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Half 🧝elves

Anamatar IV

Anamatar IV

Anabadger
Joined
Aug 15, 2002
Messages
3,825
How does a half elven like Elrond or Elros decide which race they will be?:confused:

Would they just say "I want to be mortal" and poof they are?

Obviously they can't go to Aman and decide since mortals are not allowed to set foot there. Is there a ritual or something?:confused:
 
oh come on Anamatar at least give Rasec credit for asking that ingenius quetion:D, anyway that was originally a question Rasec asked of me and Anamatar.
 
Yes, here I am. =) I don't mind that Anamatar asked this. He did it for me. Or maybe not? :rolleyes:

'Cesar.
 
i would say (unfortunetly without a quote from the book) that the choice of a half elf is probly just a matter of will. The one decided to be elf; the other to be man. Just as Arwen decided to give up her immortality for Aragorn.
 
I understand it was a matter of will but exactly how would one go about doing that?

At like 100 years old would they say "I will be an elf"?

Probably not since if they chose to be mortal half their life is gone already and they might die RIGHT afterwards.

So it must have taken place earlier in their lives. but how?
 
Hey Anamatar I just thought of something, but its just a theory and I have absolutely nothing to back it up. But maybe it all depends on who they decide to marry. Earendil chose a mortal wife and then he was mortal, Elrond chose an elvish wife and he was elf, and Elros chose a mortal wife (though I don't know who it was) and he was mortal, and Luthien chose a mortal husband and was mortal, Arwen chose a mortal husband and she became mortal, so you see the pattern.....
But the only problem with what you said before Anamatar about deciding to be mortal all of a sudden and then dying RIGHT after does not seem to work, because Arwen was a few hundred years old, and I think Luthien was too, when they got married. So it doesn't necessarily have to be early on in their lives, because Arwen lived for a very long time after she forsake her people, as did Luthien if I'm not mistaken. Anyway, its just a theory.
Glorf;)
 
Earendil and Elwing were both Half-elves and both chose 'immortality'.
Elrond chose 'immortality' 3500 years before he wed.
Elros probably chose 'mortality' before he wed, but this is not known for sure.
Arwen was not 'immortal' since she had not yet made her Choice.
 
Elrond and Elros were given the choice by the Valar after the War of Wrath. They were able to speak with the Valar directly. As for the Children of these two, those of Elros had to abide by his choice and be bound to the fate of Men. In the case of the Children of Elrond, these were also given the choice of which Kindred to by judged with. However, it seems that they could not make this choice until Elrond left Middle-earth.
 
Interesting, Gothmog. But yet it did not answer my question entirely. Elrond and Elrod were able to speak with the Valar, but what about the other ones? If they were not able to speak directly with the Valar, how did they turn either mortal or immortal?

'Rasec.
 
The Half-Elven who were given the choice were Earendil and Elwing, their children Elrond and Elros and the children of Elrond - Elrohir, Elladan and Arwen Undomiel.

Earendil and Elwing both sailed to Aman and spoke to the Valar there and there were given the choice.

After the War of Wrath the Valar gave the choice to Elrond and Elros.

Elrohir, Elladan and Arwen would live with the youth of the Eldar until such time as Elrond left Middle-earth. They did not need to talk to the Valar as their choice would be either to leave with their father and go to the West as the Firstborn or remain in Middle-earth as the Secondborn.

So had Elrond remained in Middle-earth for longer Arwen could have sailed with him to the West after the death of Aragorn and been counted as one of the Firstborn.
 
Only the ones you mentioned were given the choice? Well, then you explained everything very clearly. Thanks, Gothmog. I thought that many more half-elves had the choice to be either mortal or immortal.
See you soon,

'Rasec.
 
yes, thank you Gothmog.

But along these lines I have another question--I dont think the sons of Elrond were with him when he left middle-earth...but I could be wrong. Now them two were elven, right?:confused:
 
Arwen is the only child of Elrond that we have certain knowledge of. In the case of Elladan and Elrohir, all that we have is the statements that "They delayed their choice and remained in Rivendell for a time after the departure of Elrond". I have seen nothing in my reading so far to show for sure what did happen to them after this. If they stayed in Middle-earth for too long they would have aged as did Men and therefore they would have died.

I would say that if they chose to be among the Firstborn they must have left not later than when Celeborn of Lothlorien took ship to the west. But that is just my (not at all humble :D ) opinion.

Hope that is of some help.:)
 
Yes, Gothmog, it did help.
"They delayed their choice and remained in Rivendell for a time after the departure of Elrond".
Click to expand...
If it is exactly what is written by Tolkien, then I myself think it is obvious they chose to be immortal. "...remained in Rivendell FOR A TIME after the departure of Elrond" - for me it means that they left some time after Elrond. Doesn't it seem obvious?

See you soon,
'Rasec.
 
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