The half-elves (also called Peredhil) were beings that lived on Middle-earth. They were beings that had mixed blood from the union of a man and an elf. In the First Age, Earendil and Elwing, his wife, were the main half-elven. In the Second Age and the Third Age, their twin sons, Elros and Elrond, were the next half-elven generation. The children of Elrond, Arwen, Elrohir, and Ellandan were also half-elves. During the First Age and the Third Age, the Valar offered the half-elven the permanent choice of living as immortal elves or mortal humans.
History of the Half-Elven
Two different unions occurred during the First Age between an elven kind and mankind. These unions laid the foundation for the existence of the mixed-blooded half-elven. The first union occurred between the heir of the Household of Beor, Beren, and the half-maia, Luthien. She was the only elven daughter of the Elven King Thingol of Doriath, born to him from his wife, Queen Melian, a main. Beren met his end after delivering the Silmaril to the King, and his wife soon died in despair of her great loss. Her spirit left her dead body and proceeded to the Realm of Mandos. In its Hall of Awaiting, she met with Mandos.
The Doomsman of the Valar helped revive her and Beren as mortals. Luthien bore Beren's son, Dior. Beren and Luthien lived in the union until death. However, Dior did not live long. He died when the heirs of Feanor rampaged the Kingdom of Doriath. Dior had children from his union to another elf, Nimloth. These children were Elured, Elwing, and Elurin. The offspring of Beren was attacked when the children of Feanor struck Menegroth. Elwing escaped, but her two brothers were captured and condemned to die in Doriath's forest. They were not found afterward, and there was also no trace of their remains.
Elwing had fled to the Delta of River Sirion, also called the Mouths of Sirion. The second union of a human and an elf occurred between Tuor and Idril, the Noldorin elf of Gondolin. Their union bore a son named Earendil, who later became the great half-elven mariner. Earendil also moved to the Delta of River Sirion following the fall of Gondolin. He met Elwing, who had fled to the Delta of River Sirion like he did, and he later married her. Following the War of Wrath, the highest authority of Endor, Manwe, decided to offer the half-elven the irrevocable choice regarding their fate on Middle-earth. The half-elves were made to choose between an immortal life in Valinor and a mortal life in Endor.
Manwe understood the importance of this decision and allowed respite to the elves, to make the right choice. Earendil was one of the half-elven who would prefer the mortal life, but he decided to be an elf in Valinor because of his wife, Elwin. Eärendil forever sailed in Vingilot in the skies, in his great ship bore the Silmaril from his parents on its prow. From Middle-earth, the Silmaril appeared as the evening star from the light that shone from the Silmaril and was held in Galadriel's Phial. After every sailing trip, Earendil would return to meet his wife, Elwing, at the tower she built in the Shadowy Seas. Elros was the half-elven brother of Elrond of Rivendell, who decided to become mortal while his brother chose immortal life. Elros became Tar-Minyatur and ruled as the founder king of Numenor. Like everyone who decided to be a mortal instead of an immortal elf, Elros can decide when death would overtake him.
This privilege was never for pure humans. Elros died after almost half a millennium in Endor. The mortal offspring of Elros did not get a chance to make this choice. Instead, they had a lifespan extended beyond men's days, meaning they could live for many years and die whenever they wished. The offspring of Elros had descendants that grew in number and strength. The descendants hated the choice of their forefather, Elros. They sought the bliss of Valinor under the deception of Sauron, which led to their destruction. Elrond, the brother of Elros, chose immortality and served the house of Gil-galad during the Second Age of Endor. During the Third Age, he founded Rivendell and got married to the elven daughter from Celeborn's union to Galadriel, Celebrían. Elrond moved to the west after the War of the One Ring. Like the descendants of Elros, [1] the elven lord Elrond's children were given a choice to be a mortal or live the immortal life of the elves.
The household of Elrond preferred to be an immortal elf except for Arwen Undomiel. Arwen had preferred the mortal life to the elves' immortal life because she fell in love with Aragorn. She later married Aragorn after he became King Elessar. Arwen bore a son and daughters. Her children did not get to choose between mortality and immortality. Still, they lived as a part of the Dunedain restored. The choice of the twin sons of Elrond was uncertain. Ellandan and his brother, Elrohir, had remained in Middle-earth. Still, it was not stated if they left Middle-earth for Valinor afterward. The popular belief is that they delayed their decision for some time and stayed in Rivendell for a while. After Tolkien published the book, he was asked regarding the fate of Ellandan and Elrohir. He replied that their story is untold, but they indeed remained in Middle-earth for a while. Also, a tradition seemed to exist amongst the people of Dol Amroth. The Numenoreans would marry elves to make the princesses of Dol Amroth have a descent of the elves. Legolas had mentioned this tradition when he met Prince Imrahil.
The Doomsman of the Valar helped revive her and Beren as mortals. Luthien bore Beren's son, Dior. Beren and Luthien lived in the union until death. However, Dior did not live long. He died when the heirs of Feanor rampaged the Kingdom of Doriath. Dior had children from his union to another elf, Nimloth. These children were Elured, Elwing, and Elurin. The offspring of Beren was attacked when the children of Feanor struck Menegroth. Elwing escaped, but her two brothers were captured and condemned to die in Doriath's forest. They were not found afterward, and there was also no trace of their remains.
Elwing had fled to the Delta of River Sirion, also called the Mouths of Sirion. The second union of a human and an elf occurred between Tuor and Idril, the Noldorin elf of Gondolin. Their union bore a son named Earendil, who later became the great half-elven mariner. Earendil also moved to the Delta of River Sirion following the fall of Gondolin. He met Elwing, who had fled to the Delta of River Sirion like he did, and he later married her. Following the War of Wrath, the highest authority of Endor, Manwe, decided to offer the half-elven the irrevocable choice regarding their fate on Middle-earth. The half-elves were made to choose between an immortal life in Valinor and a mortal life in Endor.
Manwe understood the importance of this decision and allowed respite to the elves, to make the right choice. Earendil was one of the half-elven who would prefer the mortal life, but he decided to be an elf in Valinor because of his wife, Elwin. Eärendil forever sailed in Vingilot in the skies, in his great ship bore the Silmaril from his parents on its prow. From Middle-earth, the Silmaril appeared as the evening star from the light that shone from the Silmaril and was held in Galadriel's Phial. After every sailing trip, Earendil would return to meet his wife, Elwing, at the tower she built in the Shadowy Seas. Elros was the half-elven brother of Elrond of Rivendell, who decided to become mortal while his brother chose immortal life. Elros became Tar-Minyatur and ruled as the founder king of Numenor. Like everyone who decided to be a mortal instead of an immortal elf, Elros can decide when death would overtake him.
This privilege was never for pure humans. Elros died after almost half a millennium in Endor. The mortal offspring of Elros did not get a chance to make this choice. Instead, they had a lifespan extended beyond men's days, meaning they could live for many years and die whenever they wished. The offspring of Elros had descendants that grew in number and strength. The descendants hated the choice of their forefather, Elros. They sought the bliss of Valinor under the deception of Sauron, which led to their destruction. Elrond, the brother of Elros, chose immortality and served the house of Gil-galad during the Second Age of Endor. During the Third Age, he founded Rivendell and got married to the elven daughter from Celeborn's union to Galadriel, Celebrían. Elrond moved to the west after the War of the One Ring. Like the descendants of Elros, [1] the elven lord Elrond's children were given a choice to be a mortal or live the immortal life of the elves.
The household of Elrond preferred to be an immortal elf except for Arwen Undomiel. Arwen had preferred the mortal life to the elves' immortal life because she fell in love with Aragorn. She later married Aragorn after he became King Elessar. Arwen bore a son and daughters. Her children did not get to choose between mortality and immortality. Still, they lived as a part of the Dunedain restored. The choice of the twin sons of Elrond was uncertain. Ellandan and his brother, Elrohir, had remained in Middle-earth. Still, it was not stated if they left Middle-earth for Valinor afterward. The popular belief is that they delayed their decision for some time and stayed in Rivendell for a while. After Tolkien published the book, he was asked regarding the fate of Ellandan and Elrohir. He replied that their story is untold, but they indeed remained in Middle-earth for a while. Also, a tradition seemed to exist amongst the people of Dol Amroth. The Numenoreans would marry elves to make the princesses of Dol Amroth have a descent of the elves. Legolas had mentioned this tradition when he met Prince Imrahil.
Beyond Tolkien
There are fantasy works that depict the half-elves differently compared to the ones of Tolkien's work. In the role-playing game of Dungeons and Dragon, [2] they were a distinct race, and this is not the case for Tolkien's work.
Named Half-elven beings
- Dior, the son from the union of Beren with Lúthien. He is also the grandchild of Queen Melian.
- Eärendil, son of Lord Tuor of Hador and Idril of Noldor.
- Elwing, Dior's daughter from union with Nimloth of Doriath.
- Elurín and Eluréd, Dior’s sons from Nimloth.
- Lord Elrond of Rivendell, Eärendil’s son and brother of Elros.
- King Elros of Numenor, Eärendil’s son and Elrond’s brother.
- Arwen Undómiel, Elrond's daughter from Celebrían. Wife of Reunited Kingdom's King Elessar II.
- Elladan and his brother Elrohir, Elrond’s twin sons from Celebrían
- Galador, Imrazôr's son with Mithrellas.
- Gilmith, Imrazôr's daughter with Mithrellas. Sister of Galador.
