#theelves — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #theelves, aggregated by home.social.
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Q: Are Orcs And Elves The Same Race Or Not?
ANSWER: People have asked variations on this question since The Silmarillion was first published. Maybe the question arose even before 1977. There is no definitive answer to the question, given that Tolkien never flatly answered it in any book AND he began revising his thoughts on Orc origins in his private notes.
But the question has reared its […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/are-orcs-and-elves-the-same-race-or-not/ -
Q: Are Orcs And Elves The Same Race Or Not?
ANSWER: People have asked variations on this question since The Silmarillion was first published. Maybe the question arose even before 1977. There is no definitive answer to the question, given that Tolkien never flatly answered it in any book AND he began revising his thoughts on Orc origins in his private notes.
But the question has reared its […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/are-orcs-and-elves-the-same-race-or-not/ -
Q: Are Orcs And Elves The Same Race Or Not?
ANSWER: People have asked variations on this question since The Silmarillion was first published. Maybe the question arose even before 1977. There is no definitive answer to the question, given that Tolkien never flatly answered it in any book AND he began revising his thoughts on Orc origins in his private notes.
But the question has reared its […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/are-orcs-and-elves-the-same-race-or-not/ -
Q: Are Orcs And Elves The Same Race Or Not?
ANSWER: People have asked variations on this question since The Silmarillion was first published. Maybe the question arose even before 1977. There is no definitive answer to the question, given that Tolkien never flatly answered it in any book AND he began revising his thoughts on Orc origins in his private notes.
But the question has reared its […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/are-orcs-and-elves-the-same-race-or-not/ -
Q: Are Orcs And Elves The Same Race Or Not?
ANSWER: People have asked variations on this question since The Silmarillion was first published. Maybe the question arose even before 1977. There is no definitive answer to the question, given that Tolkien never flatly answered it in any book AND he began revising his thoughts on Orc origins in his private notes.
But the question has reared its […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/are-orcs-and-elves-the-same-race-or-not/ -
Q: How Far Can Elves See?
ANSWER: I received the following question in May of 2025:
Just how far can Elves see and in what detail? In “The Two Towers” right after restoring Theoden, they are looking eastward from outside Meduseld at Edoras. In referring to Legolas it says “It seemed to Legolas, as he strained his farseeing eyes, that he caught a glint of white: far away perchance the sun […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/how-far-can-elves-see/ -
Q: How Far Can Elves See?
ANSWER: I received the following question in May of 2025:
Just how far can Elves see and in what detail? In “The Two Towers” right after restoring Theoden, they are looking eastward from outside Meduseld at Edoras. In referring to Legolas it says “It seemed to Legolas, as he strained his farseeing eyes, that he caught a glint of white: far away perchance the sun […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/how-far-can-elves-see/ -
Chapter XVI in The Nature of Middle-earth is titled “Dwellings in Middle-earth”. It begins with a linguistic discussion of various Elvish words used to describe types of dwellings. A dwelling could be as simple as a place where the Eldar slept in the wild, such as a temporary “hall”-like structure.
The concept of a “dwelling place” evolved through different uses, eventually describing […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/halls-houses-and-habitations-of-the-elves/ -
Chapter XVI in The Nature of Middle-earth is titled “Dwellings in Middle-earth”. It begins with a linguistic discussion of various Elvish words used to describe types of dwellings. A dwelling could be as simple as a place where the Eldar slept in the wild, such as a temporary “hall”-like structure.
The concept of a “dwelling place” evolved through different uses, eventually describing […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/halls-houses-and-habitations-of-the-elves/ -
In The Nature of Middle-earth there is a chapter titled “Note On Elvish Economy”. In years past I wrote a great deal about the economies of Middle-earth. But I didn’t have access to NoME in those days. So I thought I’d catch up a little bit on the trivia about Elves and agriculture.
Tolkien wrote this essay on Elvish economy in 1968. The opening paragraph reads thus:
Arable. The Sindar did […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/little-known-details-about-tolkien-elves/ -
In The Nature of Middle-earth there is a chapter titled “Note On Elvish Economy”. In years past I wrote a great deal about the economies of Middle-earth. But I didn’t have access to NoME in those days. So I thought I’d catch up a little bit on the trivia about Elves and agriculture.
Tolkien wrote this essay on Elvish economy in 1968. The opening paragraph reads thus:
Arable. The Sindar did […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/little-known-details-about-tolkien-elves/ -
Q: Why Did Mahtan Develop A Beard So Early In Life?
ANSWER: I received the following question in May 2025:
Regarding your wondering about: “Miriel’s father Mahtan had a beard in his second cycle” – this seems a special grace of Aulë whose devotee Mahtan was? Aulë seemed a fan of beards – at least according to his dwarves?
So, first of all, this question quotes an article I wrote in […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/why-did-mahtan-develop-a-beard-so-early-in-life/ -
Q: Why Did Mahtan Develop A Beard So Early In Life?
ANSWER: I received the following question in May 2025:
Regarding your wondering about: “Miriel’s father Mahtan had a beard in his second cycle” – this seems a special grace of Aulë whose devotee Mahtan was? Aulë seemed a fan of beards – at least according to his dwarves?
So, first of all, this question quotes an article I wrote in […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/why-did-mahtan-develop-a-beard-so-early-in-life/ -
Q: Did J.R.R. Tolkien Clearly, Definitively Resolve Questions About Noldorin High Kingship?
ANSWER: Through the years I’ve received many questions about Gil-galad, the High Kings of the Noldor, why Elrond (or Galadriel) didn’t succeed Gil-galad, etc. These are not easy questions to answer. And in May 2025 I received the following set of questions that really dig into the topic:
Gil-galad was […]
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Q: Questions About Galadriel
ANSWER: I see many questions about Galadriel in the search referrals for this Website. While I’m sure many of those questions are answered by various articles here, it’s not clear people are finding what they’re looking for. If you search for Galadriel on this site you’ll find a lot of articles.
So here are some of the most common questions about Galadriel […]
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Q: Questions About Galadriel
ANSWER: I see many questions about Galadriel in the search referrals for this Website. While I’m sure many of those questions are answered by various articles here, it’s not clear people are finding what they’re looking for. If you search for Galadriel on this site you’ll find a lot of articles.
So here are some of the most common questions about Galadriel […]
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A
Q: Questions About Galadriel
ANSWER: I see many questions about Galadriel in the search referrals for this Website. While I’m sure many of those questions are answered by various articles here, it’s not clear people are finding what they’re looking for. If you search for Galadriel on this site you’ll find a lot of articles.
So here are some of the most common questions about Galadriel […]
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[caption id="attachment_17086" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Gildor Inglorion is a mysterious character in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, but we have as many questions about how he and his people traveled across Middle-earth as about him. Here is what we know.[/caption]
An Elf and a Ranger were camping out in Eriador one night. As they lay in their blankets, the Elf nudged the Ranger and said, […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/where-in-the-wild-is-gildor-inglorion/
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[caption id="attachment_14608" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Random comments in online discussions about J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle-earth often reveal the unlikely things people believe to be true about Tolkien’s fictional works. Here are a few myths fans share and the truth about them.[/caption]
Q: Are The Myths Of The Tolkien Elves True?
ANSWER: I can’t enumerate every myth about […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/are-these-myths-about-tolkien-elves-true/
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[caption id="attachment_14561" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien disagree on many details about how Middle-earth’s cultures should have looked and operated. But J.R.R. Tolkien was clear about how the cultures mingled over time. Here is what we know.[/caption]
Q: Were There Any Cultural Melting Pots In Middle-earth?
ANSWER: Yes. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about numerous […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/were-there-any-cultural-melting-pots-in-middle-earth/
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[caption id="attachment_14385" align="alignright" width="720"] The Teleri built Alqualondë on the northern shores of Aman in Eldamar. But was this Swan-haven considered to be a part of Valinor, too? Here is what we know.[/caption]
Q: Is Alqualondë Formally Considered To Be Part of Valinor?
ANSWER: I received the following question in December 2023:
Is Alqualondë formally considered to […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/is-alqualonde-formally-considered-to-be-part-of-valinor/
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[caption id="attachment_14385" align="alignright" width="720"] The Teleri built Alqualondë on the northern shores of Aman in Eldamar. But was this Swan-haven considered to be a part of Valinor, too? Here is what we know.[/caption]
Q: Is Alqualondë Formally Considered To Be Part of Valinor?
ANSWER: I received the following question in December 2023:
Is Alqualondë formally considered to […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/is-alqualonde-formally-considered-to-be-part-of-valinor/
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[caption id="attachment_13705" align="aligncenter" width="720"] The Three Elven Rings were associated with Air, Fire, and Water. Readers want to know if those associations were inspired by Greek philosophy. Here is what we know.[/caption]
Q: What Was the Significance of Air, Fire, and Water for the Three Rings?
ANSWER: I received the following question in December 2023:
One thing that’s […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/what-was-the-significance-of-air-fire-and-water-for-the-three-rings/
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[caption id="attachment_13346" align="alignright" width="720"] J.R.R. Tolkien mentioned alcoholic drinks several times in ‘The Lord of the Rings’. A reader asks if Legolas was drunk on Caradhras after drinking Miruvor. Here is what we know.[/caption]
Q: Did Legolas Get Drunk In LoTR?
ANSWER: This is a serious question. In October 2023 a reader asked: “Was Legolas drunk at the pass of the […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/did-legolas-get-drunk-in-lotr/
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[caption id="attachment_13346" align="alignright" width="720"] J.R.R. Tolkien mentioned alcoholic drinks several times in ‘The Lord of the Rings’. A reader asks if Legolas was drunk on Caradhras after drinking Miruvor. Here is what we know.[/caption]
Q: Did Legolas Get Drunk In LoTR?
ANSWER: This is a serious question. In October 2023 a reader asked: “Was Legolas drunk at the pass of the […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/did-legolas-get-drunk-in-lotr/
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[caption id="attachment_13279" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Aragorn is sometimes depicted with a beard and sometimes without. The image of Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn is iconic. But J.R.R. Tolkien himself always pictured the character without a beard. So what happened? Here is what we know.[/caption]
Q: Did J.R.R. Tolkien Confirm That Aragorn Was Beardless?
ANSWER: In March 2022 Alex […]
https://middle-earth.xenite.org/did-j-r-r-tolkien-confirm-that-aragorn-was-beardless/