Lothlorien or Rivendell ?
 

If you were a middle-earth elf, would you prefer
to live in Lothlorien or in Rivendell ?

I would like to live in Lothlorien...

What a great question. I've always pictured Lothlórien as a secondary world you could slip into whilst walking in New England in the fall, while Rivendell walking in a dewy forest. I think Lórien is infinitely more mystical and frightening but Rivendell is so utterly...romantic that I would like to live there [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I would most definitely want to live in Rivendell. I picture Rivendell in its valley, and it would be so beautiful. I'd visit Lorien though.

Loríen doesn't seem frightening to me. Rivendell seems to dwell in the past, the rememberance of things of old, whereas Loríen lives here and now. Even though all the dwellings of the Elves are etheral and mystical, I would say that I would live in Loríen. I would chose it in the Spring of it's times though.

Really Joy, I'd think that most would consider Lorien as the place that is in the past and Rivendell as more of the hear and now.

I couldn't live in Lorien...Permanent residence there would spoil it for me. I would want it to be a place that I come to every so often, so that I may long for it on my journeys.
...So therefore I would live in Rivendell and amuse myself by letting Elrond's sons fight over me. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Rivendell, definitely. How could you pass up the Last Homely House? Food, music, books, lots of great walks and scenery, Elves who sing humourous songs on your arrival instead of aiming arrows in your face and making cracks about how they could shoot you in the dark if they had to [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] - the list goes on. (OK, so that last wasn't quite fair).

Lothlorien would be a good place to visit, though. I just get the sense that if you stayed there too long, you'd get very isolated and locked into the different sense of passing time, so to speak, and have a difficult time adapting to the outside world again if you left. Rivendell seems like a place you could leave and then come back to - if you wanted to take a trip to Bree or the Shire, you could do it without experiencing too much of a shock (and without having to endure pestiferous locals saying things like "You come from Rivendell? They say that few escape the snares of the Sorcerer-Elf who lives there." That would have to get old after a while).

[ March 09, 2002: Message edited by: Kalimac ]

I think I'd live in Rivendell. But I'd like to have a holiday house in Lothlorien, as well.

Most definitely Lothlorien... I would really love to see the mallorns and maybe even learn the ways of old. Rivendell is like "a house of rest" to me, for visits, perhaps.

I would choose Lothlorien...the timeless beauty tinged by sadness appeals to me somehow [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I would live in Rivendell. Of corse Lorien is great too but I would become kind of bored of all this perfect happines and beauty of the land. But after some time I also wouldn´t want to leave it because it´s so wonderfull there and I´d lose my sence of time and so on.
So I prefer to live in Rivendell. I always pictured it as a great place for adventureres to rest and live when they are not roaming the land. ..and since i´m an elven ranger, who takes care of eriador, i´d love to live in rivendell [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Grey Havens or Mirkwood for me. :P

Rivendell

Rivendell, because I would want to meet Glorfindel, and Arwen would always be walking around, making jaws drop. Plus, I'd grow up with Aragorn and know everything from Elronds countless manuscripts. And I'd meet more people as well.

None of the above for me! I choose to live in Lindon, the home of my grandfather Gil-Galad! Although, since I was raised in Lothlorien, I would keep another residence there, and one in Mirkwood for my hubby Legolas. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

'Quel andune (good afternoon)!
I would most definitely live in Rivendell. Lorien is a place of dreams, but to live there forever would not suit my tastes. Anyway: Galadriel had to fade to the West when the ring was destroyed, for her ring lost its power. Many of her followers probably went with her...I would not wish to go to the West. Rivendell, as I imagine it, would also be beautiful...not as dreamlike, but...still beautiful. It would be like asking someone do they prefer dream or a really beautiful reality...I choose the reality. That is my opinion, as a lowly 14-year old, anyway!

I would want 2 live in Rivendell

If I knock the movie images out of my head.. I think it would be Lothlorien.. all those beautiful mallorns...hmmmm. Especially seeing most elves really seem to prefer their own company, and it sounds as though there weren't that many visitors to Lothlorien. If I were a hobbit, then definitely Rivendell.. a place of good food, warm fires, lots of interesting tales from an assortment of visitors!

Lothlorien seems so utterly romantic and appealing to me...I think I would love to go there.

~~Daegwenn

I'd live in Rivendell with my nose constantly buried in a book. Then I'd hop in my time-machine come back and prove Balrogs don't have wings.

Well I would have to say Rivendell, since you didn't give us the choice of living in Mirkwood. I find Lothlorien, now that I have seen the movie 5 times [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] is creepy, but when I first read the book, before I ever saw Galadriel and her 'second personality' I thought it was the best place you could be. Now Rivendell to me is more opened and homey.

Can't i choose Mirkwood???

i think that i would rather not live in either. they both did eventually fade away, i wouldn't want to see something that i have grown to love fade away.

Rivendell. I defenitly would live in Rivendell, it just seems to me, to be more lively, yet peacefull. And so many great places to settle down with a book to read.

i would prefer utumno, but rivendellwould be my fancy.

Most definately Rivendell...it seems to be such a peaceful and breathtaking place to exist.

Another good reason to be in Rivendell, besides the merry dancing, singing, and drinking (and what real Russian doesn't love a real party? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] ) is of course GLORFINDEL. Now let him enter the brawl (over my affections, no less) with Elrond's brats, and show them who the REAL Elf-lord is.
Plus, seeing Arwen and Aragorn together would be...aaah, the cheesy romantic in me is rearing her ugly head! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

Now where would I be?
Uhm, Minas Morgul? [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]
Oops, don't give me that look.
No, if Mirkwood isn't an option, then it would definetely be Rivendell. After all, you find both Elrond, his sons and Glorfindel there. Yum yum. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

I would be a rover wandering all over the land but I'd have a small house in Rivendell or Lothlórien ( [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]) to rest and think and write poems. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Rivendell, Definately! Lothlorien sound nice, but it sounds almost boring in comparison to Rivendell. Rivendell would be more ethniclly diverse adding to the excitement and interest and I would want to hike up those cliffs. Lohtlorien is too flat! No challange!

i think galadriel is a bit of a flirt! frankly, if uy hav a boyfriend, dont go 2 lothlorien 4 2 long.....arwen seems much more solid 2 aragorn!
nah, i think lothlorien cud b a bit risky, cos its way 2 close to moria 4 comfort!
lol me

Well Amanaduial. I think Galadriel has one SERIOUS problem. Didn't you notice she has a severe case of PMS? Poor Celeborn if she acts like that every month..... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Very good question, I really like the two places, Rivendel, the peace for rest, Lothlorien, really good thinks to see there, mmm, I think that I prefer a little more Rivendel, I like the peace, to think, and to another things [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

That's easy, I'd chose Rivendell for sure. It always seemed to me to be the perfect place on earth while Lothlórien seemed to be too perfect to exist...
However, I could go there for a couple of years, let Elrond teach me EVERYTHING he knows about ME and then come back and surprise all of you guys with my knowlegde... hehe... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Vinya, the newbie [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I couldn't stand being in one of the two for all of my eternal Elf life (assuming my person is an Elf, hence this silly Elf name I got). I'd probably spend winter and autumn in Lórien, and spend spring and summer in Rivendell.
After you live their for one hundred some years, I imagine the place doesn't feel as enchanting as it once did O.o.

my impression of both places is that they were actually written in by tolkien (i would like to imagine [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]) as a study in contrasts. rivendell is an open, dynamic place filled with hope and healing, where all races of middle earth may find refuge or interact with one another. lothlorien is a closed, timeless place of dreams and unearthly trees, recreated from memories of the blessed realm, mysterious and hidden. you couldn't get two places more different than these.

having said that, i'd personally find the comfort of home and get more personal growth in rivendell. it has always seemed to me a more progressive place than lothlorien, and if i may interpret boldly, so did tolkien intended. which was why the council and fellowship met there; lothlorien the fellowship did pass, but as i see it, this was tolkien's way of showing what soon must be given up for the dominion of men.

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every man's life is a path to the truth -- hesse

I'd do anything to live in Lothlorien. Toklien's description of the timeless beauty of it fills my heart with longing for such a peaceful, harmonious place. The movie made Rivendell look so beautiful, but i would still pick Lothlorien [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

A lot of you are saying you wouldn't want to stay in just one place all your life. I wanted to remind you that you wouldn't have to. The question is where would you want to live. Of course travel and holidays are allowed. I would definately want to visit Mirkwood.

Personally, I'd like to live in Rivendell because Lorien seemed a bit too stuck-up to me with the Eldar and everything, also its a bit too close to Mordor and Moria for comfort in my mind. I like it that Rivendell is snug between the river and the mountains and seems a little more at home in a way.

Rivendell most definately. Besides all the forementioned reasons, they seem to have a greater tolerance for me and my fellow dwarves. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] In Lorien we'd keep everyone awake with our loud breathing. *Glares at Haldir*


(Or whoever it was, Legolas said "they say" so I'm not sure. But Haldir seemed like a reasonable choice [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img])