The Ultimate Discourse About Gildor

[Thinlómien]

I know the -ion ending is an possessive (fg. Heren Istarion is the Brotherhood of wizards)

This is all I know. I think those who know more elvish than I will tell more about that (if they happen to get to view this thread).

[Alcarillo]

Does anyone know the correct translation of "ion"?

In Quenya, -ion is one of two plural genitive suffixes (the other is -ron). For example, macili ohtarion means warriors' swords. But this is not -ion's only meaning, as Ardalambion shows us:

SON yondo (male descendant), also short form yón (Yón referring to Jesus as "the Son" in the source); dative i yondon "to the Son" in VT43:36-37. Cf. also the suffix -ion, e.g. Finwion "son of Finwë". Vocative yonya *"my son", a contraction of *yondonya. (The forms vô, vondo "son" in LT2 are certainly obsolete, as are the notions there recorded that yondo meant "(great) grandson" and that yô-, yond- "son" was used only in poetry. But LT2 does confirm that -ion was "very common...in patronymics".) SON OF THE DARK (= Morgoth) morion -YO, VT44:12, 17, VT43:36-37, MR:217, LR:61, LT2:336, 344, LT1:260 cf. FS

So -ion can mean "son of". I hope that cleared up any confusion.

[Gothmog]

Yes, thank you. That cleared things up...and made others more difficult. Still no-one dares to share their views of Gildor? I expected some of the people here on the Downs engaging in a fierce debate of his origin and role in ME. Maybe this topic is already old and discussed to much...

[Rhod the Red]

I think Gildor and his company should have escorted the Hobbits all the way to Rivendell. It wouldn't have been much trouble to put off wandering in The Shire!

While the Hobbits had gone into Bree the Elves could have waited outside and then joined them once Strider led them out. Simple.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Rhod the Red

I think Gildor and his company should have escorted the Hobbits all the way to Rivendell. It wouldn't have been much trouble to put off wandering in The Shire!

While the Hobbits had gone into Bree the Elves could have waited outside and then joined them once Strider led them out. Simple.

Maybe the Elves had something else to do.

[Rhod the Red]

Surely nothing could be more important than escorting the Ring to Rivendell? In my view nothing else did, Gildor knew that Frodo was persued and it would have been logical. Was Gandalf also meant to escort them, yes. The fact he couldn't turn up only increases the necessity of escort in my view.

[Thinlómien]

I actually didn't want start arguing on this topic... *sigh*

But, as many mentioned in LotR, Elves do have their own affairs and worries and they don't want to mix up with mortals' matters.

Gildor himself said he wouldn't like to counsel Frodo. If he wasn't ready to do that (though he actually did), why would he have been ready to escort Frodo on a journey that'd take weeks?

Even if Gildor would have thought it good idea to escort Frodo, his companions maybe wouldn't. (See the first point.)

Maybe the Elves were afraid also, and didn't want to set against the nazgûl.

The Elves were no free escort or guard service.

Last, and definitely not the least, the Elves didn't know about the Ring and so didn't understand the whole importance of the matter.