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Old 10-04-2005, 09:20 AM   #39
drigel
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
 
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: commonplace city
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One aspect of Tolkien's Elves which is world's away from the traditional figures (particularly the Irish Sidhe) is in their sexual mores. The Fairies of tradition are notoriously lascivious & this sexual element was extremely shocking to the early Christian redactors of the Pagan material.
I keep coming back to this thought. From what Ive been exposed to, it seems the traditional view on sexuality is one sided. The faeries being the aggressor as it were. Their human victims either being duped, or forced into the relationship. Is this right? Or do I need to dig up more material?

Contrast this with the Legendarium, where the few times (at least with the "higher elves") it happened it was very much mutual, and the Choice had to be made. Producing offspring for elves was also very much a Task, the sexuality nothing more than a means to the end.

Of course, initially, my modern mind views the traditional model as mainly an excuse: "I was faithfull, really! It was a confounded elf that accosted me!", etc. But anyways, the stuff I read the tryst has been either forced, coerced, or manipulated in some way by faerie, resulting in either a cursed or magiked baby, and / or the disappearance of the victim.
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