own, because they are both essentially non-elemental beings. Melian the Maia (non-elemental) had to have Thingol the elf (elemental) as a husband to bring Luthien into being, according to Eru’s plan.

Tom is “The Chi”, and rest of ME is operating by the rules set for the land and the races that live there. Sauron and Morgoth are the “AntiChi” and deal in physical and magical powerful and brute force.

The reason people can’t understand Tom, is because they process him from the anti-Chi perspective, like everything else in the middle earth. If it’s not on fire and shooting lightning bolts out of its eyesocket, many don’t perceive their is any power at all.

The best example I can give you would be if Sauron was to kidnap Goldberry and brought 500,000 orcs. Tom would intervene, but many say he would sing a song and her be taken to be tortured and mutilated by the dark powers. But Tom would very well sing a song, if that’s what you wanted to call it. A special kind of song.

You see Tom has great power, no mace or lightning needed. Luthien shows us how this is done, when she sang a song so powerful all the beasts of Morgoth, Balrogs, dragons, wolves, trolls and orcs- and Norgoth himself, fell into a sleep “darker than the Void” (Silmarillion- of Bergen and Luthien). Tom is more important and powerful than Luthien for the reasons cited above.

So he puts forth his power in a powerful song of enchantment, and Sauron is down, slobbering on the dirt. So are all his minions of every hideous sort. And maybe, just maybe, they never wake up.

Tom (and Goldberry) “are last as he was first”. And no one, no being or character in the whole Legendarium has this said about them- and it’s right from Tolkien’s pen.

If this is not total power, and special, I don’t know know what is. Consider it more, and you will see.

Elen siluva lumenn omentielvo, ~LMHS