Ithildin
Message:
40946
01 May 05 11:53 PM
Reply To:
40933
General Audience
Read-Only
Alariel, I understand how the elven lineages and terminology can prove confusing. I haven’t read your story, so I don’t know the context in which you used the questioned terms, but I will try to address a couple of your canon issues.
The Half-elven are not just the 50/50 offspring of any Elf/mortal marriage.
From
The Númenorean Kings, Appendix 1, RotK:
’The sons of Eärendil were Elros and Elrond, the Peredhil or Half-elven. In them alone the line of the heroic chieftains of the Edain in the First Age was preserved; and after the fall of Gil-galad the lineage of the High-elven Kings was also in Middle-earth only represented by their descendants.
‘At the end of the First Age the Valar gave to the Half-elven an irrevocable choice to which kindred they would belong. Elrond chose to be of Elven-kind, and became a master of wisdom. To him therefore was granted the same grace as to those of the High Elves that still lingered in Middle-earth: that when weary at last of the mortal lands they could take ship from the Grey Havens and pass into the Uttermost West; and this grace continued after the change of the world. But to the children of Elrond a choice was also appointed: to pass with him from the circles of the world; or if they remained, to become mortal and die in Middle-earth. For Elrond, therefore, all chances of the War of the Ring were fraught with sorrow.’
So according to this quote, the Half-elven are Elrond and Elros, the children of Eärendil and Elwing, and the children of Elrond. Eärendil and Elwing both had one elven parent and one mortal parent – of very high and important lines. Elrond and Elros, of course, carried all the accumulated heritages, but are still Half-elven – because it is not a mathematical issue.
Eärendil and Elwing, because of their specific lineages, the part they played in bringing the Silmaril back to Aman, and coming before the Valar representing the Children of Eru in their plea for help against Morgoth, were granted the right to make an irrevocable choice of which kindred they would belong to. As they both chose the life of the Eldar, the right to accept the Gift of Ilúvatar (mortality) was passed down to their children. Elros chose mortality, but Elrond didn’t – thus the right to choose mortality was passed down again to his children.
So, it’s true the Half-elven are not a different ‘race’ of Elves – they are not exactly Elves at all. Though there are many similarities, there are also actually quite a few known differences between the
Peredhil (Half-elven) and Elves and it is quite justified to say that Elrond was
not an Elf, even though he chose to be numbered among them. Tolkien never referred to any of the Half-elven as Elves; in fact in this quote from Letters he states emphatically that
‘Arwen was not an elf, but one of the half-elven who abandoned her elvish rights.’ (from: Letter #345)
You mention using the term ‘Lord of the Noldor Elves’ to mean
‘…that Elrond was Lord of the Noldor elves of Imladris and NOT that he was "a Noldor" elf who was Lord of Imladris.’ However, the term used that way could be misleading to readers and on that basis alone it might be better changed.
Both Tolkien and his characters refer to Elrond as
Elrond Half-elven or
Master Elrond, and even though it might be logical to refer to him as the ‘Lord of Imladris’, it would seem that in spite of his illustrious lineage he did not take that title to himself and went instead simply by the title of
Master. So from that standpoint I see no real need for using the term ‘Lord’ pertaining to Elrond if you are trying to stay close to canon.
Also, since you have questions about specific reviewers’ comments you might also consider posting in the
Request for Review Decisions forum.
Ithildin *(
