High 🧝elves & Gildor's Lineage

[Elthir]

Frodo said "These are High Elves! They spoke the name of Elbereth!'" Was Frodo's assumption correct?

Yes

When Tolkien wrote this statement, back in Three Is Company, there was, as yet, no "Sindarin" language, and the name Elbereth became a Noldorin name [it had been an "Ilkorin" name, of
different meaning, when it referred to one of Dior's sons, for example].

So Frodo appears to be correctly identifying the Exiled Noldor at this point, who are High Elves and used a Noldorin form.

After the history of the languages was revised however, the name Elbereth became Sindarin. JRRT did not alter Frodo's statement, but within this scenario it could be said that Frodo correctly pointed out that these Elves were High Elves, who then make it clear to the reader that they are Exiled Noldor.

This seems possible 'cause High Elves, while it often refers to the Noldor in a Middle-earth context, appears to have another application, in which it is basically equivalent to the term Eldar as defined in The Return of the King [the term is defined a bit differently in the constructed Silmarillion].

I note Hammond And Scull (The Lord of the Rings Reader's Companion, chapter Three Is Company):
"(Elsewhere Tolkien equates Eldar with the High Elves (see note for p. 43), . . ."

Christopher Tolkien (Introduction to Children of Húrin): " . . . and they are called the Eldar, the Elves of the Great Journey, the High Elves: distinct from those who, refusing the summons, chose Middle-earth for their land and their destiny. They are the 'lesser Elves', called Avari, the Unwilling."

That's my interpretation of how to view Frodo's statement, anyway.

Unless I'm wrong!

Then never mind.

 

[LaurelinBearsFruit]

Could it perhaps also be said that even though the name Elbereth became part of the Sindarin language, it would almost have to be one of the Calaquendi for them to speak of one of the Vala by name. Since the Moriquendi did not take the Great Journey, would they even know the right names (I know that Elbereth's right name is techincally Varda, but you get my point) or exact identities of the Vala, whom they had never met or associated with?

I suppose this is with the exception of any of Thingol's people within the Girdle of Melian, who had both a leader that had journeyed to Aman and one of the Maia as their Queen. They would undoubtedly have known the identities of the Vala and Maia, but I am not sure if it is ever explicitly stated if the remaining Moriquendi in Middle-Earth during the Third Age would have known who Elbereth was.

However, I have only read The Hobbit, the Trilogy, and the Silmarillion, so I may be out my reckoning here and I apologize if this distinction is explained in HoME.

 

[Elthir]

By the way, I like your name . . .

. . . although I read Bears as a noun:

 

[LaurelinBearsFruit]

Hey thanks @Elthir! My favorite mental imagery of the Silmarillion has always been the descriptions of the Two Trees, so I had to honor them with my name. I also always loved the way they fit into the eternal dichotomy of necessary opposites (Yin and Yang, Light and Dark, Silver and Gold).