To: Samwise
I realize this doesn't relate to the above essay, but I have been wondering about what happens when an elf 'dies' in battle? I thought Samwise would be the one to ask :)
14 posted on
09/08/2003 12:04:24 PM PDT by
Maigret
To: Maigret
"Both Elves and Men are the Children of Ilúvatar, and so have much in common, but there are also great differences between the two peoples. Of these, the most significant is that Elves are 'immortal', at least while the World lasts; they do not suffer ageing or disease, and if they are slain or wither with grief, they are reincarnated in the Halls of Mandos in Valinor.
Although, unlike Men, the Elves must remain in the world until its ending, they are not bound to Middle-earth. They may if they wish take the straight road, and sail into the Uttermost West, a road that is barred to mortals.
16 posted on
09/08/2003 12:23:03 PM PDT by
Samwise
(There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil.)
To: Maigret
elves are children of earth. their existence is connected with earth, and when they die their souls go to the West and there is a hint that they are reincarnated (although Tolkein doesn't go into details).
Men however die, but the saying is that they have the gift of death, the implication is that they go elsewhere and have additional deeds to do when the world ends. Tolkien states that (God) did not reveal what would happen to the elves.
Pearce has several books on this, exploring how Tolkien makes his world consistant/parallel with traditional Christian beliefs...Joseph Pearce Tolkien man and myth has a lot of details about this
19 posted on
09/08/2003 4:31:50 PM PDT by
LadyDoc
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson