Elven characteristics

2022-07-30T10:02:48Z

172.68.86.10: The Readers Companion cites a later manuscript of Tolkien that states that elf women are seldom less than six feet in height, and elfmen being no less than six and a half feet.

[[File:Piotr Fox Wysocki - Last Elf.jpg|thumb|''Last Elf'' by Piotr Wysocki]]{{quote|The Elves have their own labours and their own sorrows, and they are little concerned with the ways of hobbits, or of any other creatures upon earth.|[[Gildor Inglorion]]<ref>{{FR|Three}}</ref>}}
The [[Elves]] were the fairest creatures in [[Arda]], a far more beautiful race than [[Men]], and generally tall (seldom less than six feet for elf women, seldom less than six and a half feet for elf men).<ref>Hammond, W. G., & Scull, C. (2005). The Lord Of The Rings: A Reader’s Companion (1st Edition). William Morrow.</ref> Among them, [[Calaquendi|those]] who had gone to [[Valinor]] were the fairest and had the greatest skill of body.

Elves had keener senses than [[Men]]. They were slender, graceful yet strong, and were resistant to extremes of nature, illness and disease. However, many [[Noldor]] died at the crossings of [[Helcaraxë]].

Practical considerations, including a number of occasions where Men were mistaken for Elves (most notably [[Túrin|Túrin Turambar]]), suggest that the points of difference between Elves and Men must have been subtle.

== Pointed ears ==
Whether Elvish ears were pointed or not is open for speculation,<ref name=Dunkerson>{{webcite|author=Conrad Dunkerson|articleurl=http://tolkien.slimy.com/essays/Ears.html|articlename=Do the Elves in Tolkien's stories have pointed ears?|dated=|website=[http://tolkien.slimy.com/ The Tolkien Meta-FAQ]|accessed=15 February 2012}}</ref><ref name=Martinez>{{webcite|author=[[Michael Martinez]]|articleurl=http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2011/09/21/do-tolkiens-elves-have-pointy-ears/|articlename=Do Tolkien’s Elves Have Pointy Ears?|dated=21 September 2011|website=[http://middle-earth.xenite.org/ Middle.earth.Xenite.org]|accessed=15 February 2012}}</ref> but it should be noted that there are no explicit references to pointed Elvish ears in ''[[The Hobbit]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' or ''[[The Silmarillion]]''.

In the ''[[The Etymologies|Etymologies]]'' (a linguistic manuscript from ca. 1937-8 published posthumously) is stated that "the [[Quendi|Quendian]] ears were more pointed and leaf-shaped than [[Men|Human]]."<ref>{{LR|Etymologies}}, p. 368 (roots LAS<sup>1</sup> and LAS<sup>2</sup>)</ref><ref>{{VT|45a}}, p. 26</ref> In another linguistic manuscript (from ca. 1959-60), the [[Elvish]] connection between ears and leaves is again noted: "[[Amon Lhaw]]. ¶SLAS-, ear. ''[[lass|las]]'', leaf. ''slasū'' > Q ''[[hlaru]]'', S ''[[lhaw]]''."<ref>{{PE|17}}, p. 77</ref><ref>{{webcite|author=[[John Garth]]|articleurl=http://www.facebook.com/ml.martinez/posts/10155820042196038?comment_id=10155821234781038&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D|articlename=Facebook discussion|dated=3 February 2017|website=FB|accessed=5 February 2017}}</ref>

Answering to a question on [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] ears, [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] wrote that these were "only slightly pointed and 'elvish'".<ref>{{L|27}}</ref> Some fans take this to mean that Elvish ears were pointed, while others argue that it is an ambiguous statement.<ref name=Dunkerson/><ref name=Martinez/><ref>{{webcite|author=Various|articleurl=http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheTolkienSociety.EducationalCharity/permalink/10154773899876068/|articlename=Tolkien Society Facebook group discussion|dated=|website=FB|accessed=5 February 2017}}</ref>

== Hair colour ==
In general, the [[Vanyar]] were golden-haired, with the name ''Vanyar'' meaning "the Fair" in [[Quenya]] and referring to their light-coloured hair.{{Fact}} Other Elves - including the [[Noldor]], [[Sindar]], and [[Avari]] - had dark brown or black hair like Finwë or Maeglin.<ref>{{PE|17}}, pp. 118, 125</ref><ref group=note>[[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] notes in one manuscript that "''no Elf had absolute black hair''" ({{PE|17}}, p. 125)</ref> [[Lúthien|Lúthien Tinúviel]] and her remote descendant [[Arwen|Arwen Undómiel]], both described as the fairest of all Elves, were dark haired. Additionally, a silver hair colour existed among the [[Teleri]] and in the royal houses of the Sindar, with [[Thingol]], [[Círdan]] and [[Celeborn]] all described as having silver hair.<ref>{{WJ|Quendi}}: Sindar</ref>

In some cases elves had atypical hair colour, either due to simple happenstance or intermarriage between clans. A prime example is the royal house of the Noldor and their descendants: [[Míriel Serindë]] of the Noldor, the first wife of [[Finwë]] and mother of [[Fëanor]], is described as having silvery hair.<ref>{{MR|P3I6}}</ref> Fëanor himself possessed "raven-dark" hair,<ref>{{S|Feanor}}</ref> but not all the sons of Fëanor shared this trait; [[Maedhros]] and the twins [[Amrod]] and [[Amras]] had auburn hair (though Amrod's hair grew darker after childhood).<ref name=Sons>{{PM|XI7}}</ref>{{rp|355}} This rare red-brown hair colour was a trait of Nerdanel's kin, for her father [[Mahtan]], had the ''epessë'' Rusco 'fox' due to his hair colour.<ref name=Sons/>{{rp|353}} [[Finarfin]], the youngest son of Finwë, and his descendants had golden hair on account of Finwë's second wife, [[Indis]] of the Vanyar. Finarfin's daughter [[Galadriel]] displayed an extremely rare hair colour nowhere else observed; golden-silver hair, said to be dazzlingly beautiful ("the light of the [[Two Trees]], [[Laurelin]] and [[Telperion]], had been snared in her tresses").<ref name=Galadriel>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>

Another Noldo with noteworthy hair colour was [[Glorfindel]], whose hair is described as "shining gold" in colour.<ref>{{FR|Meetings}}</ref> [[Idril]], the daughter of [[Turgon]], King of [[Gondolin]], had golden hair inherited from her mother, [[Elenwë]] of the Vanyar. [[Thranduil]], father of [[Legolas]] and a Sindarin Elf, is described as having "golden" hair in ''[[The Hobbit]]'',<ref>{{H|8}}</ref> but Legolas' own hair colour is not recorded. The golden hair colour is sometimes implied among the other Elves: [[Amroth]], a Sindarin Elf of Lothórien is one such case, whose hair is described as "bright" and shining like a spark of gold in the sun.<ref name=Galadriel/> In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', a very similar reference is made for an [[Galadhrim|Elf of Lothórien]] who had hair that "glinted like gold" in the sun.<ref>{{FR|Lorien}}</ref>

==Eye colour==
When Tolkien describes Elven eyes, they tend to be grey. This is certainly true of Lúthien and her descendants, including [[Elrond]] and his children ([[Arwen]], [[Elladan]] and [[Elrohir]]) as well as [[Aragorn]] and the Dúnedain. [[Voronwë]], who guided the man [[Tuor]] to Gondolin, also had grey eyes.

Though he was half-Noldorin, [[Maeglin]] is said to have dark eyes (possibly from his father [[Eöl]], who was not of the Noldor), while [[Olwë]] (the brother of Lúthien's father [[Thingol]], and a Telerin king) had blue eyes. The eye colour of most other Elves is not mentioned, and so would be difficult to generalize.

==Other characteristics==
The Elves were like [[Ainur]] in spirit; they loved all beauty of nature, especially water, the [[Sea]] and the [[stars]], since they were the first things they saw; as a consequence [[Ulmo]] and [[Varda]] were the [[Ainur]] closest to them. They were marked by an insatiable curiosity and a desire of learning and creating.

They detested all evil and were usually more resistant to being corrupted than Men, unless evil tricked them with fair form, like [[Annatar]]. Conversely, their work harmed evil, like [[lembas]] and the [[Elven rope]] that brought pain to [[Gollum]]'s skin. They were, however, susceptible to greed, pride and jealousy, as exemplified by the story of the House of [[Fëanor]], or the jealous and unjustified hatred of [[Saeros]] toward [[Túrin]]. <ref name=UT2>{{UT|2}}</ref>

The Eldar could manipulate '''''[[sanwe-latya]]''''' ([[Quenya]] for "thought-opening" or "telepathy") which allowed them to communicate with thought ([[Ósanwe]]).

Like Men and Dwarves, Elves did sleep. In ''[[The Two Towers]]'', it says of [[Legolas]], "[He] already lay motionless, his fair hands folded upon his breast, his eyes unclosed, blending living night and deep dream, as is the way with Elves."<ref>{{TT|Riders}}</ref>

Also, unlike Men, Elves were ambidextrous.<ref>{{VT|49a}}</ref>

Although Elves were generally considered the most powerful of the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], there are accounts that some Men from the Great Houses of the First Age were physically stronger, though less agile. It is told that the [[Helm of Hador|Dragon Helm]] was given to [[Fingon]], but "in all Hithlum no head and shoulders were found stout enough to bear the dwarf-helm with ease", so the High King gave it to [[Hador]], a Man.<ref name=UT2/>

{{References|n}}

[[Category:Elves]]

Talk:Wargs

2022-03-07T23:03:23Z

172.68.86.10: Potential inaccurate wrt warg riding

-More refrences (always need more)

-More Links (Always a good thing)

-More info

-Better organization

-More Images

-Expansive Portrayal in adaptations

-quotes

--[[User:Galdor of the Havens|Galdor of the Havens]] 22:03, 13 December 2009 (UTC)

The page says that Wargs were ridden by Goblins at the Battle of the Five Armies, but I think this might be incorrect. The closest thing I can find in the referenced chapter is: "They ride upon wolves and Wargs are in their train!". i.e. they ride wolves (not wargs) and are accompanied by wargs (which they do not ride). The line also pretty clearly differentiates wolves and wargs imo, despite wargs being called "evil wolves" earlier. I also can't find any reference to them being ridden elsewhere, but maybe I just missed it. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.86.10|172.68.86.10]] 23:03, 7 March 2022 (UTC)

Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Elven characteristics

Talk:Wargs