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Call my stupid but whats the point of an elf actually being immortal? I mean they can die of broken heartedness, or being slain at battle. What other ways of dying are there except old age?

There is no "point" in immortality... neither is there a point in living

Actually, mortality is a gift, a gift of freedom to mankind, and though men sometimes may envy elves' long lives, it's rather a burden to live so long


About your question -- for example, elves are not assailed by illnesses which were a huge problem for mankind - most of all of course the plague that for example also killed one Gondorean king and all his children except for one... I think it was even one of the reasons for the end of the kingdom of Gondor ........... however, elves also do not die of most injuries that would kill mortals, just think of Arwen's mother Celebrían, she was hit by a poisoned arrow, yet Elrond could heal her.... though they won't for example survive a decapitation

The huge difference is rather after their death - elves are bound to the earth, they are reborn and will live forever as long as the world lives, always reborn in their children or their spirits dwelling in Valinor, while men depart forever, they are free to leave while elves have to stay - though nobody knows what happens to men after their death

Oh okay. thanks I understand

and so do i ...

I think men are put in the hands of Iluvatar....

think of men as millions upon millions of nanites that infect the world...gathering information, relevant or irrelevant data and life experiences...once that nanite has stopped functioning, it then is returned to its host (Eru) and pass on that very real and very physical data on to Him so that He may experience it if somewhat on voyeuristic sense...um...yeah

heheh..?

Amin weera

n'dela no'ta

Please don't reply in Sindarin

but, anyway, on topic, if you think like I do, immortality is a curse...

i have a question so that i dont have to start a new thread....what color is shadowfax??? black or white

nim-white

oo okay

ya i mostly now answer in elvish

Actually, he is grey Mithren
He appears white, but the colour is called "grey" because the skin beneath isn't pink (like albinos'), but black/dark grey.

We even had a discussion in some horse thread about that if I'm not mistaken...
You should find it here:
http://www.killermovies.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=1047504#post1047504




I guess replies in Isira won't help anybody, Elvish Child

Welcome to the forums

i guessed white because i though it was gandolfs horse from lotr 2

It is
But the colour of his horse in LoTR 2 is called grey even if it appears white

Tolkien describes Shadowfax as "silver" though I think

oh o.k i get it now lol i m slow

I wouldnt actually call immortality a curse (in my eyes..) because Id love to be an elf, id love to be able to live my days and not have to worry about dying.

well, after 4000 years, would u get bored? if it was just u that was immortal, all your friends, family would have died. u'd be all alone. that's the curse, IMO.

..Not if my family were elves too..

Not rue it Tolkie'n world, but in our world, it would be easy to become lost with all the changes in society after thousands of years.


Well, it's ur opinion. maybe u can better handle imortality, although I'm sure u'd attrack a lot of media attention about being 3000 years old

Probably ^^

I'd never want to be immortal imo the Dúnedain's 200 years or so are already a lot too long... I wouldn't even want to live 70 years or so that's way too long

The fact that the elves and most humans live longer in Middle-earth is also mirrored in all the development of their culture... it's a lot slower... especially for the languages of the elves, they didn't just change completely in 1000 years or so like it happened in Europe

It'd be nice to see what the world would bring thousands from years from now, who knows what we'll have.

I guess men come to heaven
Remember Tolkien was christian. I guess he would let that be, rite?

supposedly.

He was a christian, but his fictional religion wasn't all based on that...
There isn't even a heaven in Middleearth they have Valinor instead ^^ but that's where the elves go...

The ideas for the fate of men are rather for example that there is a second Hall of Waiting in Mandos' Halls for them... separated from the elves' one... where they have to go before they leave Arda

Originally posted by Exabyte
He was a christian, but his fictional religion wasn't all based on that...
There isn't even a heaven in Middleearth they have Valinor instead ^^ but that's where the elves go...

The ideas for the fate of men are rather for example that there is a second Hall of Waiting in Mandos' Halls for them... separated from the elves' one... where they have to go before they leave Arda
Not all elves go to Valinor. Frodo and Bilbo went.

Originally posted by DanieLs_4_Ever
Not all elves go to Valinor. Frodo and Bilbo went.

A majority of elves went...unless they had been killed! lol

Two years after the Ring was destroyed, Frodo and Bilbo as Ring-bearers were given the right to travel to Tol Eressëa where, though remaining mortal, they might rest and be healed, together with Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel. They boarded a ship from the Grey Havens and passed over the sea on 29 September, T.A. 3021. Having no children of his own, Frodo left his estate and passed on the Red Book to Sam, who, according to Hobbit legend, followed Frodo across the sea sixty-one years later, following the death of his wife Rose (nee) Cotton.

Originally posted by DanielLB
A majority of elves went...unless they had been killed! lol

Two years after the Ring was destroyed, Frodo and Bilbo as Ring-bearers were given the right to travel to Tol Eressëa where, though remaining mortal, they might rest and be healed, together with Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel. They boarded a ship from the Grey Havens and passed over the sea on 29 September, T.A. 3021. Having no children of his own, Frodo left his estate and passed on the Red Book to Sam, who, according to Hobbit legend, followed Frodo across the sea sixty-one years later, following the death of his wife Rose (nee) Cotton.
True.
Hmm..I did not know that. That's really interesting.

ur quite slow ... read the books, I'd advise you. And the immortality thing ... well ... you know what? i could ask the same question about humans but in reverse. Why do humans die? Why aren't humans immortal? You see, not everyone has to be like you ... elves are different from us and i would say, they're even better than us ... so theres your answer. Immortality is just as reasonable as mortality.