How did Tolkien simplify 🧝Elf aging in his works?

[Vardarianna]

As far as aging, I think the NoME were sketches he wanted to implement but ultimately couldn't fit into his chronology. I will accept it's abandonment (if only because I need to for my own stories).

Same. The NoME paragraphs on the half-elven had my head spinning, and the whole timeline given for Eldarion would only have him reigning over Arnor and Gondor for six years. As a concept it works as presented if the rest of the story wasn't present. In Appendix A: The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen, Aragorn says to Arwen: "And Eldarion our son is a man full-ripe for kingship". Going by what is written in NoME, Eldarion's 'full ripe' age was 119/120, and NoME also states in the same passage that Eldarion lived to be 125 years old. That would mean he ruled for 6 years, which doesn't fit the narrative.

 

[Tar-Elenion]

Same. The NoME paragraphs on the half-elven had my head spinning, and the whole timeline given for Eldarion would only have him reigning over Arnor and Gondor for six years. As a concept it works as presented if the rest of the story wasn't present. In Appendix A: The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen, Aragorn says to Arwen: "And Eldarion our son is a man full-ripe for kingship". Going by what is written in NoME, Eldarion's 'full ripe' age was 119/120, and NoME also states in the same passage that Eldarion lived to be 125 years old. That would mean he ruled for 6 years, which doesn't fit the narrative.

In the NoMe passage you are citing, the context is for first edition Lord of the Rings. In first edition LotR, Aragorn dies at 190 rather than 210, living until Fourth Age 100. Thus Eldarion, in that variant, was full-ripe at 100 and would rule for 25 years.

 

[Vardarianna]

In the NoMe passage you are citing, the context is for first edition Lord of the Rings. In first edition LotR, Aragorn dies at 190 rather than 210, living until Fourth Age 100. Thus Eldarion, in that variant, was full-ripe at 100 and would rule for 25 years.

Thanks for the explanation. So it was revised sometime after 1959? I have to admit I was 'today' years old when I learned there has been more than one published edition.

 

[Tar-Elenion]

Second edition was issued in 1965 in response to the unauthorized publication of a paperback by Ace Books for the American market.

 

[ZehnWaters]

In the NoMe passage you are citing, the context is for first edition Lord of the Rings. In first edition LotR, Aragorn dies at 190 rather than 210, living until Fourth Age 100. Thus Eldarion, in that variant, was full-ripe at 100 and would rule for 25 years.

That's...better. Still not as long as his father (100ish years).