Are elves vegetarians?
 

I wonder whether elves, at least High-Elves, are vegetarians. In the Hobbit it is mentioned that the Wood-eöves hunt and consume meat, but meat is not consumed when the Hobbits feast with Gildor's people, during their stay at Rivendell or in Lorien. As far as I can recall the elves do not it meat throughout the Silmarillion

In any case, did not the elves teach every living thing how to speak. It would be rude to eat whom you can talk to, don't you think? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

How do you explain Celegorm being known as a great hunter in Valinor then? Elven hunters definitely existed in Valinor, so I see no reason for them not to exist in Middle-earth.

That's a very good point.
I have trouble with the idea of terrified deer, hapless little bunnies and so on, hunted to death and having their innards gnawed by dogs, in the woods of the Blessed Realm, but I suppose they must have done...I wonder how Yavanna felt about it all.

The Elves in Middle-Earth eat meat but what about the elves in Valinor. Like Lalaith said Yavanna may have been annoyed with Elves hunting in M-E but even more so in the Blessed realm.

Well, we know that they hunted, especially under Oromë, so I assume that Yavanna condoned it. I'm sure that the Elves didn't go rampantly killing every animal in sight. For example, they probably only killed male deer who had just lost to a younger deer, or a doe that didn't appear to have a young fawn with her. They could have left alone all the mothers with young to take care of, and hunted the older, slightly more isolated animals. That way, no rampant killing goes on, and no animal young are left to fend for themselves too early.

There was at least one branch of the Elves that refused to eat mean, but I can't remember which one.

Elves are very in tune with nature. They remind me of Native American cultures. Elves probably only took what they needed and they were sure to give back. If they cut down a tree they planted a new one. If they killed an animal they may have cared for sick or injured animals they found.

Yavanna loved all her creations, but she didn't go all human over them(excuse the expression) I'm sure she realised that animals would be used for meat, she probably created them as such. The Valar are much wiser and understanding than any vegeterian elf. I think Yavanna just didn't want her creations waisted, like why she created ents.

i rember something in the hobbit about when the dwarves enter mirkwood and survive the spiders, they see elves cooking roast meat.

As Metropolis mentioned at least one kind of elves did not eat meat, the Laiquendi, or Green Elves whe dwelt in Ossiriand.