The ears...

[the phantom]

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

Because pointy ears are unbelievably cool.

Seriously- ask some guy to draw a "super-cool-humanoid-type-thing" and I'll betcha 99% of the time the guy will stick pointy ears on the thing.

Vampires on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel look more evil with pointy ears. Vulcans on Star Trek look wiser with pointy ears. Elves in Lord of the Rings look hotter with pointy ears.

Why is this? I don't know. It's one of the great secrets of the universe. But there's certainly no doubt that pointy ears are just totally the way to go.

[Son of Númenor]

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

Perhaps Birdland was on to something when she said (in jest) that pointy ears give the impression of heightened senses (e.g. animals like bats) -- an attribute associated with fairies and elves in classical mythos. Powerful beings in Greek, Egyptian, et al. myths often have the features of animals. The Sphinx, centauri, satyrs, etc.

[Saraphim]

Here I am, on the internet, and I find myself nostalgic for the Downs. This is followed by the appropriate clicking and typing, then a glance at the long-backburned forums.

I can think of no better place for a return than a topic driven to death into the ground.

At any rate...

Quote:
Interesting. I wonder how and why "pointed ears" became one of the hallmarks of Faerie/Myth creatures.
Because pointy ears are unbelievably cool.

Seriously- ask some guy to draw a "super-cool humanoid type guy" and I'll betcha 99% of the time the guy will stick pointy ears on the thing.

Vampires on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel look more evil with pointy ears. Vulcans on Star Trek look wiser with pointy ears. Elves in Lord of the Rings look hotter with pointy ears.

Why is this? I don't know. It's one of the great secrets of the universe. But there's certainly no doubt that pointy ears are just totally the way to go.

Darn right.

Also, pointy ears set elves apart from your regular ol' human round ear, and way back in early times when we were creating myths to explain and excite, the idea of something that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a human was a fresh, enticing idea.

And, as Lathriel mentioned, there are people out there with slightly pointy ears, which is a rarity. Rarities have always either been idolized or condemned throughout history, the former in this case being true.

[Eruanna]

I always thought that the elves had poined ears, long before I read any of Tolkien's other works. I don't really know why, unless it is something that became deeply rooted because of childhood fairy stories.
I think perhaps that our interpretations spring from the romantic traditions of Victorian and Edwardian times. They were obsessed with all thing 'Faerie', paintings, statuary and poetry crammed Victorian ladies' sitting rooms. In turn the Victorian conception of fairies and elves came from the classical Greek tradition of nature spirits; fauns, satyrs and the like which were all depicted with pointed ears.
This is the kind of tradition that Tolkien himself would have known from the nursery. That he moved away from the Victorian ideas (yet retained some) and made something more of his elves we can only be grateful for.

[HerenIstarion]

The quote so oft given does not even say if auricles were pointed, or, say, lobes. Why not consider lobes as candidates for pointing, than?

[the phantom]

Why not consider lobes as candidates for pointing, than?

Because if the lobes were pointed Tolkien would've said so.

The quote so oft given does not even say if auricles were pointed

It doesn't have to say it. Everyone just assumes that it's the auricles that are pointed.

Here's an example...

"Vampires have pointy teeth."

Now, notice I didn't actually say that the points on the teeth were on the biting side of the teeth. Technically, the teeth might have spikes on their inner surfaces sticking in towards the vampire's throat and the biting surface could be flat.

Yet no one assumed such a thing when they read "Vampires have pointy teeth." Everyone assumed that it was the biting area that was pointy. Why? Because it's just generally known what is meant by pointy teeth. If the teeth are pointed in some way other than the usual way then I, as the author of the statement, would need to say something to specify. If I don't specify, then the teeth are pointed in the way everyone assumes they are.

Same thing with pointy ears. When people read that quote, I'd venture to say that every single person thought of pointy auricles, therefore Tolkien does not have to specify. If he had intended points on the lobes, he would've said so since no one assumes pointy lobes when they hear "pointy ears".

[Son of Númenor]

I think H-I's post was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Or tongue-in-ear, if you like.