Unfair criticism of ROP Eldar.

[Galadriel55]

Mithril or otherwise, are we concluding that it was routine practice for Elves to fix up their hair a few times a day? For whatever reason the idea seems to tickle me. I'm just envisioning Saeros touching up the cowlicks with a bronze mirror in the lavatory...

ETA: as an unofficial "poll of opinions", I googled Saeros fan art. The vast majority portrays him with long hair, a couple pictures have him with shoulder length-ish hair. In every case his hair is at least as long as Turin's, and usually longer. Oh the irony.

[Tar Elenion]

Regarding Elven Hair:

"All the Eldar had beautiful hair (and were especially attracted by hair of exceptional loveliness), but the Noldor were not specially remarkable in this respect, and there is no reference to Finwe as having had hair of exceptional length, abundance, or beauty beyond the measure of his people."
PoMe, Shibboleth of Feanor

In a discussion of the meaning of Finwe's name (fin = hair in this iteration), specifically references Finwe's hair as not exceptionally more long or abundant than the hair of the other Eldar (who all had beautiful hair).

"But most it was their wont to sail in their swift ships upon the waters of the Bay of Elvenhome, or to walk in the waves upon the shore with their long hair gleaming like foam in the light beyond the hill."
Morgoth's Ring, Later Quenta Simarillion 1
The Teleri (who are Eldar) had long hair.

"Finwe (and Miriel) had long dark hair, so had Feanor and all the Noldor, save by intermarriage..."
NoMe, Hair
The Noldor (who are Eldar) had long hair.

"In general the Sindar appear to have very closely resembled the Exiles, being dark-haired, strong and tall, but lithe. Indeed they could hardly be told apart except by their eyes; for the eyes of all the Elves that had dwelt in Aman impressed those of Middle-earth by their piercing brightness. For which reason the Sindar often called them Lachend, pl. Lechind ‘flame-eyed’."
WotJ, Quendi and Eldar
The Sindar, who are Teleri (who have long hair) in origin, look like the Noldor, who have long hair.

"Their gleaming hair was twined with flowers; green and white gems glinted on their collars and their belts; and their faces and their songs were filled with mirth. Loud and clear and fair were those songs, and out stepped Thorin into their midst."
The Hobbit, Flies and Spiders
The Silvan Elves, who are Teleri (long hair) in origin, have hair long enough to twine flowers into.

The Song of Aelfwine
"There blowing free unbraided hair
is meshed with beams of Moon and Sun,
And twined within those tresses fair
a gold and silver sheen is spun,
As fleet and white the feet go bare,
and lissom limbs in dances run,
Shimmering in the shining air:
such loveliness to look upon
No mortal man hath ever won,
though foam upon the furthest sea
He dared, or sought behind the Sun
for winds unearthly flowing free.
O! Shore beyond the Shadowy Sea!
O! Land where still the Edhil are!"
Lost Road, FNII
Long hair for Elves implied by them unbraiding it and letting it blow freely in the wind.

[Mithadan]

Well thought out, Tar Elenion. But interpretation of JRRT's writing is necessarily in the "eye" of the reader (am I mixing... something?). Years ago, I visualized Elves as wearing Prince Valiant-style coifs. Later, I may have wavered between carefully groomed and shorter and shoulder length. It depends upon my mood. However, all should agree that Strider's hair was a long, unkempt mess. And maybe there is an analogy there to Turin?

[Bêthberry]

I am afraid I seem to have developed an earworm.

Gimme a head with hair
Long, beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming
Streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there (hair)
Shoulder length or longer (hair)
Here, baby, there, mama
Everywhere, daddy, daddy
Hair (hair, hair, hair, hair, hair)
Grow it, show it
Long as I can grow it
My hair
I let it fly in the breeze
And get caught in the trees

I return you now to your regular Tolkien channel.

[Mithadan]

Bêthberry, Someone I was with was just singing that song a few days ago.

Returning to the topic at hand, and, perhaps a bit more serious than my last post, some pertinent information from Vinyar Tengwar Vol. 6. VT, refering to the "Etymologies," lists three words in Quenya for "hair," locse, (hair), finde (braid or tress), and fasse (shaggy). I do not know if this supports or negates anyone's views regarding the length of the hair of male Elves.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

Bêthberry, Someone I was with was just singing that song a few days ago.

Returning to the topic at hand, and, perhaps a bit more serious than my last post, some pertinent information from Vinyar Tengwar Vol. 6. VT, refering to the "Etymologies," lists three words in Quenya for "hair," locse, (hair), finde (braid or tress), and fasse (shaggy). I do not know if this supports or negates anyone's views regarding the length of the hair of male Elves.

Funny how music can both age us and unite us.

Originally Posted by Michael Murry

How any of this relates to Elvish hair styles over millennia of time -- static. evolving, or cyclical -- I cannot say. In the present circumstances, as presented in the Rings of Impotence television series, Elvish "males" like Elrond, Celebrimbor, Finrod, and Gil-Galad, for example, look rather effeminate, if not gay, with their "less long than Legolas" hair styles, although they might have looked that way no matter how long or short their tresses.

Shaking my head loose from the earworm, I should add some more historical precedent. First, the gentlemen of the 18th century with their architecturally significant wigs--monarchs, philosophers, and the American "Founding Fathers", none of whom were I think particularly or specially important to Tolkien.

Of the top of my head I cannot recall any significant passages about hair in Old English literature or in Middle English lit either (that does not mean there aren't any which might relate) but there is one very significant passage which Tolkien no doubt knew very well.

Originally Posted by 1 Cor 11:14-15 KJV

Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

That smacks quite clearly with how Galadriel is depicted in LotR, but it also provides [Mithadan with some leaway about the length of hair amongst male elves.

EDIT: I would be remiss for failing to add the obvious symbolism of hair in the difference between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers in the English Civil War.

[Mithadan]

Beware the lee shore, indeed.

It seems likely that there is no conclusive answer to be found here.

While CSN sang "almost cut my hair, happened just the other day..." I do not feel that is canon...

[Michael Murry]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

I am afraid I seem to have developed an earworm. ... I return you now to your regular Tolkien channel.

Good catch. I had a similar experience remembering the Broadway musical "Hair" as well as the eponymous song by the Cowsills in the late 1960s. Very "Woodstock" and counter-culture. Of course, THE CULTURE struck back with "Okie From Muskogee," by country-and-western singer, Merle Haggard:

...
We don't make a party out of lovin';
We like holdin' hands and pitchin' woo;
We don't let our hair grow long and shaggy
Like the hippies out in San Francisco do.
...

But as we know, times and the ambient Culture change. Fast-forward a few decades and the country-and- western "outlaws" like Willie Nelson sport long hair -- braided and/or scruffy -- which would have made them right at home in San Francisco of the late '60's.

How any of this relates to Elvish hair styles over millennia of time -- static. evolving, or cyclical -- I cannot say. In the present circumstances, as presented in the Rings of Impotence television series, Elvish "males" like Elrond, Celebrimbor, Finrod, and Gil-Galad, for example, look rather effeminate, if not gay, with their "less long than Legolas" hair styles, although they might have looked that way no matter how long or short their tresses.

Anyway, not to worry, because -- circling back to our opening earworm -- The Cowsills said to just let it grow:

Down to here
Down to there
Down to where you never have to cut it
'Cause it stops by itself