Dating Elves is a pipe dream

[afro-elf]

A friend posted this:

Make no mistake, these Elves are uncommon good looking, and this is just by way of reminding you that you can look, but don? go thinking you can fall in love with any of them or get the idea that any of them would ever dream of falling in love with you. Polite they?l be to you, fall in love with you they won?. By Iluvatar child, likely as not they?e old enough to be your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandfather and then some, even though they look like they're barely out of short pants.

There have only been 4 Elf/man pairings

The last being Imrazor the Numeneorean and Mithrellas.

Though it is nice to dream I think that it they would be nice to look at but I wonder would that necessarily lead to men and women just fawning over them.

Humans of different faiths, creeds, and colors breed often.

But with all the contact with only 4 marriages in 3 ages it seems that there was not that spark/lust/love that humans of different background have.

Your thoughts?

[Artanis]

At least 3 of the 4 unions between Elves and Men seemed to be appointed by some high purpose, and they were intimately wowen with historical drama.

But there were incidents of love between Elves and Men apart from those mentioned above. We know of Túrin and Finduilas, although Finduilas' love for Túrin was probably set up by Melkor. And then we have the very sad story of Andreth and Aegnor. I doubt not there were other cases also of love stories that we don't hear of. But a marriage between people of the two kindreds would have been a challenging one, given the differences of their fate and lifespan. It would be a bittersweet love.

[Ruinel]

The whole lifespan issue would be a challenge. Especially so when Elves only marry once in their lifetime. That lifetime is for the life of Arda. Man has but a short lifespan. So, if an Elf and a Human marry it can only be a short while that they are together at all. They spend their relatively short time together, and in the end the Human's body is ravaged by old age and disease, finally to die. The Elf is left alone with only memories and bitter grief for the loneliness to endure during the life of Arda. Even in Mandos, they would not be together. Elves may stay in Mandos, even for a while if they choose to return. Humans go to Mandos but then pass from the circles of the world to an unknown place.* Therefore, even in death they are forever separated.

I think that the best Elf/Human relationship would be one in which either would have to choose to be the other. For example, the Human could choose to be Elf, or the Elf could choose to be Human. Luthien did so (chose to be Human) and the relationship between her and Beren was well known to be one of happiness and joy.

[*Actually, I think they (Humans) are brought before Iluvatar for judgment because of the story given by Andreth to Finrod in Morgoth's Ring (worship of Melkor as god). But then what? Who knows? I don't.]

[Artanis]

Originally posted by Ruinel
I think that the best Elf/Human relationship would be one in which either would have to choose to be the other. For example, the Human could choose to be Elf, or the Elf could choose to be Human. Luthien did so (chose to be Human) and the relationship between her and Beren was well known to be one of happiness and joy.

Agreed. Unfortunately as a rule an Elf cannot choose to be as a mortal, and a Human cannot choose to be as an Elf. The case of Luthien was an exception, the case of Tuor was likewise, and Arwen was able to choose becase she was a Half-Elven.

[afro-elf]

Arwen your granddaughter was not 1/2 Elven.

Arwen was

Arwen 1/32 Maia, 3/16 Man, and 25/32 elf

[Artanis]

Nitpicking But I believe all Elves of non-pure Elvish blood were called Half-Elven, if they didn't choose their fate, like Elros did.

But that's really not the point anyway The point is Elrond got the choice, and because he chose to be reckoned among the Eldar, by the grace of the Valar his children also got to choose.

[afro-elf]

Have you been brushing up on your English lately? You seem much more fluent that when you first began to post.

[Artanis]

Thank you No, I haven't done anything special, but I guess I've learned much by posting more than 1100 posts and reading all the good stuff here.

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by afro-elf
There have only been 4 Elf/man pairings

The last being Imrazor the Numeneorean and Mithrellas.

There might just have been three marriages between elves and men. The story about Imrazôr the Númenorian and the Elf-maid Mithrellas was a legend told by the people of Dol Amroth. Tolkien made it clear that the legend was a tradition, and not necessarily a true story.
However, the stories about Idril and Tuor, Lúthien and Beren, and Arwen and Aragorn are definitely true.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I think I read (in the Silmarillion? maybe the Appendix of LOTR?) that there were three unions of the Eldar and the Edain, and other unions between the Edain and lesser Elves.

[Legoles]

Originally posted by afro-elf
Have you been brushing up on your English lately? You seem much more fluent that when you first began to post.

Tis true

[Elvellyn]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
I think I read (in the Silmarillion? maybe the Appendix of LOTR?) that there were three unions of the Eldar and the Edain, and other unions between the Edain and lesser Elves.

Yes, how else would the people of Dol Amroth have Elvish blood? I read somewhere (on the 'Moot I think) that their Elvish blood came from one of Nimrodel's maidservants.

[afro-elf]

The story about Imraz?r the N?menorian and the Elf-maid Mithrellas was a legend told by the people of Dol Amroth. Tolkien made it clear that the legend was a tradition, and not necessarily a true story.

Yes, how else would the people of Dol Amroth have Elvish blood?

[markedel]

There is always a grain of truth in legend-one of the the truths of Middle Earth.

[Artanis]

I trust Legolas when he clearly percieves Elvish blood in the Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth