Elves, Men, and Perceptions of Time - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 06-14-2003, 05:29 AM

I suspect it comes back to the inevitability of death, which affects the Elves as much as the mortal races, but in a different way, obviously.

The Elves are motivated to 'do something about death'. How can (from their point of view) death be 'natural', when they themselves, the MOST natural beings, closest to nature, with the greatest love of nature, don't truly die. Its WRONG, so it needs putting right. So they make the Rings....

The Elves are too backward looking to think about the future is the way men would. The future simply could not be as good as the past has been. It will happen, indeed, they're stuck with it - but they don't have to like it! If they can stop it, great! Embalm the world, freeze that one perfect moment.

At the same time, lets keep in mind that for an elf who's lived in the world for thousands of years, the amount of death they would have experienced, natural & unnnatural, must have been appalling. Its understandable that they would be tempted to stop it, if only for a short time. But their pride came out, the rings were too tempting for them, & they fell.

So Galadriel's rejection of the One, is that much more moving, her acceptance of the Inevitability of Death, change, rather than taking it & embalming ME, against its nature & the will of Eru.

06-14-2003, 05:29 AM	#10
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	I suspect it comes back to the inevitability of death, which affects the Elves as much as the mortal races, but in a different way, obviously. The Elves are motivated to 'do something about death'. How can (from their point of view) death be 'natural', when they themselves, the MOST natural beings, closest to nature, with the greatest love of nature, don't truly die. Its WRONG, so it needs putting right. So they make the Rings.... The Elves are too backward looking to think about the future is the way men would. The future simply could not be as good as the past has been. It will happen, indeed, they're stuck with it - but they don't have to like it! If they can stop it, great! Embalm the world, freeze that one perfect moment. At the same time, lets keep in mind that for an elf who's lived in the world for thousands of years, the amount of death they would have experienced, natural & unnnatural, must have been appalling. Its understandable that they would be tempted to stop it, if only for a short time. But their pride came out, the rings were too tempting for them, & they fell. So Galadriel's rejection of the One, is that much more moving, her acceptance of the Inevitability of Death, change, rather than taking it & embalming ME, against its nature & the will of Eru. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."