How old was Legolas?(again)

[Scapegoat]

I would like to present a theory that Legolas was a boy of about 9 years old when Smaug the Dragon descended on Erebor. This would make him about 252 year old at the time of the War of the Ring. First let me present this theory in full, then I will attempt to defend it.

Theory: When Legolas was a young boy, his father King Thranduil contracted with the Dwarves of Erebor to make his son a shirt of Mithril mail. It was never delivered due to the arrival of Smaug.

Of course I am speaking of the same Mithril mail given by Thorin to Bilbo.

In order for this theory to be correct a number of things have to be true. I will try to show that all of these particulars are reasonable and in most cases probable. Still if any link in this chain of logic is faulty, the whole theory fails.

First let us examine the the origin of this Mithril coat. Who made it and where?

The simplest explanation is that it was made by the Dwarves of Erebor. After all, it was of Dwarf make and it was found in Erebor. Thorin said it was made by his people. Also it was made of Mithril, a substance only mined in Moria, and doubtless more available to Durin's folk than to others, although still very rare.
Other possibilities come to mind. Smaug could have brought it with him from the Grey Mts or perhaps it was an old relic of Khazad-dum that Durin's folk carried with them before they finally settled in the Lonely Mtn. However it isn't clear how Smaug could come by a Mithril shirt made for an elf-boy whilst snoozing in the Grey Mountains, nor why Dwarves would hang on to it for centuries without putting it to some better use, like adjusting it to fit a Dwarf.
The 'Made in Erebor' scenario seems to fit all the known facts and requires the fewest assumptions. This, I think, makes it most likely to be the truth.

Next question. When was the Mithril coat made?

Bear in mind that while the shirt was made by Dwarves, it was made for an Elf. So there must be a reason that it was never delivered. The obvious reason is Smaug. If so, that would put the date of manufacture just before the Dragon's arrival(TA 2770). The coat could have been made long before and not delivered for some unknown reason, but again that makes us wonder why the Dwarves wouldn't have reforged it.
It would seem the 'Dragon Interruptus' scenario also fits the facts and requires the fewest assumtions.

Question three. Who was the coat made for?

It was for an Elf prince. He must have been just a boy since the coat was hobbit sized. I estimate he was nine years old because Beregond said that Pippin resembled a lad of nine summers and young elves had about the same growth rate as humans. But an Elf princeling didn't employ the Dwarves of Erebor. Where there is an Elf prince there must be an Elf Lord or Lady. Only an Elf of great wealth could have afforded such a gift for his son. A number of facts point to King Thranduil as the most likely candidate. His kingdom was by far the closest elf realm to Erebor. He was known to have engaged in commerce with his neighbors, while the other elf havens seem to have been secretive and closed. We know Thranduil had at least one son. The sons of Elrond were far to old, being born centuries before the founding of Erebor. Celeborn and Galadriel had only one daughter. No mention is made of Cirdan having children as far as I know.
There is one more piece of evidence that points to King Thranduil. Whoever ordered the coat was willing to spend a great deal of wealth on something of little practical value excepting its beauty. After all his son would soon grow out of it and certainly it wasn't to be worn in battle. In the Hobbit, the following is said about King Thranduil.

'If the elf-king had a weakness it was for treasure, especially for silver and white gems;'...

And the mithril-mail is described thus...

'It shown like moonlight silver, and was studded with white gems.'

Thranduil would have liked it.

Now for some possible objections to the mithril-mail/Legolas theory.

Why didn't King Thranduil claim the coat from Bilbo?
There is no doubt that Thranduil saw Bilbo wearing it. It is possible he didn't pay for the mail in advance and felt he had no right to it. Also it would hardly have been diplomatic for him to demand the coat after Bilbo had just given up the Arkenstone. In any case he said to Bilbo shortly after, "Bilbo Baggins! You are more worthy to wear the armour of elf-princes than many that have looked more comely in it."

Didn't Legolas say he was at least 500 years old?
Not quite. Here is the exact quote, spoken upon their arrival at the halls of King Theoden.

"Five hundred times have the red leaves fallen in Mirkwood in my home since then, and but a little while does that seem to us."

Note that Legolas says 'to us', not 'to me.' Some years ago the United States was celebrating the 200th aniversary of its Constitution. A European journalist was asked what he thought of the whole affair. His answer was that Europeans didn't think 200 years was a very long time. Of course we know that he was referring to the antiquity of European culture compared to that of America. Legolas could easily have meant the same thing, that Elvish civilization had been around much longer than Rohan.

Didn't Legolas mention feeling young again? Doesn't this imply he is not a 'young' elf?
It is difficult for us mortals to place ourselves in the mind of the Undying. Would an immortal being feel old after living 252 years? I don't know.

There have been a number of good theories about how old Legolas is. I have always thought that he was probably born at about the same time as the children of Elrond. Near the start of the Third Age. The above theory has the advantage of giving a more precise date of his birth. I give it a small chance of being true. So when Aragon held up the mithril mail for the Company to see, what do you suppose Legolas was thinking?

"Thief! Our Precous Mithril Coat! The Baggins! We hates it forever!"
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