Quote:
Originally Posted by Findegil
But from the Hobbit it is clear that the Elves of Mirkwood did not trade farther as Esgaroth. The Trade up and down the Celduin was done by manish ships.
This man that the relam of Dorwinion (equaliy if it were Elves or Men who settled there) had not to tarde directly with Mirkwood. Nonetheless a central point of trade would be needed and it would be mostprobably be a city in Dorwinion, probably the capital.
Respectfully
Findegil
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That's true, but the point I was trying to make was that the elves would have had to have somewhere in Dorwinion where they goods they made were sent to be sent on to Esgaroth. Either there has to be an elven city where the varios elven farmers and craftsmen could send their goods for the men to pick up or relations between Dorwinion elves and Dorwinion men would have to be so good that elves would have been comfortable entering some mannish city (as you said, probably the capital) on a very regular basis, which would probably mean at least a few elves actually LIVING in the city alongside men. And giving the behavior most of the other elven groups show with regards to associating with men, Elves living cheek to cheek with men anywhere just doesn't seem likely (the elven habit of simply sending the empties down the river to wash up in Dale (as opposed to say, sending them back on their own ships, or letting men of dale come and pick them up at Mirkwood, seems to idicate a tendency even here to have as little actual contact with non-elves as possible while still getting the wine and goods they wanted). The only other option I can see that doesn't involve either of the above two is Dorwinion having men traders who were actually permitted by the elves to visit them on a regular basis to pick up thier goods, again an unusally close relationship of man and elf by ME standards.