[Encaitare]

Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle

I think the difference between these two realms centres upon the fact that Rivendell is a place of lore: the past is in the past, it's over and Elrond has accepted that, however ruefully. As a result, Rivendell is wonderful but not nearly so miraculous (or even magical) as Lorien: nor as dangerous. In Lorien, as davem reminds us, the time/land of faerie is still the lived reality of the realm; the past is not past, but is now. In effect, Rivendell/Elrond have made the decision to forsake Middle-earth: they've accepted the fact of their long defeat. Galadriel/Lorien have not yet made that decision -- this land knows that an end is coming, but seems not quite ready to accept that yet.

Interesting comparison of Rivendell and Lorien, Fordim. Both are elf-realms and safehavens in a time of war, maintained by the quiet power of the Elven-rings. Yet, Rivendell is the kind of place which the average person would feel safe (although possibly a bit intimidated by the wisdom of its inhabitants -- unless, of course, that person was Boromir ); it is a place which people would seek for safety and knowledge. Rivendell, despite all it has to offer, is more mundane than Lorien, more connected to the "here and now." Elrond's strength is said to be not in weapons but in lore. He recognizes the past as just that, and considers it something to be learned from and not lived in.

Lorien, on the other hand, does not seem to have changed much from at least Nimrodel's time. Unlike Rivendell, it is a place that few, save Elves and those with prior knowledge of it, such as Aragorn, would choose to go. The House of Elrond is held in esteem among different peoples, but Lorien seems to have a bad rap because of its mysterious qualities. Legolas' words after singing a portion of the Lay of Nimrodel shows that the Elves have begun to fade already:

"I cannot sing any more," he said. "That is but a part, for I have forgotten much."

The Elves are beginning to, in a sense, lose themselves to the unavoidable (however hard they try to evade it) passing of time. Fordim notes that it is understood the end of Lorien is approaching, but the Elves there, and especially Galadriel, do not seem to have accepted it. Haldir, however, speaks of a foreboding he has:

"Some there are among us who sing that the Shadow will draw back, and peace shall come again. Yet I do not believe that the world around us will ever again be as it was of old, or the light of the Sun as it was aforetime. For the Elves, I fear, it will prove at best a truce, in which they may pass to the Sea unhindered and leave the Middle-earth forever."

One could call him pessimistic, but the fact that some of his kind are displaying what seems to be a naive sort of hope, brought on by their prolonged detachment from the rest of the world, makes him seem quite the realist. He also seems to understand the necessity of standing together against the threat of Mordor. Since the beginning of the chapter, he has gotten over his initial prejudice against Gimli, and removes his blindfold first of anyone's.

I especially like this:

Never before had he been so suddenly and so keenly aware of the feel and texture of a tree's skin and of the life within it. He felt a delight in wood and the touch of it, neither as forester nor as carpenter; it was the delight of the living tree itself.

A huzzah for the tree-hugging Professor!