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I never read the book, so can someone please explain it to me "Why are the elves leaving the middle earth?" I know that people always say that the time of elves are coming to an end, and the time of man has come.

But why? What is the time of the elves coming to an end? What is the cause? Are the elves going to a distant land to make a new home, or are the elves actually dying?

And one more question, I can't remember the name of the character, he's the last of the original king's descendants, heir to Gondoff. Is his mother an elf? I was watching the EE DVD last night, it showed some scenes where he was weeping over the statue of an elf maiden, looks like his mother, who died, for mysterious reasons.

Someone who read the book please explain these 2 points to me. Greatly appreciated.

agilliland

Well ... your question about the elves is pretty involved.

"are the elves actually dying?"
No, the elves are immortal, so they are not dying.

"Are the elves going to a distant land to make a new home?"
Yes, they are going to a distant land called Valinor.

"is the time of the elves coming to an end?"
Only in Middle-Earth, not their actual lives.

"But Why?"
In the beginnings of the world and the coming of the elves there was actually a relationship between the elves and the Valar, which are the keepers of Middle-Earth, gods if you will. During that time the elves were invited to live with the Valar in Valinor, an island that the Valar made their home and is unreachable by any that are not invited. Over time some of the elves left Valinor and journeyed back to Middle-Earth and some elves never left Middle-Earth to go to Valinor. Anyways, the easiest explaination I could give is that the elves are leaving Middle-Earth to return to a more peaceful life in Valinor. Valinor is only the home to elves and Valar, therefore everyone is immortal, and so it is called "the undying lands."

The films make a couple quick mentions of the fact that the elves are leaving, but never address why as it is pretty complicated and would involve a lot of history to fully explain. Hopefully that helps a little, and I'm sure someone else can offer more info.

caligulathegod

In the beginning, Eru (God), whom the Elves call Ilúvatar, created the world (Arda) as a Vision with two great themes of music sung by the Ainur (angels) and a third theme created by Himself._ He allowed several of the Ainur to come down into the world to actually bring the vision into being._ They came down as the 14 Valar (Vala in the singular) and their helper spirits called Maiar (Maia in the singular)._ One particular Ainu named Melkor had been given a share of all the gifts given to the other Ainur and became jealous of the world and the other Valar, so he came down to Arda as a Vala himself seeking to rule the world but because of the darkness of his thought, he was evil._ He's basically a Satan._ As the other Valar created the world, he did what he could to mar it._ They would raise mountains he would topple them._ They would build lakes he would spill them._ The Valar and Melkor fought many wars over thousands of uncounted years._ They created two great lamps to light the world (taller than Mount Everest!) and Melkor toppled them._ Finally, afraid the warring would destroy the birthplace of the soon to come Children of Ilúvatar, they just gave up and created a continent in the West to live and made it a paradise._ This was Aman and he realm of Valinor._ They lit it with two trees that gave off light._ Melkor was free to do as he would in Middle Earth._
_
Now, the third theme of Ilúvatar was the Children of Ilúvatar._ The First Comers and the Followers._ The first comers were the Elves.__ They would be the fairest of the world's life and have the greater bliss and deeper sadness and bring into the world the most beauty._ Their love of the world would be all the more profound because they were bound to it and had to remain in it as long as the world lasted._ They were in essence immortal and not subject to old age or sickness._ They could, however be slain or die of grief and being bound within the circles of the world, their spirits would go to the Halls of Mandos in the realm of the Valar where they would remain until the end of the world or in a few cases be reborn into new bodies._
_
The Elves eventually awakened in Middle Earth and were discovered by Melkor first._ He kidnapped stray wanderers and it is said that through dark arts of torture and cruelties bred the hideous race of the Orcs._ Melkor could not create new life only corrupt existing life.
_
Oromë was a Valar who spent his time in Middle Earth hunting the monsters of Melkor._ He came across the Elves and loved them, as they were the Children of Ilúvatar._ He invited them to come with him to Aman, the land of the Valar, but they were afraid so he chose representatives to go._ These representatives became the first Kings of the Elves._ They came back to Middle Earth with a formal invitation from the Valar to live with them away from the evils of Melkor._ They started towards Aman in several great hosts._ Some went to Aman straight away and remained._ Some went later and some stopped on the way and remained in Middle Earth._ They all had an open invitation to come to Aman whenever they grew weary of the world._
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Meanwhile, the Valar eventually captured Melkor and held him captive for 3 ages._ When he was finally pardoned, the Elves had established a nice civilization in Valinor living among the Valar._ They created gems and other treasures._ Greatest of these gems were the Silmarils for in them was encased the light of the Two Trees of Valinor._ Melkor aided by Ungoliant the Spider killed the trees and stole the Silmarils._ He made off to Middle Earth and his kingdom in the North._ Fëanor the elf who made the Silmarils rebelled against the Valar and went back to Middle Earth with some of his people against the wishes of the Valar (Galadriel was his niece and came with them) and made war upon Melkor, whom he renamed Morgoth (Dark enemy of the World)._ Eventually Fëanor was slain._ He made his seven sons swear an oath to reclaim the Silmarils at whatever cost._ Much evil came about because of this oath, including Kin-slayings.
_
Eventually, men awakened._ They were not bound the world and would seek beyond it._ They were not as beholden to fate and free to live in the chances of the world (Elves are bound by fate, men are not)._ Men have limited life spans and when they die, they are released from the world._ Where they go, the elves know not._ They are in a way jealous of the Gift of Men, while men look upon it as a Doom of Men, since they don't know where they go after death and Morgoth made them fear it.
_
Beren the man and Lúthien the elf fell in love and Lúthien's father (who was married to a Maia, by the way) made Beren fetch one of the three Silmarils from the crown of Morgoth to marry her._ He and Lúthien were successful._ When they died, their grand daughter Elwing the half elven married Eärendil (who was also the product of man and elf - it only happened 3 times! {Beren & Lúthien, Tuor & Idril, and Aragorn & Arwen in Lord of the Rings}) who took the Silmaril to Valinor to beg the Valar to finally defeat Morgoth, which they did in the War of Wrath. _
_
Eärendil and Elwing before they went to Valinor had two children._ Elrond and Elros._ As half Elves, they have the ability to choose to be counted among men or elves._ Elrond chose Elves and Elros chose Men._ Elrond went to live in Lindon with the Elven King Gil-Galad._ Elros went to become the first King of Númenor._ The Valar rewarded the men who helped in the War of Wrath by giving them an island between the coasts of Middle Earth and Aman._ This island was Númenor._ They were permitted to sail all the seas except they could not land on Aman for it was Holy._ The Númenorians were given life spans triple normal human lives._
_
Hundreds of years later, Sauron the first lieutenant of Morgoth arose like a shadow of his former master and in the guise of an ambassador from the Valar taught the Elves (specifically the grandson of Fëanor) how to make rings of Power._ Then Sauron made his own ring to control them and the elves knew they were tricked._ They fought with Sauron and then the Númenorians came and were so powerful Sauron surrendered and was taken hostage._ He went back to Númenor and in three years became the king's advisor._ He talked them into attacking Valinor._ They did and the Valar laid down their governance of the world and Ilúvatar removed Aman from Arda and made the world round (it was flat before)._ Númenor was sunk beneath the sea and Sauron lost his body._ His spirit went back to Mordor._ Some Númenorians were loyal and did not go to Valinor and were on ships._ On these ships were Elendil and his sons Isildur and Anarion._ They went to Middle Earth and reestablished Kingdoms._ Soon, they allied with Gil-Galad and fought in the Last Alliance of Men and Elves and defeated Sauron._ Gil-Galad and Elendil were killed._ Isildur took the shards of his father's sword and cut off the finger of the defeated Sauron (not like the movie, it didn't kill Sauron._ He was already defeated)._
_
A few years later, Isildur was killed by Orcs and lost the Ring._ His three eldest sons were killed with him._ His youngest son was kept safe in Rivendell and from that line came the kings of Arnor._ Eventually a later king disappeared when challenged by the Witch-King of Angmar (A Nazgul!)._ The stewards Ruled in his stead and the line of true king went into exile._ They were reared in Rivendell and became rangers._
_
Aragorn was raised in Rivendell._ His mother died there and that is the Memorial Aragorn prayed before in the movie, not an elf-maiden.
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The Elves had many kingdoms and wars and such in the first two ages._ The First Age came when the Sun appeared when The Noldorian elves left Valinor in search of the Silmarils._ It ended with the War of Wrath and the defeat of Morgoth._ The Second Age ended with the Defeat of Sauron in the Last Alliance of Men and Elves._ By the third age, the Elves no longer lead great armies and ruled great realms._ They were content to live in memory of past accomplishments._ They were reluctant to finally give up Middle Earth and sought to forestall decay and that's what the Rings of Power were for._ Throughout the Third Age, though, many elves left for the West as they had become weary of the world._ When at the end of the Third Age the One Ring was destroyed and the Three Elven rings lost their power, the Elves finally left Middle Earth and took the Valar up on their standing invitation to live with them in Paradise._ The time of the Elves had finally passed and the time of Men had arrived.
_
There, it took a while, but I eventually answered your second question._ There's a lot of history I've skimmed over, but I hope this rather long and detailed post helps put everything into perspective.
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(edited for spelling errors)

Inverse

The Elves leaving Middle Earth: Here's a metaphor. It's dinner time (the end of the Third Age), and the parents (Valar) are calling their kids (Elves) and saying, "Stop playing in Timmy's back yard (Middle Earth) and come home (Valinor) already. Dinner's getting cold!"

(Except the Valar aren't really the Elves' parents, more like their aunts and uncles. But let's not push this metaphor any further.)

Aragorn's mother: Aragorn's mother was human, but he grew up among the elves. That's the easy part. Hold on, we're in for a bumpy ride through Middle Earth history.

Remember Isildur in the first movie, the guy who cut off Sauron's fingers? Well, he was king of a great royal line, and his decendants ruled two great kingdoms: Arnor in the north, and Gondor in the South.

Both kingdoms ran into trouble. In fact, the kingdom of Arnor was completely wiped off the map by the Witch-king, one of the Nazgul/Ringwraiths. While the kingdom was destroyed, the king of Arnor survived. Aragorn is a descendent of that king.

Aragorn's father was killed by trolls when he was a child, and so Aragorn and his mother were taken in by Elrond and the elves. Even though he's 100% human, Aragorn was raised by the elves, which is why he talks in Elvish from time to time.

Meanwhile, back to Arnor and Gondor. While the kingdom of Arnor was wiped out but its royalty survived, the exact opposite happened to Gondor. Gondor's royal family was wiped out (the Witch King again), but the kingdom of Gondor remained.

After the royal line was wiped out, Gondor was ruled not by a king, but by a Steward, who holds the throne in custody for the king, if the king should ever return. *cough.* Boromir (from the first movie) and Faramir (from the second movie) are the sons of the current Steward, Denethor (whom we'll meet in the third movie.)

So Aragorn's a king, but has no kingdom; Gondor is a kingdom, but has no king. You don't need a diagram to see where this is going.

Inverse

Wow, and I thought my post was long. (Just kidding, Caligula!)

caligulathegod

Yeah, it only took me 5 hours, too

caligulathegod

Damn, I forgot to add: Elrond's daughter was Arwen. His Brother Elros, who chose to be human begat the line that eventually produced Aragorn. Aragorn and Arwen are first cousins, almost 40 times removed.

Giantrobo

Great posts

DVD DVD DVD

Wow! Thanks all you guys for all the time you've put into these posts! Greatly appreciated!

These questions really bugged me for quite a while, never thought there would be so much history behind them.

Maybe it's just me, but it's sad to see the elves departing middle earth, I guess there is a time and place for everything. It's been over 2000 years, the elves had their time and glory, it's time for the humans. But still, it's still sad to see a great race gone.

Seeker

Also, if we are into elvish genealogy, Galadriel is Arwen's grandmother, but not Elrond's mother. (Galadriel is Arwen's mother's mother).

Hmmm.. I guess that makes Galadriel Elrond's mother-in-law... maybe that's why she chastised him in TTT...

Giantrobo

"are the elves actually dying?"

No, the elves are immortal, so they are not dying.





They sure DIE in war like they're immortal....


from dictionary.com:

im·mor·tal ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-môrtl)
adj.

1. Not subject to death

caligulathegod

Death is one of the most misunderstood elements of Tolkien. All beings have souls that do not die but go on. The physical body can die. Elves are not subject to disease nor old age and can live seemingly forever, but can be slain or die of grief. When they die, their spirit remains in the world and goes to the Halls of Mandos in the land of the Valar.

Men, however, are not bound the the world. When they die, they go beyond it. No one knows where they go, of course, but they are not stuck here like the Elves are. Men also have limited lifespans and are subject to disease and old age. Since the Elves can live for as long as the world lives, the Elves appear Immortal.

Gandalf did die. He was a maia and his spirit went back to Aman and was reclad in a body to complete his mission. His spirit did not die and this is what confuses most people. No spirit dies but the body does. Men come the closest to "real death" in that their spirits actually leave the world, unlike maiar or Elves.

Giantrobo

Good enough...

Amator

caligulathegod, that is the best summary of The Silmarillion that I've ever seen.

"Praise him with great praise!"

CharlesC

Great job caligula! This is an archive worthy post!

caligulathegod

Thank you. I just need to go through it for a few spelling and grammatical errors. ("Lifes".... I meant lifespans)

DaveNinja

If elves are immortal, how come some look older? are there elf babies or old men elves?

Seeker

There are elf babies. But very very few - you don't need to augment the population to make up for death, except for the few who die in battle, etc. And, "now" that elves are leaving Middle Earth rather than growing, hardly any AT ALL.



There are no "old men" elves. Except the ones that chose to be mortal, like Elros, Elrond's brother, who was half human, anyway.

They look older in the movies because we have actors play the elves. All "grown" elves should look about 20-30, just depending on how they'd look to a human, who does "age".

B.A.

As someone who has read the Silmarillion, I would just like to say, "We're not worthy, we're not worthy!" to the previous posters who gave excellent answers, particularly caligulathegod. Excellent work guys! That is the kind of stuff that is enjoyable to browse through around here.

caligulathegod

Elves do age, but slowly. Thousands of years of joys and sorrows and wars wear upon the brow of the Elves which manifests itself as "character lines" and such that would appear to make them seem "mature". Elrond was born in the very late First Age and though he missed the War of Wrath (That defeated Morgoth), he is approximately 6000 years old when we see him and had been active throughout the Second Age and the wars against Sauron. Legolas appears younger because he was born in the Third Age of the Sun and does not have the experience that an Elf like Elrond might have. He most likely fought in the Battle of Five Armies (recounted in The Hobbit) where he got his battle experience and skill, but otherwise has been living in the Elves' era of decline. He might be as old as 3000 years, but with little worldly experience he doesn't look as careworn as Elrond. When the other Elves leave Middle Earth (as they have been doing over most of the Third Age), he is newly intrigued by his experience in the Fellowship and friendship with Gimli that he is filled with curiosity about Middle Earth so he and Gimli spend the next hundred years exploring Middle Earth's Forests and Caves.

I think it was rather clever casting the Elves as different ages to reflect their worldly experience. Legolas, especially, in that he has been "sheltered".

Souljahh

Great posts, especially caligulathegod. Thanks a lot!

purplechoe

Hey caligula, I have some questions about quantum physics.

Great posts!!!