immortality

If the Elves are supposed to be immortal and never grow old, then how did they become the age they are? Were the Elves born that age? If any of them have a baby, does it stay a baby forever?

I was wondering how Elves give up their immortality. Do they just say to themselves: "I'm mortal now!" and POOF! they're mortal? Or do they have to "pull a plug" (figure of speach...)?

Questions, questions (part III) For some reason I always thought that Maia were immortal. Doesn't it say that somewhere in Tolkien's works?

I was told that my idea is wrong....you tell me. What are you thoughts and opnions? Please, if you make any claims, support them with written sources. here is my essay: Arwen's immortality It should be addressed that Arwen is not immortal and does not lose her "immortality" when she...

why don't they overpopulate?

Life after death? The questions of immortality. There's one thing that baffles me about LotR... Gandalf "passed away" on the top of that one mountain, correct? How was he brought back to life? Can Maia die? Was he really dead? WHAT'S THE DEAL, PEOPLE?!?! *scratching her head in...

Gandalf died after killing the balrog but came back to life as gandalf the white. Could someone explain if the maia are mortal or im and why gandalf wasnt dead?

A gift or a curse? I was thinking about elves and their immortal life ,when I wondered is it a gift or a curse? I thought:"Elves will live forever if they're not killed or languished.They will feel all pain of Earth. I felt that their immortal life is not a gift ,but a curse.I'm wondering...

It is said that Gimli ruled Aglarond for more than 100years, but after the death of Aragorn he joined Legolas and some say, travelled with him to The Undying Lands. If this was so, would he have returned to the Mansions of Aule as some say or did he wander freely and so become immortal such...

The Havens I was wondering if at the end of the Lord of the Rings when Frodo, Sam, Gimli and Bilbo all went off into the West did they all become immortal.

I'm thinking about the state of the elves at the close of the Third Age. Obviously, their collective military strength is much less than it was an Age earlier (due to dwindling numbers). But what about their individual power? Think about Elrond, who was a great warrior at the time of...

In the Silmarilion the fact that Tinuviel gave up her immortality is mentioned. She could not do it by her own but only by asking the valar to do it, and by that sacrifice Beren has returned from the dead... In the movie(I am not sure that it also appears in the book), Arwen tells Aragorn that...

Dear Silmarillion Fanatics, Do you believe that the gift of the elves, Immortal life on Arda is greater than the Gift of Men - death? I think this is a tough question, but I believe that the Gift of Men is ultimately greater than any gift given to Elves or the Valar because as stated in...