It's not the answers that count but the stimulating discussions which may arise from them. Not that I mean to belittle your answers, Michael, au contraire.

: The stone-giants of THE HOBBIT appear to be legitimately intended as giants, not trolls. Tolkien originally envisioned Treebeard as an evil giant, but all that changed. I think he became uncertain of whether Middle-earth should really contain giants, but he apparently left in some clues (and didn't take them out of THE HOBBIT during either of its revisions) to allow himself leeway. Trolls may have become the only giants in Middle-earth, but I'm not fully convinced that is so. There may have been more up in the Ettenmoors than just trolls. And what was throwing the rocks down at the Fellowship when they were trying to cross Caradhras? I was very reminded of Bilbo's stone-giants by that scene.

So, biologicallly speaking, where do you think these giants could be placed? Large men? Tall trolls? And that bring up another question: alliances. I personally like to think that nothing is inherently evil in ME so Iwould place them along with bears. Are bears evil? No, but they sure are frightening to meet (without some sort of protection, that is). Same with these giants. And again, what drove them up into the mountains? What (or who) could intimidate a giant?

Your thoughts on the matter? Also I would like to know your thoughts on my previous statement (given below) regarding Treebeard's knowledge of sentient life forms in ME.

"Granted, it is highly unlikely that they were another form of sentient life since Treebeard does not mention them in his famous song. But then again, he didn't know of the hobbits either. Which is quite strange considering that the Stoors had lived not too far from Fangorn and that Ents may have been seen in the Shire itself." I remember a pub scene of some sort in this latter episode.