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Originally Posted by Eönwë
Cirdan the shipwright. My favourite elf of all, and probably (I think) the wisest.
I'll just start on him for now. He has been alive on middle-earth for around 15,000 years. I'm sure that in that time he has had time to sort out a nice house. Think about that- 15,000 years in a tiny corrugated-mithril-roofed house?
Anyway, I'm sure it wasn't that bad. I know he wanted to go West, and was allowed to, but still, after bidden by the Valar, he stayed for many long years, through the darkness. If it wasn't a nice place, he certainly would have left.
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Agreed. And I don't think we should see Cirdan as alone. He probably had many followers who willingly shared his fate of remaining by the shores of Middle Earth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eönwë
I wonder how the Grey Havens looked. Imagine it. The sun setting behind the sea and the sea breeeze... wait I'm getting a bit carried away. I have a question myself. Do you think the Grey Havens were built up with stone, or more rural? And was it bustling during the day, or peaceful and quiet? Cheerful or Gloomy (I can imagine a cold breeze whistling through the cold stones of a long forgotten building, but I hope it wasn't like that)?
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I certainly imagine the Grey Havens to be a fairly substantial city, if perhaps partly abandoned, surrounded by stone walls, high and strong. Cirdan was present when Brithombar and Eglarest were sacked by Morgoth, strong as they were, and would not have built the Havens without considering its defenses. Here great ships were built which would require many kinds of labours and resources not nessesarily available nearby. Lumber must be cut and prepared, sails need to be weaved, etc etc. I would envision the Havens to be a fairly bustling place, even towards the end of the third age. Most inhabitants would have been busy with their everyday chores and although the people of Cirdan would have had a wistful longing to cross the sea, they also must have come to terms with their fate and made the best of the situation. They would have been fishermen, but the sea alone can't sustain a people which suggests farming and/or trade. They could probably come by many inland goods from the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains I reckon.
On a different note, how about the Palantir? The elves still had the one looking west at the end of the third age, didn't they?