Woses

[Aragost]

Where did the Woses come from.

[Child of the 7th Age]

According to Tyler's guide, they dwelt in the coastal region in the late First Age or early Second Age. This is between the river Isen and the western spur of the White Mountains--the area called old pukel-land. (Some believed they are descendents of pukel-man who had earlier lived in Beleriand.)

In the early Second Age, the woses move east into the vales of the White Mountains, perhaps driven by fear of the mariners from Numenor. When another race of men came into the White Mountains about that same time, the woses fled in terror to the Forest of Druadan. This is the realm what was confirmed to them for the help they gave against Sauron.

sharon, the 7th age hobbit

[Kuruharan]

There were also apparently some Woses among the Folk of Haleth in Brethil during the First Age.

[Thingol]

There was also small population of Druadan that accompanied the people of Haleth to Numenor. The Unfinished Tales stated that they had all migrated back to Middle Earth by the time of the downfall.

[Aragorn_the_Ranger]

Are the druadan somewhat related to Ents?

[Inderjit Sanghera]

The Druedain were ancestors of the Woses, of LoTR. They were the first 'men' to cross the Anduin, and they came in, from Southern Ithilien to the White Moutnains and Enedwaith.

Some excavated to Beleriand, with the Haladin, and lived with them in all three of their homes, The forests in Thargelion (Land of Caranthir), Estolad (Land of Amrod)and Brethil. They were fierce enemies of the Orcs, though some peoples said they were akin, though looks, though the Druedain were a good, (if at times sardonic) race.

There is no element of the Druedian in the 'Narn I Hin Hurin' or 'The Wanderings of Hurin' the two stories about latter Brethil, after the Nirnaeth, but it is obvious that some survived, since there was a Druedain population in Numenor, but they all, eventually left. ( They started to leave after the voyage's of Aldarion, and none were left by the time Sauron came to Numenor.)

In M-E, they were oftne hunted by men, whether evil, of no alligience (See Tal-elmar) or 'good' men, such as the Rohhirm.

[burrahobbit]

Woses come from a daddy Wose and a mommy Wose.

It is interesting to note that the word "wose" comes from an English word, if a very Old one. It is derived from wuda-wosa, which is "wild men of the woods." I am probably wrong on some detail there, corrections are welcome. Turin was also called a wose by Saeros is Doriath. Turin didn't like it.

Turin's servant Hoppafoot was to be turned into a wose, but Tolkien never got around to it.

[Bêthberry]

a wose by any other name . . .

[narfforc]

I think the correct spelling was wudu-wasa in singular and wudu-wasan in plural, this led to woodwose and the woses. These creatures were said to have inhabited Britains ancient forests, much like Bigfoot/Sasquatch and Yeti's. There are still some in existence, they go mainly by the name of Oasis these days.

[Mänwe]

The Unfinished Tales holds a good deal of information or insights into the little documented people. The names, etymology of the word "wose" as has been said comes from the Anglo-Saxon.

"Wose is a modernization (in this case, the form that the word would have had now if it still existed in the language) of an Anglo-Saxon word wása, which is actually found only in the compound wudu-wása "wild man of the woods."" - (Further Notes on the Drúedain, Unfinished Tales)

It is evident that they have had many names assigned to them during their history, the "Woses" are "Púkel-men", "Drúedain" being the major terms. They were recognised by the Eldar as being enemies of Morgoth and so given the name "Drúedain", singular "Drúedan". This word stemming from the word the "Woses" gave themselves, "Drughu".

"It is stated in isolated notes that their own name for themselves was Drughu" - (Notes, Unfinished Tales)

"This name adopted into Sindarin in Beleriand became Drû (plurals Drúin and Drúath), but when the Eldar discovered that the Drû-folk were steadfast enemies of Morgoth, and especially of the Orcs, the "title" adan was added, and they were called Drúedain (singular Drúadan), to mark both their humanity and friendship with the Eldar, and their racial difference from the people of the Three Houses of the Edain." - (Notes, Unfinished Tales)

This race as has been said were the first men to cross the Anduin;

"Another note says that historians in Gondor believed that the first Men to cross the Anduin were indeed the Drúedain. They came (it was believed) from lands south of Mordor, but before they reached the coasts of Haradwaith they turned north into Ithilien, and eventually finding a way across the Anduin (probably near Cair Andros) settled in the vales of the White Mountains and the wooded lands at their northern feet." - (The Drúedain, Unfinished Tales.)

There is another snippet that might suggest that they reached elsewhere;

"An emigrant branch of the Drúedain accompanied the Folk of Haleth at the end of the First Age, and dwelt in the Forest [of Brethil] with them." - (The Drúedain, Unfinished Tales.)

I would also draw attention to the Drúwaith laur, or "the Old Púkel-wilderness"; the name has certain similarities with that of the Drúedain etymology, and the fact that both of these people dwelt there.

"It is also said here that the identity of the statues of Dunharrow with the remnants of the Drûath (perceived by Meriadoc Brandybuck when he first set eyes on Ghân-buri-Ghân) was originally recognized in Gondor, though at the time of the establishment of the Númenórean kingdom by Isildur they survived only in the Drúadan Forest and in the Drúwaith Iaur " - (The Drúedain, Unfinished Tales.)

The reason for its name was supposedly because there were only a few survivors of the "Púkel-men". Yet if there were "Drúedain" also inhabiting here why would it be solely named after the "Púkel-men". Perhaps Tolkien was saying there was a misinterpretation of the rest of Middle Earth between the distinction between "Púkel-men" and "Drúedain"?

"But in Rohan the identity of the statues of Dunharrow called "Púkel-men" with the "Wild Men" of the Drúadan Forest was not recognized,..." - (The Drúedain, Unfinished Tales.)

Perhaps I interpret this wrong, but is this stating that they are the same. For while the statues are known as "Púkel-men", they were made by the "Drúedain". So while Child of the 7th Age says that people believe they are descendants could they not be the exact same, just a different name?