Did ALL the elves leave after the WoR?

[Grey_Wolf]

Which Elves did not leave after the War of the Ring?"

[Earniel]

No, Celeborn lingered for a while and left Lorien for Rivendell. I think the sons of Elrond stayed too, but I don't know whether they went West after that or not.

And then undoubtedly some avari-elves that never accepted the summons to come to Valinor.

[Dúnedain]

Originally posted by Eärniel
No, Celeborn lingered for a while and left Lorien for Rivendell. I think the sons of Elrond stayed too, but I don't know whether they went West after that or not.

And then undoubtedly some avari-elves that never accepted the summons to come to Valinor.

Elves definitely stayed well into the 4th age, but I think there is also mention that when the time came all Elves did actually leave. I could have sworn I read that somewhere, even those who didn't answer the call to Valinor in the early days of the world went...

[Twista]

Im sure every single one didnt leave. Earnal rite tho, but im sure theres patches everywhere.

[Wayfarer]

The Calaquendai left, which meant Rivendell was pretty empty.
The Umanyar... most of them stayed, however a few left and Lorien was emptied.
The Avari, of course, stuck around. You ain't never getting rid of them, humans. :P

[Wayfarer]

The Calaquendai left, which meant Rivendell was pretty empty.
The Umanyar... most of them stayed, however a few left and Lorien was emptied.
The Avari, of course, stuck around. You ain't never getting rid of them, humans. :P

[matthew]

Most of the Noldor did leave at the end of the Third Age, but not all. I mean, Sam was able to hitch a ride with some later! But even so, the Avari definitely weren't going.

[The Gaffer]

I remember a thread a while ago about "fëa": the elves' immortal spirit which inhabits their bodies. (Couldn't find it with a search)

IIRC, the suggestion was that elves who remained in ME would eventually have their bodies consumed by this spirit and turn into creatures without a physical form.

Can anyone clarify this?

[Artanis]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
IIRC, the suggestion was that elves who remained in ME would eventually have their bodies consumed by this spirit and turn into creatures without a physical form.

That is correct. Morgoth's Ring - Myths Transformed:

On earth the Quendi suffered no sickness, and the health of their bodies was supported by the might of the longeval fëar.
But their bodies, being of the stuff of Arda, were nonetheless not so enduring as their spirits; for the longevity of the Quendi was derived primarily from their fëar, whose nature or 'doom' was to abide in Arda until its end. Therefore, after the vitality of the hröa was expended in achieving full growth, it began to weaken or grow weary. Very slowly indeed, but to all the Quendi perceptibly. For a while it would be fortified and maintained by its indwelling fëa, and then its vitality would begin to ebb, and its desire for physical life and joy in it would pass ever more swiftly away. Then an Elf would begin (as they say now, for these things did not fully appear in the Elder days) to 'fade', until the fëa as it were consumed the hröa until it remained only
in the love and memory of the spirit that had inhabited it.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

I do recall a fea thread (in the Silmarillion area?) about elf Middle-earth fate. But some of the posts above also opine that the Avari could not opt to head West. Is that so, wouldn't it be more logical, and fair, especially to descendants of Avari from before the First Age, that they could opt to leave Middle-earth?

[Bombadillo]

I probably can't give a usefull answer here, but I'm surprised nobody's said "Arwen" and "silly question" yet.

[Nurvingiel]

Obviously Arwen wasn't included in the question. Maybe it would be better phrased as "Which Elves did not leave after the War of the Ring?"

[Maerbenn]

From letter #345:

Arwen was not an elf, but one of the half-elven who abandoned her elvish rights.

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally posted by Nurvingiel
Obviously Arwen wasn't included in the question. Maybe it would be better phrased as "Which Elves did not leave after the War of the Ring?"

Thanks. I've rephrased the question for future posters.

[Durin1]

There is no mention that Glorfindel left ME along with Elrond and Galadriel. There were also enough Elves left at Rivendell to continue to inhabit that region well into the 4th Age. Elrond's sons, similar to Arwen, would have lost their Elvish rights so would probably have died a mortal's death.

In the case of the Silvan Elves, they would not have desired to leave ME; Legolas was an exception. However, during the long course of time, they would have faded, as the dominion of Men continued.

We don't really know how what the Elves of Lindon did. This would have probably been the most populated and "Elvish" of the Elvish realms that were left in ME in that period.

[Thorin II]

Originally posted by Artanis
On earth the Quendi suffered no sickness, and the health of their bodies was supported by the might of the longeval fëar.
But their bodies, being of the stuff of Arda, were nonetheless not so enduring as their spirits; for the longevity of the Quendi was derived primarily from their fëar, whose nature or 'doom' was to abide in Arda until its end. Therefore, after the vitality of the hröa was expended in achieving full growth, it began to weaken or grow weary. Very slowly indeed, but to all the Quendi perceptibly. For a while it would be fortified and maintained by its indwelling fëa, and then its vitality would begin to ebb, and its desire for physical life and joy in it would pass ever more swiftly away. Then an Elf would begin (as they say now, for these things did not fully appear in the Elder days) to 'fade', until the fëa as it were consumed the hröa until it remained only
in the love and memory of the spirit that had inhabited it.

Very interesting. I had never read that before. My understanding was that eventually, all Elves went West, but this makes me suspect otherwise for the Silvan (and possibly others).

[ethuiliel]

The Elves didn't all leave immediately after the War of the Ring, but I think in time most, if not all, would have left. I think they would become weary of Middle-earth.

[Ulmo]

Elrond's sons, similar to Arwen, would have lost their Elvish rights so would probably have died a mortal's death.

Tolkien said that Elladan and Elrohir "delayed their choice" and lingered for sometime; many find this implication enough to conclude that they eventually sailed West with Celeborn.

Cirdan most certainly left on the "last ship," and with him, it seems most of the Elves of Lindon would go for their duty there (as ship keepers and overseeing the White Towers) was complete. Seems that an elf as noteworthy as Glorfindel was would've been mentioned (if not in his own footnote, perhaps with the brothers and Celeborn) had he lingered in Middle-earth.

[Artanis]

Originally posted by Ulmo
Tolkien said that Elladan and Elrohir "delayed their choice" and lingered for sometime; many find this implication enough to conclude that they eventually sailed West with Celeborn.

We don't know for sure what the final choice of the E-bros were. Personally I think that they stayed in M-E to keep Rivendell alive for a while, maybe unwilling to leave as long as their sister and Aragorn lived, and as long as their grandpa still lingered. And maybe also to hand over the last of their lore to the other peoples of M-E, which at least Merry had benefit of. But yes, I also like to think that they at last took ship with Celeborn, if only to not bereave Elrond and Celebrian for all their children!

[The Gaffer]

Originally posted by Artanis
E-bros were.

Sounds like the next "boy band". Maybe they lingered in ME long enough to be signed by Simon Cowell and are now gay icons on the club circuit.

My understanding was that they chose the Elvish way.

Just about the only thing we're told about them in LOTR was that they never forgot their "mother's torment" at the hands of the Orcs. It's hard to imagine that, having seen Sauron over thrown, they would pass up the chance to see Celebrian again.