The ears...

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

I recall from Tolkien's On Fairy Stories that he disliked the idea that they are for the "nursery room"

That does seem rather a dismissive approach for one so absorbed with mythology. My understanding is that the idea of Faerie beings having pointed ears pre-dates the "nursery room" incarnations of fairy-tales and has its roots in the much grimmer (if you'll pardon the pun) origins of those tales. Aren't many creatures of ancient mythology also portrayed with pointed ears, or is that just a modern take on them?

Interesting. I wonder how and why "pointed ears" became one of the hallmarks of Faerie/Myth creatures.