Visible differences between Elf and Human?

[Peter_20]

I always though Elves were supposed to look like tall humans or something - tall humans with long hair and little androgenic hair.
However, there's something about them that still makes them look special; do you know of anything?

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Peter_20

I always though Elves were supposed to look like tall humans or something - tall humans with long hair and little androgenic hair.
However, there's something about them that still makes them look special; do you know of anything?

Hm, is this a slightly disguised attempt to restart the Elven pointy ear-debate, I wonder?

Their beauty is given as one of the Elven characteristics. And if I recall correctly, the light in their eyes.

[Peter_20]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Hm, is this a slightly disguised attempt to restart the Elven pointy ear-debate, I wonder?

Their beauty is given as one of the Elven characteristics. And if I recall correctly, the light in their eyes.

Nope, it's not a disguised attempt in any way whatsoever, although I see why you would think so. XD

Oh, thanks for your info.
I always loved the Elven style.

Also, I don't like thinking of Elves as having pointy ears, because they aren't really supposed to be *Elves*, but rather a kind of human race with different characteristics.

[Olmer]

Originally Posted by Peter_20

Also, I don't like thinking of Elves as having pointy ears,...

Tough luck! If Tolkien said "pointy", than it is "pointy", but of course not of the size of Rodger Rabbit's.
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3...elgovarjo9.gif

[Wayfarer]

Tolkien never said 'pointy' though, so it's a moot point.

There is a definite implication - at least, I perceive there to be one, but I'm not being as scholarly about it nowadays as I would have in the past - that Elves and Humans aren't really physically or biologically different. This is indicated in, frex, that the two can crossbreed without difficult, and in that human and elven children look alike.

So Elves and Humans undergo a divergence as they age, and their spirits adapt their respective bodies in preparation for different fates - I think that's in Laws and Customs, but I can't recall offhand. It does seem like Elves are more distinguished by their superficial features - eyes, voice, and hair, complexion, et cetera.

None of the races in Middle Earth fall outside the range of physical possibilities for normal humans, so Elves are pretty much what you'd expect from immortal humans with idealized physical forms.

[Olmer]

Originally Posted by Wayfarer

Tolkien never said 'pointy' though, so it's a moot point.

He did. In the Letter#27, while describing Hobbits, he said that their "ears only slightly pointed and "elvish".

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Giant .................................................. .....

.........feet.

And they're "immortal" in more than one way.

[Peter_20]

The Elves were pretty slender as well, weren't they?

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

Giant .................................................. .....

And they're "immortal" in more than one way.

Are they... also pointy?

I'm not convinced on what you suggest though... or why would these Elven princesses be drawn to all these Men? What was written on the women's bathroom walls at Doriath, Gondolin, Nargothrond and Imladris?

[Olmer]

Originally Posted by Valandil

What was written on the women's bathroom walls at Doriath, Gondolin, Nargothrond and Imladris?

Probably that Men prefer action, instead of singing songs, smelling flowers and waiting for 1600 years to pop the question.

[Peter_20]

Originally Posted by Olmer

Probably that Men prefer action, instead of singing songs, smelling flowers and waiting for 1600 years to pop the question.

lol

MEN: "hraaaaah, let's make war before we die the next decade!"
ELVES: "lalala, nice flowers, let's dance and sing for one more millenium"

[Rían]

Originally Posted by Valandil

Are they... also pointy?

I'm not convinced on what you suggest though... or why would these Elven princesses be drawn to all these Men? What was written on the women's bathroom walls at Doriath, Gondolin, Nargothrond and Imladris?

Val, you've just RUINED my lovely images of Gondolin! Public restrooms? LOL!

Those Elven princesses just had the common affliction of many nice women - marrying the underdog! ("I just KNOW I can make him better!")

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Val, you've just RUINED my lovely images of Gondolin! Public restrooms? LOL!

Speaking of that, one can't help but wonder just how they'd set up the plumbing in Caras Galadhon...

[Rían]

Ugh!

One thing I KNOW is that they wouldn't have those annoying hot-air-blowing hand dryers in the public restrooms!

*pictures Idril walking out of a public restroom wiping her hands dry on her elven jeans, a piece of toilet paper trailing from one dainty elven foot... *

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Originally Posted by Valandil

Are they... also pointy?

I'm not convinced on what you suggest though... or why would these Elven princesses be drawn to all these Men? What was written on the women's bathroom walls at Doriath, Gondolin, Nargothrond and Imladris?

Oh, please. Women talk.

Elven mom to princess, "Honey, your dad has a lot of good qualities. But...600 years we've been married, he's never remembered our anniversary, once. And, as for intimacy, well, it's really all that when it's happening. But there's an awful lot of administrative stuff he's up to, and always at Galadriel's beck and call. I heard that those kings of men, if you can catch one, treat you like a real goddess. Sure, they're short-lived. But don't consider you have to restrict your choices to the same bunch of cousins I had to consider. Just keep it in mind."

[Rían]

"... and if he turns out to be a jerk, just wait a few years and *poof!* problem gone!"

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally Posted by Olmer

He did. In the Letter#27, while describing Hobbits, he said that their "ears only slightly pointed and "elvish".

That was 1938, prior to him inventing and writing about the origins of Men and Elves, where he later decided that were the same biological species, indistiguishble at birth and as young children, with (nonspecific) physical changes and their different spirits slowly addapted their bodies. Nor is if entirely clear in the phrase describing Hobbits ears as "only slightly pointed and elvish" what "elvish" atually means.
While he does not elaberate much on this differences, it is easy to visually the difference that comes for crtrolling the aging of the Elvish body, and thier strong immunity to disease.
We also have the racial and family characteristics. The Noldor tended to be very tall ectomorphs, with dark hair. With also have tallness in Elwe's family, and the silver hair, we have the golden hair of the Vanyar, or posiibly that was only their royal house.

[Lefty Scaevola]

here is the best annotated essay on 'do elves have pointy ears'

http://tolkien.slimy.com/essays/Ears.html

[GrayMouser]

The word "elvish" is in quotation marks because Tolkien was referring to popular images of Elves as tiny fairy-type creatures; an image he strongly rejected.

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Originally Posted by GrayMouser

The word "elvish" is in quotation marks because Tolkien was referring to popular images of Elves as tiny fairy-type creatures; an image he strongly rejected.

True enough. But it shows a little cultural hubris to decide YOU (meaning Tolkien) are the ultimate arbiter of what people should think of an image that's more than in the public domain. That's the advantage of coining new words, which Professor Tolkien was surely aware of.