Elvish Reproduction

[The Saucepan Man]

Perhaps Elvish females remains fertile for only a short (in Elvish terms) period (no pun intended), say 150-200 years or so. This would explain why their children are born relatively early on in their marriages.

Possibly, as silqeleni suggested, the onset of fertility is triggered by impending marriage. Does anyone know of Elvish children born out of wedlock?

Also, I think someone indicated that most Elvish children tend to be born in Spring. Perhaps the females are only fertile once per year (which would certainly go some ways towards relieving the burden of menstruating for some 200 years). Since their gestation period is a year, this would tie in with our own ideas about Spring being the season of fertility (Rites of Spring, new born lambs and all that).

Pure speculation, I know, but it seems to make sense to me.

[Nukapei]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

Possibly, as silqeleni suggested, the onset of fertility is triggered by impending marriage. Does anyone know of Elvish children born out of wedlock?

Good point, TSM, but not the one you were bringing out. For Elves, the actual marriage ceremony amounted to a hill of beans as to rather two Elves were considered married or not. It was the *ahem* "union" *ahem* (to use the Professer's own word) that legally bound and wed two Elves. In body as well as spirit -- they became unified in a way that humans, by and large, do not. Divorce was not only unheard of, it was unthinkable -- like cutting off your own hand, physically you can do it, but who in their right mind wants to?

So, perhaps the actual "act" triggers female reproduction to kick in? It certainly makes some changes to the modern-day human female body, why not the Elvish one? And, like human females, perhaps Elves only have but so many eggs, and when they're gone they're gone, hence having children early in the marriage, and only having a few. (although, that goes back to the "Elves mensturating" theory).

I can provide links, for anyone whose interested.