However, speculation aside, we do know that these spirits came, and whether they were Maia already in residence in Arda, or Ainur still in the Timeless Halls is not the subject of this essay - either way they were singers of some description - so lets move next to the instances, recounted within the Lord of the Rings, which refer to acts that are "mysterious or extraordinary".

Perhaps the most well known of these incidents is when Merry & Pippin are first given Entdraught - the entire section is recounted below;
"Treebeard lifted two great vessels and stood them on the table. They seemed to be filled with water; but he held his hands over them, and immediately they began to glow, one with a golden and the other with a rich green light; and the blending of the two lights lit the bay, as if the sun of summer was shining through a roof of young leaves. Looking back, the hobbits saw that the trees in the court had also began to glow, faintly at first, some green, some gold, some red as copper; while the tree-trunks looked like pillars moulded out of luminous stone" Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III

This refers mainly to light, and there are other mentions of light-related occurrences, some are little things such as;
"Then he laughed and shook himself, and wherever the drops of water fell glittering from him to the ground they glinted like red and green sparks" Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III
also mentioned is the ceiling in Treebeard's home, which is described;
"upon which lights were flickering, like the play of leaves in the sunshine" Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III

Fire, which one might assume to be an anti-thesis to the Entfolk, is also mentioned in relation to magical occurrences. When Treebeard is angry at the mention of the Orcs & the Enemy, he thumps his fist on the table in his home and the following occurs;
"The vessels of light trembled and sent up two jets of flame. There was a flicker like green fire in his eyes, and his beard stood out stiff as a great besom" Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III

Now we know nothing of the properties of these flames, whether they would be damaging, or whether they were merely a trick of the light, however, the hobbits saw them, and so we can assume that they were fairly tangible, and may have been the spontaneous ignition of a vapour or gas that was drifting above the vessels/bowls of water - like methane perhaps.

There are also slightly larger events - shadows, and the ability to cloak themselves in them in mentioned, or referred to in several places. Merry refers to them directly in the chapter "Flotsam & Jetsam" and Legolas, indirectly in the chapter "The Road to Isengard"
"I [Legolas] can see a darkness. There are shapes moving in it, great shapes far away upon the bank of the river; but what they are I cannot tell. It is not mist or cloud that defeats my eyes; there is a veiling shadow that some power lays upon the land, and it marches slowly down stream. It is as if the twilight under endless trees were flowing downwards from the hills" The Road to Isengard, Lord of the Rings III
"There is great power in them, [the Hourns], and they seem able to wrap themselves in shadow; it is difficult to see them moving, but they do. They can move very quickly, if they are angry" Flotsam & Jetsam, Lord of the Rings III

This veiling themselves in shadow, could explain the apparent darkness within both the Old Forest, and within Fangorn. How they achieved this is undetermined, but there are some theories at the conclusion of this essay.

There are also other "magical" abilities referred to directly within the books, one such is their communication with the Olvar. Treebread indeed says;
"Many can talk to me"
"I knew some good old willows.....as quiet and sweet-spoken as a young leaf" both from Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III
Now the question of course is how does this work? Well this is pretty well explained. According to Treebeard himself;
"...it was Elves that cured us of dumbness long ago, and that was a great gift that cannot be forgotten..."
"...waking trees up and teaching them to speak and learning their tree-talk..." both from Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III

Naturally these refer to the elves, those whom are known for their singing, and for their languages - Quenya, Sindarin etc. Quenya, is of course the language upon which the Entish language is based, so it could be extrapolated that some of the Elves abilities were also taught to the Ents in their early days.

Luthien was known for her singing voice, and the spirits which can be hypothesized to have been the original Ents were also singers of the Ainur - this suggests that singing and music was a part of the Ents magical ability. This is also indirectly referred to throughout the Lord of the Rings.
"...singing glades..."
"...musical sounds..." both from Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III
"Only a gentle noise on the edge of hearing, a soft fluttering as if of a song half whispered"
"...they [Frodo, Merry, Pippin & Sam] could almost hear words, cool words, saying something about water and sleep..." both from The Old Forest, Lord of the Rings I

If the Elves, perform, some of what has been referred to as "Magic" by their singing, then it can be proposed that Ents also possess this talent, which is possible considering the point of the Ents being taught their language by the Elves.

Entdraught is a separate magical occurrence, and will now be discussed.
"Mortals cannot go drinking ent-draughts and expect no more to come of them than of a pot of beer" Field of Cormallen, Lord of the Rings IV "...a drink that will keep you green and growing for a long, long while..."
"The effect of the draught began at the toes, and rose steadily through every limb, bringing refreshment and vigour as it coursed upwards, right to the tips of the hair." both from Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III

A Draught, seems to be mainly water, which has in someway been altered to provide the nourishing qualities, which are described above, perhaps it undergoes a ceremony similar to that first magical example shown above, or simply by adding herbs and fruits. This may seem unentish, but Treebeard himself said;
"They drank from Mountain streams and ate only such fruit as the trees let fall in their path" Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III

This addition of other elements to basic water, is also suggested by the taste of the Entdraught itself;
"The drink was like water, indeed very like the taste of the draughts they [Merry & Pippin] had drank from the Entwash near the borders of the forest, and yet there was some scent or savour in it which they could not describe: it was faint, but it reminded them of the smell of a distant wood from afar by a cool breeze at night" "The taste was not the same as it had been the night before: it was earthier and richer, more sustaining and food-like, so to speak." both from Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III

Now, how to determine the manner in which it was prepared? Well first, let's consider those bowls which Treebeard held his hands over. These too seemed to have had properties relating to growth. When he caused them to glow, the trees outside his home echoed this glow - which suggests that they were linked, and this glowing may have influenced their growth. Entdraught too causes growth - as Treebeard says so quite clearly, and Merry & Pippin were both seen to actually have grown following the intake of Entdraught.

This suggests, that even if Entdraught had had other elements added to it, earth, herbs, fruit etc, it might have required the additional magical ceremony - similar perhaps to the "bowls of water".

There were of course other talents, which can be assumed to have been magical. The next to consider is the ability to know what is going on around them. This is suggested in several places;
"Not a squirrel will go here, but I [Treebeard] shall know of it" The Voice of Saruman, Lord of the Rings VI
"I [Treebeard] knew that you [Frodo & co. Returning to the Shire] were coming" Many Partings, Lord of the Rings VI

Now the second quote, could be assumed to mean that maybe a lookout had seen them approaching and had passed a message along to Treebeard, however he goes on to say;
"I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air" Many Partings, Lord of the Rings VI

The context of that quote is referring to the changes now that Sauron has been deposed, but it also offers clues to the senses of the Entfolk. Trees, and other forms of Olvar, have the ability biologically to react to the changes in seasons around them. Now if we extend this to the Entfolk, then we can assume that they do have these abilities, and these abilities could be extended, either by the use of magic, or simply because of the nature of their spirits.

The Valar, could pass unnoticed by all, when in a non-corporeal form - and somehow in that form they must have had senses - probably relating to their humanoid, corporeal senses. If we can assume that the Spirits, which came at Yavanna's Thought’s awakening, were of the Ainur, then they could have passed some of these abilities onto their physical forms when they became Entfolk.

This then could mean that the Entfolk could glean information by the transmission of messages by trees (through their language skills), and/or by the sensing of the elements that make up Arda around them. This suggests that, like a standard Plant, the Entfolk can relate to their surrounds, and gain information from them - the "feelings" and "smells" to which Treebeard had referred.

However, this ability cannot be omnipotent, simply because Treebeard was initially unaware of the orc-caused devastation of the Forest edge closest to Isengard. This suggests, by this lack, that this ability needs to be directed and/or focused to be useful.

Stone-breaking, is probably one of the more visual, and public admissions of magical skill for the Entfolk.
"We can split stone like the roots of trees, only quicker, far quicker, if our minds are roused!" Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III
"Their fingers, and their toes, just freeze onto rock, and they tear it up like bread-crust" Merry Speaking in Flotsam & Jetsam, Lord of the Rings III

Now this suggests, that this rock-breaking skill, is one, which requires conscious thought, and therefore could be determined to be magical - without even the description of the "freezing onto rock". This latter element, could be the secretion of some form of resin, however this seems unlikely, and can therefore, be removed from consideration.

There are two final abilities, which while can be directly attributed to one particular Hourn, Old Man Willow, we can extrapolate that the Entfolk might share these abilities;
"they [the hobbits] had lost all clear sense of direction"
"Sleepiness seemed to be creeping out of the ground" both from The Old Forest, Lord of the Rings I

Now the former is likely to be due to the movement of the trees, which is possible;
"The Entwives.....wished them [Olvar] to hear and obey what was said to them. The Entwives order them to grow according to their wishes, and bear leaf and fruit to their liking." Treebeard speaking in Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III
This suggests, that if the Entwives possessed this skill, so too could the Ents, and so to a lesser extent the Hourns, who were famed for their fast movement when Herded by the Entfolk.

The Latter of those two abilities, is slightly more obtuse. While in context there was a misty haze on the ground, this might not necessarily be the result of this sleepiness. Smoke is indeed used to subdue Bees, and other such insects, but this is unlikely to be effect upon a more complex organism such as a hobbit. Instead I think we have two choices to choose. The first is the secretion of pheromones by the Hourn/Entfolk, which were then carried on the mist to the lungs of the hobbits. The second is of course, a magical enchantment of some form.

Pheromones, however are extremely specific, so it is unlikely that they would be guaranteed to work on any organism, so let us look to the second theory - that of an enchantment. One known case of magical sleep is that placed upon the seven fathers of the Dwarves by Eru following their creation. This sleep was one, which kept them free from harm, unmarred by the passage of time, and lasted for many ages.

It is unlikely that any lesser spirit, for all are less than Eru in might, would be able to fashion such a long-lasting sleep. When on the Barrowdowns, the Wights set a sleep upon the Hobbits, which was once again carried by a mist. This suggests that this ability is present in lesser creatures, so we can extrapolate that the Entfolk & Hourns also possess this ability, and that the mist, found in the Old Forest, is a requirement of the enchantment.

To summarise thus far;

1) Entfolk can be determined to be originally Spirits, either Maia from Valinor or Ainur from the Timeless Halls whom had not previously entered the sphere of Arda.

2) Regardless of the source of the Spirits, they would have been singers in the Great Music.

3) Entfolk were taught to speak by the Elves, whom also awoke the trees, and this communication formed the basis for the Entfolk and the Olvar to communicate.

4) Perhaps because of their language teachers, the Entish language was musical, and that their magic might be musical in nature.

5) Entfolk, could influence Light & Shadow; could produce flames from magical fluids such as Entdraught; induce sleep; sense movements within their surroundings; cause Olvar to grow when and where they wished, even moving it when required; break up non-enhanced stone & rock (i.e. not the Rock of Orthanc).

Next we come, to the part of this essay which is pure theory, and these theories are either my own, or have been adapted from another source upon the Plaza. This initial source, and it's author (where known) have been attributed within the text.

Let us consider each ability in turn.
First, Sleep, a Lullaby can send a child to sleep, and it could be that the sleep-inducing enchantments, are in fact a low chant. It was recorded that in the Old Forest the hobbits believed the trees were speaking to each other, and they heard or rather sensed a strain of music just beyond their hearing while they travelled within the Forest.

Secondly, Rock-breaking, a particular frequency can shatter a glass, and if we extend this theory, then we could assume that a particular resonance, maybe subliminal in nature (i.e. beyond the hearing of Hobbits, men etc) can be hummed by an Ent, which causes a vibration within their hands and feet (in contact with the rock) which causes the "freezing" to the rock, and the resultant break-up.

Third we come to the influence of Shadow and light, both of which are linked together. Legolas described the shadows of the Hourns to be like the twilight under a forest, so we can assume, that for an Ent, Light is a tangible substance, which they can wrap around themselves, much as a human wraps on a cloak or scarf, and then carries away with them when they leave the forest.

The Lights & Glows found within the home of Treebeard, are likely to continue this theory. If Light is tangible, (say it's photons) then an Ent, could influence it by singing or humming, causing vibrations within the photons, which bring them together or alter their frequency, causing them to change colour or to emit light.

The Magical Fluids, as already suggested are likely to be water mixed with other elements, to which a chant is then sung over to fortify it and produce the growth-effects seen by the Hobbits. We could extrapolate this, that by a different recipe and a different chant, a different effect might be able to be produced. This would be extremely useful for medicinal purposes.
Some of these fluids may produce fumes, which when disturbed self-ignite, this is unlikely to be damaging, but could be extremely useful in the use of stage-management or fright-techniques.

The Growth of Olvar, is likely to be the result of their communicative abilities - they ask the plant to grow where they would like it to, then water it; either with water or entdraught; which enables it to grow as they wished. The Movement of grown Olvar, could be by the "Entish-ness" of some Olvar, maybe following an inverse-lullaby (one that wakes rather than sends to sleep), and they then sleep again after a lullaby. In all of this, it is likely that the Olvar would have to agree to this control over them - as shown by the Gardens of the Entwives.

In all of the above theories there is one common theme - that of music, which in the form of singing has been a recurring theme throughout this entire essay. The Druids of the Mojak Clan of KD, believe that the original song, when made flesh by the will of Eru, can be found within every organism and element of Arda. This has when coupled with the "Imperishable Flame" causes life. And a trained Druid can manipulate this remnant of the song, found within an organism,, and it could be that this is the root of Entish Magic.

In Conclusion therefore we can definitely say that Entfolk have showed abilities, which are both "mysterious" and "extraordinary" suggesting that they are indeed magically capable. How they effect this magic is open to debate, but one theory which is possible is by the manipulation of the great Song's melodies found within Arda, since those spirits who became the Entfolk, are likely to have been some of the original singers, and can therefore be said to have a natural ability to do this.

((NB; "Treebeard, Lord of the Rings III" means "Quote taken from the Chapter "Treebeard" which is in Lord of the Rings, Volume/Book III"))