Silvan Elves of the Fourth Age

[Hyarmendacil]

I've read somewhere that the Fourth Age was the Golden Age of the Silvan Elves. That they established new colonies in that times. Does not that oppose with Tolkien's idea of the fading of the Elves?

[FrodoFriend]

Where did you read this?

[Inderjit Sanghera]

The fourth age was the time of the domioion of men.

Silvan elves, may have went through some brief prosperity, but they would've eventually faded, though some may have taken ship to Erresea or Aman. I think Elvish ambitions for new kingdoms (Well at least Noldorin) ended in the Third Age.

[Artanis]

From LotR, Appendix B, The tale of years:

In the Greenwood the Silvan Elves remained untroubled, but in Lórien there lingered sadly only a few of its former people, and there was no longer light or song in Caras Galadhon.

This is the only place I know where it says anything of the Silvan Elves after the destruction of Sauron.

As for fading, I've always thought the Exiles would fade faster in Middle-Earth than those who had never been to Valinor. But I may be wrong there, of course.

[Hyarmendacil]

But what about East Lorien? It is also said there, that Celeborn led majority of the Galadhrim to the Eastern Shore of Anduin and established there a kingdom. Celeborn himself left those places several years later, but it is not stated that all East Lorien elves have gone with him. Those elves wouldn't establish kingdom if they weren't going to stay in ME for several centuries or more

[Artanis]

I've always thought that Celeborn and Galadriel returned to Lórien with their host after driving out the evil from Mirkwood. I don't think it is said anywhere that Celeborn established a kingdom in East Lórien. Nevertheless I see that it is ambiguous. It may very well be that some of the Elves from Lórien, perhaps both Silvan and Sindarin, remained in Greenwood with Celeborn and established a realm there.

There were at least one new settlement of Elves during that time: Legolas brought with him many Silvan Elves from Northern Mirkwood into Ithilien, where they established a new settlement in the years after Elessar's crowning. These Elves probably remained there after Legolas sailed over Sea in the year 120 F.A.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

Originally posted by Hyarmendacil
But what about East Lorien? It is also said there, that Celeborn led majority of the Galadhrim to the Eastern Shore of Anduin and established there a kingdom. Celeborn himself left those places several years later, but it is not stated that all East Lorien elves have gone with him. Those elves wouldn't establish kingdom if they weren't going to stay in ME for several centuries or more

Most of the Silvan Elves weren't even going to leave M-E.

[galadriel]

Here's part the passage telling of when Thranduil and Celeborn renamed Mirkwood and divided up the territory.

Thranduil took all the northern region as far as the mountains that rise in the forest for his realm; and Celeborn took all the southern wood below the Narrows, and named it East Lorien; all the wide forest between was given to the Beornings and the Woodmen. But after the passing of Galadriel in a few years Celeborn grew weary of his realm and went to Imladris to dwell with the sons of Elrond. In the Greenwood the Silvan Elves remained untroubled, but in Lorien there lingered sadly only a few of its former people, and there was no longer light or song in Caras Galadhon.

Sounds like even East Lorien went kaput, and Thranduil's realm, while peaceful, was receding slowly into the background... while men took over.

[markedel]

The silvan elves, though, had almost always lived in the background-the history of the elves is that of the Noldor and the Sindar. The Silvans are only mentioned in passing.

[Hyarmendacil]

It is said in the same appendix, that Original Lorien (and not East Lorien) became empty. At least at the time of Arwen's death. Caras Galadhon was located in the Golden Wood, not in east Lorien.

[galadriel]

True... I guess that even without Celeborn's leadership, the Silvan Elves in *East* Lorien would continue to survive on their own; they were good at that.

[Finmandos12]

Many silvan elves stayed in ME after Celeborn left. (After all, he wasn't really a king, he was more of a guardian.) No matter where they lived, the elves (silvan or otherwise) faded during the Fourth Age.

[afro-elf]

it seems that inthe EARLY fourth age all the free peoples have a rebirth however it would be the Men who dominated in the end.

[elendili]

The fourth age is the last of the four ages chronicled by Tolkien, and the one about which least is known (including its length). So it comes with the territory that there are ambiguities but i'm with the general opinion that men dominated whilst the elves drifted over to the west esp. the calaquendi but some of the silvan as well. Although it does mention in the books somewhere that even though the original Lorien faded that East Lorien continued to prosper well after the original ceased to exist.