In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, an Elf is an individual member of one of the races that inhabit the lands of Arda. Tolkien's Legendarium (ISBN 0-313-30530-7 is a collection of scholarly essays edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described in full only in The Silmarillion, edited and published after Tolkien's death. The Hobbit or There and Back Again is an award-winning fantasy The Lord of the Rings is an epic The Silmarillion is a collection of J R R Tolkien 's mythopoeic works edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in More details about them are given in the author's other writings edited and published since then, such as Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth. Unfinished Tales (full title Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth) is a collection of stories and essays by J The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J The History of Middle-earth also reveals their textual and conceptual history, as Tolkien had been writing about Elves long before The Hobbit was published.

Contents 1 Development 1.1 Early writings 1.2 The Book of Lost Tales (c. 1917-1927) 1.3 The Hobbit (c. 1930-1937) 1.4 The Quenta Silmarilion (c. 1937) 1.5 The Lord of the Rings (c. 1937-1949) 2 History 2.1 Origins 2.2 Sundering 2.3 Exile 2.4 Wars of Beleriand 2.5 Second and Third Age 3 Life cycle 3.1 Early life 3.2 Sexuality, marriage, and parenthood 3.3 Daily life 3.4 Later life 3.5 "The third cycle of life," aging, and facial hair 3.6 Death 4 Names and naming conventions 5 Elvish languages 6 Adaptations 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

Development

Early writings

Traditional Victorian dancing fairies and elves appear in much of Tolkien's early poetry,^[1] and have influence upon his later works ^[2] in part due to the influence of a production of J. Fairy painting is a genre of Painting and Illustration featuring Fairies and Fairy tale settings often with extreme attention to detail M. Barrie's Peter Pan in Birmingham in 1910^[3] and his familiarity with the work of Catholic mystic poet, Francis Thompson ^[3] which Tolkien had acquired in 1914. Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Francis Thompson ( December 18, 1859 – November 13, 1907) was an English poet and Ascetic. ^[1]

As a philologist, Tolkien's interest in languages led him to invent several of his own as a pastime. In considering the nature of who might speak these languages, and what stories they might tell, Tolkien again turned to the concept of elves. ^[3]

The Book of Lost Tales (c. 1917-1927)

In the earliest forms of the stories which provide context for the Elvish languages,The Book of Lost Tales, Tolkien develops a theme that the diminutive fairy-like race of elves had once been a great and mighty people, and that as Men took over the world, these Elves had "diminished". The Book of Lost Tales is the title of a collection of early stories by J ^[1][4][5]

These greater Elves are influenced by those in Northern European mythologies,especially the god-like and human-sized Ljósálfar of the Norse,^[6] and are derived from medieval works such as Sir Orfeo, the Welsh Mabinogion, Arthurian romances and the legends of the Tuatha Dé Danann. An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming In Norse mythology, the light elves ( Old Norse: Ljósálfar) live in the Old Norse version of the heavens in the place called Álfheim Sir Orfeo is an anonymous Middle English narrative poem. It retells the story of Orpheus as a king rescuing his wife from the King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders The Tuatha Dé Danann ("peoples of the Goddess Danu " Modern Irish pronunciation /t̪ˠuːəhə dʲeː d̪ˠan̪ˠən̪ˠ/ Old Irish /tuːaθa ðʲeː ^[7] John Garth has also references the Tuatha Dé Danann in suggesting Tolkien was essentially rewriting Irish fairy traditions.

Celtic Mytholgy had a great influence on Tolkien's writings on Elves ^[8][9] and some of the stories Tolkien wrote as their 'legends' are directly influenced it. ^[5] For example, the "Flight of The Noldoli" is based on the Tuatha Dé Danann and Lebor Gabála Érenn, and their migratory nature comes from early Irish/Celtic history. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Noldor (meaning those with knowledge) were those of the second clan of the Elves, the Tatyar, who came The Tuatha Dé Danann ("peoples of the Goddess Danu " Modern Irish pronunciation /t̪ˠuːəhə dʲeː d̪ˠan̪ˠən̪ˠ/ Old Irish /tuːaθa ðʲeː Lebor Gabála Érenn ( The Book of the Taking of Ireland) is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of Poems and Prose narratives ^[5]

The name 'Inwe' (in the first draft - 'Ing'), given by Tolkien to the eldest of the elves and his clan^[10] is similar to the name found in Norse mythology as "Ingwi-Freyr" (and Ingui-Frea in Anglo-Saxon paganism), a god who is given Álfheim (the elf-world) to rule as a gift. In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, the Elves are one of the races of Arda. "Frey" redirects here For other uses of Frey and Freyr, see Frey (disambiguation. Anglo-Saxon paganism refers to the Migration Period religion practiced by the English in 5th to 7th century England. Alfheim redirects here For other uses see Alfheim (disambiguation Álfheimr or Alfheim ( Elf-home) is the abode of the Terry Gunnell also claims that the relationship between beautiful ships and the Elves is reminiscent of Njörðr and Skíðblaðni, Freyr's ship. Njörðr is a Vanir god in Norse mythology. In surviving sources Njörðr is the father of the major deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed ^[11]

The larger Elves are also inspired by Tolkien's Catholic theology — as representing the state of Men in Eden who have not yet "fallen" — similar to humans but fairer and wiser, with greater spiritual powers, keener senses, and a closer empathy with nature. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". The Fall of Man, or simply the Fall, in Christian doctrine refers to the transition of the first humans from a state of innocent obedience to God, Tolkien wrote of them:

“

They are made by man in his own image and likeness; but freed from those limitations which he feels most to press upon him. They are immortal, and their will is directly effective for the achievement of imagination and desire. [3]

”

In The Book of Lost Tales that Tolkien includes both the more serious 'medieval' type of elves such as Fëanor and Turgon alongside the frivolous, Jacobean type of elves such as the Solosimpi and Tinúviel . Fëanor is a character from J R R Tolkien 's fictional history The Silmarillion. Highlights of the Jacobean Era The practical if not formal unification of England and Scotland under one ruler was a development of the first order of importance for both Character overview Lúthien was the only child of Elu Thingol, king of Doriath, and his queen Melian the Maia. ^[7] He also retains the usage of the Celtic and popular term 'fairy' for the same creatures. ^[12]

Alongside the idea of the greater Elves, Tolkien also developed the idea of children visiting Valinor the island-homeland of the Elves in their sleep. Elves would also visit children at night and comfort them if they had been chided or were upset. This theme, linking elves with children's dreams and nocturnal traveling was largely abandoned. ^[13]

The Hobbit (c. 1930-1937)

Along with Book of Lost Tales, Douglas Anderson shows that in The Hobbit, Tolkien and Bilbo again includes both the more serious 'medieval' type of elves, such as Elrond and the Wood-elf king alongside the frivolous type elves, such as those at Rivendell . The Hobbit or There and Back Again is an award-winning fantasy Character overview Elrond was Lord of Rivendell, one of the mighty rulers of old that remained in Middle-earth in its Third Age. Rivendell ( Sindarin: Imladris) is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a Fictional realm created by J ^[7]

The Quenta Silmarilion (c. 1937)

In 1937, having had his manuscript for The Silmarillion rejected by a publisher who disparaged all the "eye-splitting Celtic names" that Tolkien had given his Elves, Tolkien denied the names had a Celtic origin:

“

Needless to say they are not Celtic! Neither are the tales. I do know Celtic things (many in their original languages Irish and Welsh), and feel for them a certain distaste: largely for their fundamental unreason. They have bright colour, but are like a broken stained glass window reassembled without design. They are in fact 'mad' as your reader says--but I don't believe I am. (Carpenter 1981, 26).

”

Dimitra Fimi proposes that these comments are a product of his Anglophilia rather than a commentary on the texts themselves or their actual influence on his writing, and cites evidence to this effect in her essay "Mad" Elves and "elusive beauty": some Celtic strands of Tolkien's mythology. ^[5]

The Lord of the Rings (c. 1937-1949)

Terry Gunner notes that the titles of the Germanic gods Freyr and Freyja (lord and lady) are also given to Celeborn and Galadriel in the Lord of The Rings. ^[14] According to Tom Shippey the diminishment theme, from Elf to "Fairy" resurfaces in The Lord of the Rings in the dialogue of Galadriel. The Lord of the Rings is an epic Appearances Literature Stories of Galadriel's life prior to The Lord of the Rings are collected in the Unfinished Tales. ^[15]

Writing in 1954, part way through proofing The Lord of the Rings Tolkien claimed the Elvish language Sindarin has:

“

a linguistic character very like (though not identical with) British-Welsh . Elvish languages are Constructed languages used typically by elves in a Fantasy setting Sindarin is an Artificial language developed by J R R Tolkien. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic . . because it seems to fit the rather 'Celtic' type of legends and stories told of its speakers (Carpenter 1981, 26)

”

. ^[16]

In the same letter, Tolkien goes on to say that the elves had very little in common with European Elves or Fairies, and that they really represent men with greater artistic ability, beauty and a longer life span. An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair Tolkien also says that an Elven bloodline was the only real claim to 'nobility' that the Men of Middle-earth can have. ^[16]

Tolkien also wrote the elves of The Lord of the Rings as being primarily to blame for many of the ills of Middle-earth, having independently created the Three Rings in order to stop their domains in mortal-lands from 'fading' and attempting to prevent inevitable change and new growth. ^[17]

History

Elves (Quendi)
Eldar
Vanyar
Noldor
Teleri
Sindar
Laegrim
Silvan
Avari
Sundering

Origins

Originally, in the 1910s and 1920s, Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë (their final names) were the eldest of the Elves. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the Elves are a sundered people In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Vanyar are the fairest and most noble of the High Elves. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Noldor (meaning those with knowledge) were those of the second clan of the Elves, the Tatyar, who came In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Teleri (meaning Those who come last, singular Teler) were the third of the Elf clans who came to Edhel redirects here See Éðel for the Anglo-Saxon term In the works of J In the works of J R R Tolkien the term Green-elves is a translation of the Quenya word Laiquendi ( Sindarin form was Laegrim) In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the Elves are a sundered people In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the Elves are a sundered people By 1959 or 1960, Tolkien wrote a detailed account of the awakening of the Elves, called Cuivienyarna, part of Quendi and Eldar. The War of the Jewels is the 11th volume of Christopher Tolkien's series The History of Middle-earth, analyzing the unpublished manuscripts of Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë now became the first ambassadors and the Kings of the Elves in exile. However this only saw print in The War of the Jewels, part of the analytical The History of Middle-earth series, in 1994. The War of the Jewels is the 11th volume of Christopher Tolkien's series The History of Middle-earth, analyzing the unpublished manuscripts of The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J

According to this account, the first Elves are awakened by Eru Ilúvatar near the bay of Cuiviénen during the Years of the Trees in the First Age. Eru as Creator The Quendi (ie Elves) and the Atani (ie Men) were created by Eru Minor places in Arda#Place Name -->;Place name description1 Further description prefix with: once In JRR Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium, the Years of the Trees are one of the three great time-periods of Arda. In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar in full is the first documented time period and the setting They awake under the starlit sky, as the Sun and Moon have yet to be created. The first Elves to awake are three pairs: Imin ("First") and his wife Iminyë, Tata ("Second") and Tatië, and Enel ("Third") and Enelyë.

Imin, Tata, and Enel and their wives join up and walk through the forests. They come across six, nine, and twelve pairs of Elves, and each "patriarch" claims the pairs as his folk in order. The now sixty Elves dwell by the rivers, and they invent poetry and music in Middle-earth (the continent). Middle-earth refers to the fictional lands where most of the stories of author J Journeying further, they come across eighteen pairs of Elves watching the stars, whom Tata claims as his. These are tall and dark-haired, the fathers of most of the Noldor. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Noldor (meaning those with knowledge) were those of the second clan of the Elves, the Tatyar, who came The ninety-six Elves now invented many new words. Continuing their journey, they find twenty-four pairs of Elves, singing without language, and Enel adds them to his people. These are the ancestors of most of the Lindar or "singers", later called Teleri. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Teleri (meaning Those who come last, singular Teler) were the third of the Elf clans who came to In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Teleri (meaning Those who come last, singular Teler) were the third of the Elf clans who came to They find no more Elves; Imin's people, the smallest group, are the ancestors of the Vanyar. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Vanyar are the fairest and most noble of the High Elves. All in all they number 144. Because all Elves had been found in groups of twelve, twelve becomes their base number and 144 their highest number (for a long time), and none of the later Elvish languages have a common name for a greater number. radix|basis (topologyIn Arithmetic, the base refers to the number b in an expression of the form b n. ^[18]

They were discovered by the Vala Oromë, who brought the tidings of their awakening to Valinor. The Valar (singular Vala) are characters in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. The Valar (singular Vala) are characters in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. Valinor (meaning Land of the Valar) is a Fictional location from J

The Silmarillion states that Melkor, the Dark Lord, had already captured some wandering Elves, and twisted and mutilated them until they became the Orcs. The name The name Morgoth is Sindarin, one of Tolkien's invented languages and means "Black Enemy" Bauglir is also Sindarin meaning In J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy writings Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains However, Tolkien ultimately became uncomfortable with this Elvish origin, and devised different theories about the origin of Orcs. In J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy writings Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains ^[19]

Sundering

Main article: Sundering of the Elves

The Valar decided to summon the Elves to Valinor rather than leaving them dwelling in place where they were first awakened, near the Cuiviénen lake in the eastern extremity of Middle-earth. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the Elves are a sundered people They sent Oromë, who took Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë as ambassadors to Valinor. In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, the Elves are one of the races of Arda. Concept and creation In the first drafts of the genealogy Finwë had four sons the youngest was named Finrun, but he was dropped after that thus Finrod (later Finarfin In The Silmarillion Thingol originally known as Elwë, is introduced as one of the three chieftains of the Elves who depart from Cuiviénen

Returning to Middle-earth, Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë convinced a great host to take the journey to Valinor. Not all Elves accepted the summons though, and those who did not became known as the Avari, The Unwilling. In the fictional works of J R R Tolkien, the Avari are a branch of the Elves.

The others were called Eldar, the People of the Stars by Oromë, and they took Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë as their leaders, and became respectively the Vanyar, Noldor and Teleri. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Vanyar are the fairest and most noble of the High Elves. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Noldor (meaning those with knowledge) were those of the second clan of the Elves, the Tatyar, who came In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Teleri (meaning Those who come last, singular Teler) were the third of the Elf clans who came to On their journey, some of the Teleri feared the Misty Mountains and dared not cross them. In J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains (also known by its Sindarin name of Hithaeglir They turned back and stayed in the vales of the Anduin, and became the Nandor; these were led by Lenwë. In J R R Tolkien 's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest River In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Nandor (singular Nando) were Elves of Telerin descent who left the Great Journey from

Oromë led the others over the Misty Mountains and Ered Lindon into Beleriand. The Ered Luin or Blue Mountains, also known as Ered Lindon, is the mountain range at the far west of Eriador, in J In J R R Tolkien 's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. There Elwë became lost, and the Teleri stayed behind looking for him. The Vanyar and the Noldor moved onto a floating island that was moved by Ulmo to Valinor. Ulmo (from the Valarin Ulubôz, Ullubôz via Ulumō) is a fictional character from J

After years, Ulmo returned to Beleriand to seek out the remaining Teleri. As Elwë had not yet been found, a great part of the Teleri took his brother Olwë as their leader and were ferried to Valinor. In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, the Elves are one of the races of Arda. Some Teleri stayed behind though, still looking for Elwë, and others stayed on the shores, being called by Ossë. In the works of J R R Tolkien, Ossë (from the Valarin Ošošai, Oššai) is a Maia associated with Ulmo. They took Círdan as their leader and became the Falathrim. The First Age Círdan may have been among the Elves who awoke at Cuiviénen, although Tolkien never explicitly states this anywhere In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, The Falas ("Coast" or "Shore" was an area on the west coast of Beleriand, south of Nevrast. All Teleri who stayed in Beleriand later became known as the Sindar. Edhel redirects here See Éðel for the Anglo-Saxon term In the works of J

Exile

Main article: Exiles (Middle-earth)

In Valinor, Fëanor, son of Finwë, and the greatest of the Noldor, created the Silmarils in which he stored a part of the light of the Two Trees that were lighting Valinor. In J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth legendarium The Exiles are the Noldor who left under Fëanor and Fingolfin after the destruction The Silmarils ( Quenya pl Silmarilli, radiance of pure light) are three brilliant jewels which contained the unmarred light of the Two Trees "The Two Trees" is also a poem of Yeats' 1893 The Rose. After three ages in the Halls of Mandos, Melkor was released. He spread his evil, and eventually killed Finwë and stole the Silmarils. Fëanor then named him Morgoth (Q. Quenya 'kwɛɲa is one of the fictional languages spoken by the Elves (the Quendi, "those who speak with voices" because when The Black Enemy). Fëanor and his seven sons then swore to take the Silmarils back, and led a large army of the Noldor to Beleriand. In J R R Tolkien 's world of Middle-earth, the seven sons of Fëanor, the great King of the Noldor, led their people from Valinor to rule Fëanor is a character from J R R Tolkien 's fictional history The Silmarillion.

Wars of Beleriand

Main article: War of Beleriand

In Beleriand, Elwë was eventually found, and married Melian the Maia. In J R R Tolkien 's The Silmarillion, there were many battles between the Elves of Beleriand and the forces of Morgoth. Character Overview A visual description of Melian is given in the Lay of Leithian There Melian came the Lady grey and dark and long her The Maiar (singular Maia) are beings from J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy legendarium. He became the overlord of Beleriand, naming himself Thingol (S. Sindarin is an Artificial language developed by J R R Tolkien. Grey-cloak). After the First Battle of Beleriand, during the first rising of the Moon, the Noldor arrived in Beleriand. History Morgoth escaping Valinor, arrives in Middle-earth and occupies his old fortress of Angband under the mountains of Thangorodrim while the They laid a siege around Angband (Morgoth's fortress), but were eventually defeated. The Siege of Angband or "The Long Peace" in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fictional universe was the siege of the Noldor around the fortress In J R R Tolkien 's Fictional world of Middle-earth, Angband ( Sindarin for 'Hells of Iron' although the literal meaning is 'iron prison' is

Then Eärendil the Mariner, a half-elf from the House of Finwë, sailed to Valinor to ask the Valar for help. This article deals with the Half-elven Eärendil For the Gondorian king see Eärendil of Gondor. In J R R Tolkien 's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Half-elven ( Sindarin singular Peredhil, plural Peredhel, Quenya In J R R Tolkien ’s Legendarium, the House of Finwë was the royal house of the Noldor. Then the Ban of the Noldor was lifted, and the Valar started the War of Wrath, in which Morgoth was finally overcome. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, was the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First

Second and Third Age

After the War of Wrath, the Valar tried to summon the Elves back to Valinor. Many complied, but some stayed. During the Second Age they founded the Realms of Lindon, Eregion and Mirkwood. The Second Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J Sauron, Morgoth’s former servant, made war upon them, but with the aid of the Númenóreans they defeated him. Sauron (ˈsaʊrɒn Quenya: /sawrɔn/ literal meaning "Abhorred") is the title character and the principal Antagonist of the Fantasy Númenor (ˈnuːmɛnɔɹ is a Fictional place in J R R Tolkien 's writings which the author intended to be an allusion to the legendary Atlantis.

During the Second and Third Age they held some protected realms with the aid of the Rings of Power, but after the War of the Ring they waned further, and most Elves left Middle-earth for Valinor. The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings The Rings of Power are fictional artifacts of J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium. In the fictional Fantasy -world of J R R Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth Tolkien's published writings give somewhat contradictory hints as to what happened to the Elves of Middle-earth after the One Ring was destroyed at the end of the Third Age. The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings

After the destruction of the One Ring, the power of the Three Rings of the Elves would also end and the Age of Men would begin. The Three Rings of the Elves of Eregion are fictional magical artifacts in J Elves that remained in Middle-earth were doomed to a slow decline until, in the words of Galadriel, they faded and became a "rustic folk of dell and cave," and were greatly diminished from their ancient power and nobility. Appearances Literature Stories of Galadriel's life prior to The Lord of the Rings are collected in the Unfinished Tales. While the power of the remaining Noldor would be immediately lessened, the "fading" of all Elvenkind was a phenomenon that would play out over hundreds and even thousands of years; until, in fact, our own times, when occasional glimpses of rustic Elves would fuel our folktales and fantasies. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Noldor (meaning those with knowledge) were those of the second clan of the Elves, the Tatyar, who came

There are many references in The Lord of the Rings to the continued existence of Elves in Middle-earth during the early years of the Fourth Age. The Fourth Age and the later ages that followed it are time periods from J Elladan and Elrohir, the sons of Elrond, do not accompany their father when the White Ship bearing the Ring-bearer and the chief Noldorin leaders sails from the Grey Havens to Valinor; they are said to have remained in Lindon for a time. Appearances Literature They were born in TA 130 and they have a younger sister Arwen. Appearances Literature They were born in TA 130 and they have a younger sister Arwen. The Elven ports of Mithlond or the Grey Havens was an Elvish port on the Gulf of Lune in the northwest of J Valinor (meaning Land of the Valar) is a Fictional location from J Celeborn is said (in Appendix A) to have added most of southern Mirkwood to the realm of Lórien at the end of the Third Age, but elsewhere Tolkien wrote that Celeborn dwelt for a while in Lindon before at last leaving Middle-earth for Valinor. In J R R Tolkien 's fiction Lothlórien is a Welsh -sounding name given to the fairest forest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth

Tolkien also wrote that Elves moved to Ithilien during King Elessar's reign, and assisted in the rebuilding of Gondor. They primarily resided in southern Ithilien, along the shores of the Anduin. It is also implied that Elves continued to dwell at the Grey Havens, at least for a certain period. Tolkien states that Círdan did not sail with Elrond, Galadriel, and the others at the end of The Lord of the Rings, and Sam Gamgee sailed from the Havens decades afterwards, so it would seem that at least some Elves remained in Mithlond at that time. The First Age Círdan may have been among the Elves who awoke at Cuiviénen, although Tolkien never explicitly states this anywhere Character overview Elrond was Lord of Rivendell, one of the mighty rulers of old that remained in Middle-earth in its Third Age. Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly known as Sam, is a Fictional character in J The Elven ports of Mithlond or the Grey Havens was an Elvish port on the Gulf of Lune in the northwest of J Círdan would supposedly leave on the last ship ever to leave the havens. Legolas also sailed to Valinor after Elessar's death, and although the reference to this in The Lord of the Rings states that it was Legolas himself that built the ship, it seems unlikely that any Wood-Elf from Mirkwood could have done so without the assistance of Círdan's folk, whom Tolkien elsewhere said were the only Elves remaining at the end of the Third Age with the skill to build the great ships that sailed from Middle-earth to the Blessed Realm. Appearances Literature Legolas was the son of Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood, who appears as "the Elvenking"

In "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" that is found in Appendix A, Tolkien depicts a Middle-earth where most Elves have already left. The majority of those who remained lived in Mirkwood, while a much smaller population was in Lindon. Aragorn speaks of the empty garden of Elrond in Rivendell. Most strikingly, after Elessar's voluntary death, Arwen flees to a Lórien that is depicted as wholly abandoned, and gives up her own spirit in its sad and silent confines. Literature Arwen was the youngest child of Elrond and Celebrían; her elder brothers were the twins Elladan and Elrohir.

Life cycle

As told in The History of Middle-earth and in Tolkien's Letters, Elves had a different life cycle from Men. The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J The Letters of J R R Tolkien (ISBN 0-618-05699-8 is a selection of J Most of the following information strictly refers only to the Eldar, as found in his essay Laws and Customs among the Eldar, found in Morgoth's Ring. Morgoth's Ring is the tenth volume of Christopher Tolkien 's 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts

Early life

Elves are born about one year from their conception. Controversy over the beginning of pregnancy usually occurs in the context of the Abortion debate The day of their conception is celebrated, not the actual birthday itself. Birthday is the name given to the date of the anniversary of a person's birth Their minds develop more quickly than their bodies; by their first year, they can speak, walk and even dance, and their quicker onset of mental maturity makes young Elves seem, to Men, older than they really are. Physical puberty comes in around their fiftieth to one hundredth year (by age fifty they reach their adult height), and by their first hundred years of life outside the womb all Elves are fully grown. Elven bodies eventually stop ageing physically, while human bodies do not. ^[20]

Sexuality, marriage, and parenthood

Elves marry freely and for love early in life. Monogamy is practiced and adultery is unthinkable; they only marry once (Finwë, first High King of the Noldor, was an exception, as he remarried after his first wife died). Monogamy is the custom or condition of having only one mate in a Relationship, thus forming a Couple. Adultery is the voluntary Sexual intercourse between a married person and another person who is not his or her Spouse, though in many places it is ^[20]

Spouses can choose each other even long before they are married, thus becoming betrothed. The betrothal is subject to parental approval unless the parties are of age and intend to marry soon, at which point the betrothal is announced. They exchange rings and the betrothal lasts at least a year, and is revocable by the return of the rings; however, it is rarely broken. After their formal betrothal, the couple appoint a date, at least a year later, for the wedding. ^[20]

Only the words exchanged by the bride and groom (including the speaking of the name of Eru Ilúvatar) and the consummation are required for marriage. Eru as Creator The Quendi (ie Elves) and the Atani (ie Men) were created by Eru More formally, the couple's families celebrate the marriage with a feast. The parties give back their betrothal rings and receive others worn on their index fingers. The bride’s mother gives the groom a jewel to wear (Galadriel's gift of the Elfstone to Aragorn reflects this tradition; she is grandmother to his betrothed, Arwen). "Arkenstone" redirects here For the composer of electronic and new age music see David Arkenstone. ^[20]

The Elves view the sexual act as extremely special and intimate, for it leads to the conception and birth of children. Extra-marital and premarital sex are unthinkable, adultery is also unheard of and fidelity between spouses is absolute. Extramarital sex occurs when a married person engages in Sexual activity with someone other than their marriage partner Fornication, or simple fornication is a term which refers to voluntary Sexual intercourse between persons not married to each other Yet separation during pregnancy or during the early years of parenthood (caused by war, for example) is so grievous to the couple that they prefer to have children in peaceful times. Living Elves cannot be raped or forced to have sex; before that they will lose the will to endure and go to Mandos. ^[20]

Elves have few children, as a rule (Fëanor and Nerdanel were an exception, conceiving seven sons), and there are relatively sizeable intervals between each child (but see below for notes on Elvish birth rates in Middle-earth versus in Aman). In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, the Elves are one of the races of Arda. They are soon preoccupied with other pleasures; their libido wanes and they focus their interests elsewhere, like the arts. Libido in its common usage means Sexual desire however more technical definitions such as those found in the work of Carl Jung, are more general referring to libido Nonetheless, they take great delight in the union of love, and they cherish the days of bearing and raising children as the happiest days of their lives. ^[20]

There seems to only be one known example of extreme marital strife in Tolkien's mythology, that of Eöl and Aredhel, in which the latter actually left the former without his knowledge, resulting in Eöl ultimately killing her. In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, Eöl, called the Dark Elf, was an Elf of Beleriand and is a character existing in some form from the earliest Aredhel Ar-Feiniel is a Fictional character created by J R R Tolkien. However, this marriage was far from typical of the Elves.

Daily life

The Elves, particularly the Noldor, preoccupy themselves with various things, such as smithwork, sculpture, music and other arts, and of course, what to eat. Males and females can do almost everything equally; however, the females often specialize in the arts of healing while the men go to war. This is because they believe that taking life interferes with the ability to preserve life. However, Elves are not stuck in rigid roles; females can defend themselves at need as well as males, and many males are skilled healers as well, such as Elrond. Character overview Elrond was Lord of Rivendell, one of the mighty rulers of old that remained in Middle-earth in its Third Age. ^[20]

Later life

Eventually, if they do not die in battle or from some other cause, the Elves of Middle-earth grow weary of it and desire to go to Valinor, where the Valar originally sheltered their kind. Those who wish to leave for the Undying Lands go by boats provided at the Grey Havens, where Círdan the Shipwright dwells with his folk. The Elven ports of Mithlond or the Grey Havens was an Elvish port on the Gulf of Lune in the northwest of J The First Age Círdan may have been among the Elves who awoke at Cuiviénen, although Tolkien never explicitly states this anywhere

"The third cycle of life," aging, and facial hair

Despite Tolkien's statements in The Hobbit that Elves (and Hobbits) have no beards, Círdan in fact has a beard, which appears to be an anomaly and a simple oversight. However, Tolkien later devised at least three "cycles of life" for Elves around 1960; Círdan had a beard because he was in his third cycle of life. (Mahtan, Nerdanel's father, had a beard in his second cycle of life, a rare phenomenon. In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, the Elves are one of the races of Arda. ) It is unclear what these cycles exactly are, since Tolkien left no notes further explaining this. Apparently, beards were the only sign of further natural physical ageing beyond maturity.

Nevertheless, Tolkien may have ultimately changed his mind about whether Elves had facial hair. As Christopher Tolkien states in Unfinished Tales, his father wrote in December 1972 or later that the Elvish strain in Men, such as Aragorn, was "observable in the beardlessness of those who were so descended", since "it was a characteristic of all Elves to be beardless". Unfinished Tales (full title Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth) is a collection of stories and essays by J Aragorn II is a fictional character from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium. ^[21] This would seemingly contradict the information above.

Elves sometimes appear to age under great stress. Círdan appeared to be aged himself, since he is described as looking old, save for the stars in his eyes; this may be due to all the sorrows he had seen and lived through since the First Age. Also, the people of Gwindor of Nargothrond had trouble recognizing him after his time as a prisoner of Morgoth. In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, the Elves are one of the races of Arda.

Death

Elves are naturally immortal, and remain unwearied with age. In addition to their immortality, Elves can recover from wounds which would normally kill a mortal Man. However, Elves can be slain, or die of grief and weariness.

Spirits of dead Elves go to the Halls of Mandos in Valinor. The Valar (singular Vala) are characters in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. After a certain period of time and rest that serves as "cleansing", their spirits are clothed in bodies identical to their old ones. ^[22] However, they almost never go back to Middle-earth and remain in Valinor instead. An exception was Glorfindel in The Lord of the Rings; as shown in later books, Tolkien decided he was a "reborn" hero from The Silmarillion rather than an individual with the same name. Appearances Literature Origins Glorfindel first appears in Tolkien's fantasy in The Fall of Gondolin about the conquest of the Elven A rare and more unusual example of an Elf coming back from the Halls of Mandos is found in the tale of Beren and Lúthien, as Lúthien was the other Elf to be sent back to Middle-earth — as a mortal, however. Character overview Lúthien was the only child of Elu Thingol, king of Doriath, and his queen Melian the Maia. Tolkien's Elvish words for "spirit" and "body" were fëa (plural fëar) and hröa (plural hröar) respectively. In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, fëa and hröa are words for " Soul " (or " Spirit " and "body" In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, fëa and hröa are words for " Soul " (or " Spirit " and "body"

Eventually, their immortal spirits will overwhelm and consume their bodies, rendering them "bodiless", whether they opt to go to Valinor or remain in Middle-earth. At the end of the world, all Elves will have become invisible to mortal eyes, except to those to whom they wish to manifest themselves. ^[20] Tolkien called the Elves of Middle-earth who had undergone this process "Lingerers"^[20], and the process may be thought of as a fourth and final cycle of Elven life.

The lives of Elves only endure as the world endures. ^[20] It is said in the Second Prophecy of Mandos that at the end of time the Elves will join the other Children of Ilúvatar in singing the Second Music of the Ainur. The Valar (singular Vala) are characters in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. In the fictional works of J R R Tolkien, the Children of Ilúvatar are Elves and Men who were created by Ilúvatar, the supreme God in Tolkien's In J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy legendarium, the Ainur (singular Ainu) are spirits who are direct representatives of Eru Ilúvatar ( ^[23] However it is disputable whether the Prophecy is canon, and the published Silmarillion states that only Men shall participate in the Second Music, and that the ultimate fate of the Elves is unknown. The Silmarillion is a collection of J R R Tolkien 's mythopoeic works edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in However, they do not believe that Eru will abandon them.

Names and naming conventions

Further information: Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings

In The Lord of the Rings Tolkien pretends to be merely the translator of Bilbo and Frodo's memoirs, collectively known as the "Red Book of Westmarch". The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien appeared 1954&ndash55 in the original English. The Red Book of Westmarch (sometimes Red Book of the Periannath, and The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings, also known as the Thain's Book after its principal He says that those names and terms in the work (as well in the earlier The Hobbit) that appear in English are meant to be his purported translations from the Common Speech. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Westron, or the Common Speech, is an Artificial language developed by J ^[24]

Tolkien repeatedly expressed his misgivings concerning the name "elf" and its "associations of a kind that I should particularly desire not to be present [. An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming . . ] e. g. those of Drayton or of A Midsummer Night's Dream", for the purpose of translations stating his preference that "the oldest available form of the name to be used, and leave it to acquire its own associations for readers of my tale". Michael Drayton (1563 &ndash December 23, 1631) was an English Poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, suggested by " The Knight's Tale " from The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien appeared 1954&ndash55 in the original English. ^[25] He wanted to avoid the Victorian notions of "fairies" or mischievous imps associated with the word and was aiming at the more elevated notions of beings "supposed to possess formidable magical powers in early Teutonic mythology" (OED viz. Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901 and corresponds to the Victorian era. A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English the Old English ælf, from Proto-Germanic *albo-z). Proto-Germanic, or Common Germanic, is the hypothetical common ancestor ( Proto-language) of all the Germanic languages such as modern English

The Elves are also called the "Firstborn" (Q. Quenya 'kwɛɲa is one of the fictional languages spoken by the Elves (the Quendi, "those who speak with voices" because when Minnónar) or the "Elder Kindred" (as opposed to Men, the Secondborn) as they were "awakened" before Men by Eru Ilúvatar (God). The race of Men in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth books such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, an Elf is an individual member of one of the races that inhabit the lands of Arda. Eru as Creator The Quendi (ie Elves) and the Atani (ie Men) were created by Eru God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. The Elves named themselves Quendi ("the Speakers"), in honour of the fact that, when they were created, they were the only living beings able to speak. The Dúnedain called them Nimîr ("the Beautiful"), while their usual name in Sindarin was Eledhrim. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the Dúnedain (singular Dúnadan, "man of the west" were a race of Men descended from Sindarin is an Artificial language developed by J R R Tolkien. ^[26]

In other writings, part of The History of Middle-earth, Tolkien details Elvish naming conventions. The Quenya word for "name" was essë. An Elf of Valinor was typically given one name (ataressë) at birth by the father. It usually reflected either the name of the father or mother, indicating the person's descent, to which later some distinguishing prefix could be added. As the Elf grew older, they received a second name (amilessë), given by the mother. This name was extremely important and reflected personality, skills, or fate, sometimes being 'prophetic'.

The epessë or the "after-name" is the third type. It was given later in life, not necessarily by kin, as a title of admiration and honour. In some circumstances, yet another name was chosen by the Elf themselves, called kilmessë meaning "self-name".

The "true names" remained the first two, though an Elf could be referred to by any of these. Mother-names were usually not used by those who did not know the Elf well. In later history and song any of the four could become the one generally used and recognized.

After their Exile to Middle-earth and adoption of Sindarin as the daily speech, most of the Noldor also chose for themselves a name that fitted the style of that language, translating or altering one of their Quenya names. Sindarin is an Artificial language developed by J R R Tolkien. Quenya 'kwɛɲa is one of the fictional languages spoken by the Elves (the Quendi, "those who speak with voices" because when

A patronymic surname is also used — the father's name with the suffix "-ion" added. A patronym, is a component of a Personal name based on the name of one's father Thus, Gildor Inglorion is "Gildor, son of Inglor". Gildor Inglorion is a Fictional character from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium.

Several examples include:

• Galadriel is the Sindarin translation of Alatáriel, the Telerin Quenya epessë originally given to her by Celeborn, which means "Maiden Crowned by a Radiant Garland". Appearances Literature Stories of Galadriel's life prior to The Lord of the Rings are collected in the Unfinished Tales. Appearances Literature Celeborn's ancestry is not exactly certain Her father-name is Artanis (noble woman) and her mother-name is Nerwen (man-maiden).

• Maedhros, the oldest son of Fëanor, was called Russandol (copper-top) by his brothers: He had earned this epessë because of his ruddy hair. Literature Appearances The Silmarillion Little is mentioned about Maedhros's youth in The Silmarillion. Fëanor is a character from J R R Tolkien 's fictional history The Silmarillion. His father-name had been Nelyafinwë (Finwë the third: Fëanor's own father-name had been (Curu) Finwë), and his mother-name Maitimo (well-shaped one). Maedhros is a rendering into Sindarin of parts of his mother-name and epessë.

• Finrod is usually referred to as Felagund (hewer of caves), a name the Dwarves had given to him (originally Felakgundu) because of his dwellings at Nargothrond. Character Overview In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, Finrod Felagund was a Noldorin Elf, the eldest son of Finarfin and Finrod adopted the name, and made it a title of honour.

• Círdan (Shipwright) is the epessë of a Telerin Elf who remained in Beleriand, and later Lindon, until the end of the Third Age. The First Age Círdan may have been among the Elves who awoke at Cuiviénen, although Tolkien never explicitly states this anywhere In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Teleri (meaning Those who come last, singular Teler) were the third of the Elf clans who came to In J R R Tolkien 's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings His original name was only rarely remembered in traditions as Nōwē, and he was referred to always as Círdan, a title which had been given to him as Lord of the Falas. In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, The Falas ("Coast" or "Shore" was an area on the west coast of Beleriand, south of Nevrast.

Elvish languages

Main article: Elvish languages

Tolkien created many languages for Elves. Elvish languages are Constructed languages used typically by elves in a Fantasy setting His interest was primarily philological, and he said his stories grew out of his languages. See Comparative linguistics for the narrower field of "comparative philology" Indeed, the languages were the first thing Tolkien ever created for his mythos, starting with what he originally called "Qenya", the first primitive form of Elvish. This was later called Quenya (High-elven) and, along with Sindarin (Grey-elven), is one of the two most complete of Tolkien's languages. Quenya 'kwɛɲa is one of the fictional languages spoken by the Elves (the Quendi, "those who speak with voices" because when Sindarin is an Artificial language developed by J R R Tolkien. In addition to these two he also created several other (partially derived) languages.

Elves are also credited with creating the Tengwar (by Fëanor) and Cirth (Daeron) runic scripts. Note some of the tengwar used in this article may not display properly unless tengwar fonts are installed Fëanor is a character from J R R Tolkien 's fictional history The Silmarillion. The Cirth (" Runes " are the letters of an Artificial script which was invented by J In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, the Elves are one of the races of Arda.

Adaptations

Examples of Adaptations of Tolkien's Elves

Elves as portrayed in the 1977 Rankin-Bass version of The Hobbit

The 1979 Rankin Bass animated version of The Hobbit, with character designs by Lester Abrams, features Elves as green-skinned warriors with slightly Austrian-German accents. Rankin/Bass Productions Inc (formerly Videocraft International Ltd Austrians (Österreicher are a nation and an ethnic group originating from the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states ( March of Austria, The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages.

In Middle-earth Role Playing (Iron Crown Enterprises, 1986), three tribes of elves are presented as player character race options, the Silvan, Sinda and Noldo — each receiving statistic bonuses (ranging from 5 to 15) to all attributes apart from Strength, with the Noldo receiving the highest accumulative bonuses of any racial type in the game. Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP is a Role-playing game based on the writings of J Iron Crown Enterprises is a publisher of role playing, board, miniature battle, and Collectible card games ICE was incorporated in A player character or playable character (PC is a Fictional character in a Video game or Role playing game who is controlled or controllable All three tribes are statistically immune to disease (+100% chance of resistance), and must be given 'Presence' as the highest randomly generated statistic. Elven characters also receive significant skill bonuses with missile weapons (such as a bow and arrow) and stealth skills (such as hiding).

All three elven tribes (Silvan, Noldor, Sindar) depicted in Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game (Decipher, Inc., 2001) have varying (one or two points) statistic bonuses to Bearing, Perception and Nimbleness, with the Noldor also receiving a bonus to Wits and the Sindar to Vitality, giving both of these the highest accumulative bonuses available to Player Characters. The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, released by Decipher Inc Decipher Inc is an American gaming company based in Norfolk Virginia, USA The system of skills, feats and flaws further outlines racial and cultural characteristics, bonuses being given to the Noldor in Lore and "Resisting the Shadow", to the Silvan elves for various wood-craft skills, and the Sindar to musical performance. All elves have the ability to enchant objects, and receive bonuses in any test regarding magic.

In the The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game (Games Workshop, 2001), Elves have similar statistics to similarly armed Men, except for much higher scores for their Fighting and Courage attributes. The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game (abbreviated as LotR SBG often referred to by players as Lord of the Rings, is a tabletop miniature wargame produced The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game or Lord of the Rings SBG rather than Lord of the Rings when ^[27] On average, Elven wargear (armour and weapons) give twice the advantage of weapons made by Men.

See also

• List of Middle-earth Elves
• Elvish languages
• Awakening of the Elves
• Calendar of Imladris

References

External links

• "Warm Beds Are Good: Sex and Libido in Tolkien's Writing" by Tyellas, Mallorn #42, 2005. (Archived at Ansereg (website). )

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