Elrond: Mighty Among 🧝Elves AND MEN ?

[Ron Simpson]

Why Was Elrond Considered ‘Mighty among BOTH elves and men’ ? One I get, the other not so much.

IMHO, Elrond is the powerhouse personality in LoTR. He has it all: strength, kindness, wisdom, and of course his fantastic lineage is the stuff of perfection, and he is referred to as being mighty among both kindreds. Now, his mighty stature among Elves is unimpeachable (guardian of Vilya, accomplished war veteran, White Council member, great grandson of Turgon, and the list goes on… )

But why was he also considered to be mighty among Men? Naturally, the heirs of Isildur may have thought so, but who else? (Denethor barely knew where he lived, and we never hear of King Brand venerating him). Was it:
1. due to his kinship with the Edain of the 1st Age?
2. due to his kinship with Elros, thereby making him the great, great…….great grand-uncle of all the Numenorean race?
3. due to the support that he gave to the Dunedain during the wars of the northern kingdom,
4. due to his reputation & bonafides as a lore-master?

Any ideas…..?

Venerable he seemed as a king crowned with many winters, and yet hale as a tried warrior in the fulness of his strength. He was the Lord of Rivendell and mighty among both Elves and Men.
The Fellowship of the Ring, LoTR Book 2, Ch 1, Many Meetings

The sons of Eärendil were Elros and Elrond, the Peredhil or Half-elven. In them alone the line of the heroic chieftains of the Edain in the First Age was preserved; and after the fall of Gil-galad the lineage of the High-elven Kings was also in Middle-earth only represented by their descendants. LOTR Appendix A, Of Numenor: The Second Age

 

[Deleted member 12094]

You summed up the various elements of an answer pretty much yourself, Ron Simpson; you've clearly done your good part of thinking before you posted this.

Regarding Gondor, Boromir gave the reasons of Gondor's esteem for Elrond at the Council of Elrond:

This only would he [=Denethor] say, that Imladris was [...] where Elrond the Halfelven dwelt, greatest of lore-masters.​

The might of Elrond is in wisdom not in weapons, it is said.​

Apart from his kinship and his deeds in the past, Elrond was the foster father of Aragorn, which proves the significance of his standing among the Rangers of the North.

 

[Ron Simpson]

Hmm... I was hoping that there was more to it. I guess Mighty among Elves & Men of Westernesse is more appropriate, but doesn't flow as nicely as the original.