Henneth Annûn Story Archive

As for the begetting and bearing of children: a year passes between the begetting and the birth of an elf-child, so that the days of both are the same or nearly so, and it is the day of begetting that is remembered year by year.
  Laws an dcustoms of the Eldar

So, Elves don't celebrtate *birth*days, but they do acknowledge a begetting day. Is this a conventional day or an actual day?

A'normal' full term baby (for Men) is 266 days from ovulation. But one of my kids was born a day early and one was born two and half weeks late.  I could count back 266 days and estimate a 'begetting day' for them, but it would be just that, an estimate.  I don't *know* for either of them what day they were actually begotten. And 266 days is only the average length of a normal pregnancy, not a hard and fast law on how long a baby gestates.

We know that Elves are born a year 'or nearly so' after they are conceived, so do they just take the day they are born and move it back a year to get the 'begetting day'? Or do they *know* on which day they were actually conceived?

 Any one have any other citations or opinions?

 Gwynnyd

I used to wonder about that too. In the end I decided that since Elves could control conception, so that it needed the agreement of both parties for a child to be conceived, the parents would probably know the exact date of conception, and that would be the day celebrated.

Yes, that's my understanding too - the parents decide *when* to conceive a child, rather than leave it to chance.  I also think that they would know almost immediately when conception has actually taken place.

Jay

As well as mine, they decide and know when it happened. Imagine life without birth controls, "accidental children", abortions... This does sound nice...

~Vilwarin

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