I am not sure where to put this thread, it's mostly (but not exclusively) related to the Silmarillion. or maybe the Peoples of Middle Earth. Let me know if there is a better place.
The topic is how is elves's life in Aman.
We know elves are sort of immortal, it's a tricky concept in Tolkien's world. What really matters is the Fea, not the Hroa, and all Feas (I think that's not the correct plural) but fea is the quenya word for soul, so let's stick to English.
All souls are immortal, elves, men, dwarves, hobbits, the difference between the elves and other races is that their souls are stuck in Arda, the others, when separated from the body go somewhere, not specified but the elves remain if the body dies, either in Mandos or re-embodied.
Now, unlike other races, elves's bodies don't naturally die, they can be killed, die of sorrow, etc, but otherwise last as long as Arda does.
And here is the point, what do they do with so much time? Elves in Middle Earth have a purpose, the wars against Morgoth or Sauron, governing Lorien or Rivendel or Doriath and others, but in Aman, they just live.
They completely safe there, no evil can reach Aman after it was taken away from the rest of Arda. Morgoth and Sauron are defeated. But how do they spend their time?
Surely, there are tests, they love poetry and music, the Noldor like crafts, the Teleri sailing.
Most elves in Aman have lived for many thousands years.
In some cases, they might have each other (couples), think of Tuor and Idril (assuming Tuor as turn into an elf), by the time of LOTR he would have been over 6,500 years old, Idril much older. They have each other and maybe that's enough, same as Finarfin and Earwen, or Ingwe and Inwel, but many elves don't have a spouse, or they lost them, Anaire, Nerdanel, Indis and many others.
They live in paradise, sure, but are the beautiful landscapes, poetry, music, arts enough let's say for Indis? she lost her husband and all her children except Findis, all her grandchildren except Galadriel (and Finrod?) and she's been like that for over 6,000 years.
I don't know if Tolkien ever addressed this, he did in a way when said that immortality could be a burden, that's why death is the gift of Iluvatar to men, but still, did Iluvatar create the elves so they could die of boredom?
They could have a purpose in Middle Earth, but that's not their place, if they stay, they fade.
Thoughts?
The topic is how is elves's life in Aman.
We know elves are sort of immortal, it's a tricky concept in Tolkien's world. What really matters is the Fea, not the Hroa, and all Feas (I think that's not the correct plural) but fea is the quenya word for soul, so let's stick to English.
All souls are immortal, elves, men, dwarves, hobbits, the difference between the elves and other races is that their souls are stuck in Arda, the others, when separated from the body go somewhere, not specified but the elves remain if the body dies, either in Mandos or re-embodied.
Now, unlike other races, elves's bodies don't naturally die, they can be killed, die of sorrow, etc, but otherwise last as long as Arda does.
And here is the point, what do they do with so much time? Elves in Middle Earth have a purpose, the wars against Morgoth or Sauron, governing Lorien or Rivendel or Doriath and others, but in Aman, they just live.
They completely safe there, no evil can reach Aman after it was taken away from the rest of Arda. Morgoth and Sauron are defeated. But how do they spend their time?
Surely, there are tests, they love poetry and music, the Noldor like crafts, the Teleri sailing.
Most elves in Aman have lived for many thousands years.
In some cases, they might have each other (couples), think of Tuor and Idril (assuming Tuor as turn into an elf), by the time of LOTR he would have been over 6,500 years old, Idril much older. They have each other and maybe that's enough, same as Finarfin and Earwen, or Ingwe and Inwel, but many elves don't have a spouse, or they lost them, Anaire, Nerdanel, Indis and many others.
They live in paradise, sure, but are the beautiful landscapes, poetry, music, arts enough let's say for Indis? she lost her husband and all her children except Findis, all her grandchildren except Galadriel (and Finrod?) and she's been like that for over 6,000 years.
I don't know if Tolkien ever addressed this, he did in a way when said that immortality could be a burden, that's why death is the gift of Iluvatar to men, but still, did Iluvatar create the elves so they could die of boredom?
They could have a purpose in Middle Earth, but that's not their place, if they stay, they fade.
Thoughts?
