I guess there might have been some battle between
men and
elves in
the east, but we only hear of friendly relations - enough to have great
elvish influence on some of their
languages. It could be that it was only those men who forsook the
Morgoth worship and headed west that came into contact with elves early on?
If we take
the Grey Annals Chronology (The Sun coming when
Fingolfin reached
Middle-earth) then the Laiquendi probably did not know anything of men until Beor's people showed up in
Ossiriand, since the
Nandor reached
Beleriand long before the coming of the Sun. The only way the Laiqeundi could have known of men is if some more Nandor or perhaps Avari crept into Beleriand in smalls groups after the Sun. The Nandor while in
Eriador had heard of
Thingol's
realm, and it is my belief they learned of this from the
dwarves (versus a few stray elves who snuck into Beleriand and went back and told). That is just to say that I do not think there was a lot of coming and going over or around
Ered Luin on the part of the elves. In Quendi and Eldar we are told that some Avari had crept into Beleriand but
Tolkien wrote against this later I am I read this somehwere... either Christopher commented on it, or provided some text where his father mentions it... but sadly do not remember where I read it... PoME perhaps? Please tell me where this is if anyone remembers? But yes, if Avari did creep into Beleriand before the Nandor did, then the Nandor may well have had contact with them in Eriador earlier on.
It could be that the Nandor, while in Eriador, heard of Thingol's realm from the
Naugrim, and the host of
Denethor was the only to reach Beleriand... that no other small groups reached Beleriand later on who could have told the Laiquendi of men.
Maybe more importantly, when the Laiquendi speak with
Finrod, they mention nothing about rumors they had heard of men... they just call them 'strangers', and their words give me the impression that they were against Men for the reasons I gave in my first post, and not because they heard men had attacked the Quendi out east.
Regarding Laiquendi cutting
trees and hunting beats... my belief is that they did not eat
animals, nor cut trees.We also learn that they lit no fires, though this may only have been for reasons of secrecy. I may have no solid proof about them being vegetarians... it is just what I believe... but if they lit
no fires, did they eat raw meat? I doubt it.
I mentioned in my first post they were friendly with Finrod, but I do not believe they would have welcomed some group of
Noldor into Ossiriand. The Noldor were also hewers and hunters who would disturb the peace. Now had a few Noldor wanted to join the Laiquendi way of life I suppose they would be welcomed.
Surely the Nandor also must have had need of
food and wood and whatnot. How did they go about it that was so different from how Men did it? Were they more nature-friendly? Just less chaotic and wasteful than the
Edain? More in snyc with Mother Nature than the
race of Men?
More close with nature than any other Eldar, I think. Remember they had more knowledge about beasts and
plants than any others. I do not imagine Beor's people went around killing friendly beats just for sport, or chopping down trees for
orcish reasons.... yet the Laiquendi didn't like this. I think it is important to keep in mind just how different these elves are from the Noldor and even the
Sindar... especially those who mingled with Noldor or even those of
Doriath who had the Naugrim metalworking influence (which is pretty much all of the Sindar... at least all the major settlements of them -
Gondolin, Nervast, Falathrim, Doriath). But some of the Nandor did join Thingol in Doriath, so it can not be they thought all of this
technology was
evil... but it may well be that a lot of them did not aprove of it entirely even for other
peoples, but surely the Laiquendi did not go in for that way of life. They all would have been welcomed in Thingol's realm but they chose not to, they would have been welcomed by Finrod, but chose not to... and probably even Caranthir and all of Feanoreans out east would have welcomed them... but the Laiquendi wanted their own way of life.
Rather harsh. That sounds like something Thingol would say, or a conceited Noldorin prince (e.g. Caranthir).
I do not think it is too harsh at all... men would be pests like rats and harm the land (The Laiquendi's home), and even put the Laiqeundi in danger like a venous snake. Caranthir was of the Noldor and had different reasons for not caring about men.