Elronds parents

[elbenprincess]

I wonder if Elrond, after he arrived in Valinor will meet his parents again, or for the first time in his life? I believe his father is in the sky with his ship and the silmaril, but it was written that he can come down to earth to see his wife again, wasn´t it? And his mother, she chose the fate of the elves too, therefore she is still somewhere in Aman, or am I wrong? I know they built her a tower and she was able to attain the shape of a bird and could fly, but after all she is a elf, but maybe i missed something.

But it must have been impressive for elrond if he for the first time in his life meet his parents, or is the assumption wrong that he would be able to?

[Nerwen]

But it must have been impressive for elrond if he for the first time in his life meet his parents, or is the assumption wrong that he would be able to?

Well, I suppose he would meet his parents, but why do you think it would be "for the first time in his life"? He and his brother weren't captured at birth.

[Pitchwife]

Well, I suppose he would meet his parents, but why do you think it would be "for the first time in his life"? He and his brother weren't captured at birth.
No they weren't, but it's not like they had much of a nuclear family in their formative years either - Eärendil went on his great voyages when they were no older than two, and the Third Kinslaying and the separation from Elwing happened only a few years later - , so Elrond's memory of his parents may have been a little hazy. No wonder he overdid the parental protectiveness where Arwen was concerned, if you look at it from his own biography - trying to be a better dad than he had?

(In other words, see here (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showpost.php?p=637248&postcount=115).)

[Nerwen]

Indeed, but that's still not, "for the first time", is it?

[elbenprincess]

OK, then I was wrong, I always thought he and his brother lost their parents when they were still babys. Either way it must have been an impressive moment for him, I would guess.

[Guinevere]

This quote from one of Tolkien's letters (explaining elvish names) suggests that Elros and Elrond really were still toddlers when left by their mother:

*rossē meant 'dew, spray (of fall or fountain)'. Elrond and Elros, children of Eärendil (sea-lover) and Elwing (Elf-foam), were so called, because they were carried off by the sons of Fëanor, in the last act of the feud between the high-elven houses of the Noldorin princes concerning the Silmarils; the Silmaril rescued from Morgoth by Beren and Lúthien, and given to King Thingol Lúthien's father, had descended to Elwing dtr. of Dior, son of Lúthien. The infants were not slain, but left like 'babes in the wood', in a cave with a fall of water over the entrance. There they were found: Elrond within the cave, and Elros dabbling in the water.

[Galin]

That tale about Elros and Elrond appears in a letter dated 1958, and the idea seems quite connected to Elrond meaning *Elf of the Cave.

Not long after however, Elrond is said to mean 'Star-dome' (1959-60, Quendi and Eldar), and in The Shibboleth of Feanor (1968 or later) it was said that the names Elros and Elrond: 'were formed to recall the name of their mother Elwing' with Elros meaning 'Starlit foam'. In The Problem of ROS (1968 or later): 'Now Elrond was a word for the firmament, the starry dome as it appeared like a roof to Arda; and it was given by Elwing in memory of the great Hall of the throne of Elwe in the midst of his stronghold Menegroth that was called the Menelrond,...'

And in letter 345 (1972) Elrond meant 'The vault of stars'.

If a meaning 'Elf of the Cave' is out, as it appears, my guess would be that so too is the story that goes with it. Tolkien could have retained the detail of course, or something similar regarding the young brothers, but with JRRT -- as stories might spring from names -- I thought I would at least point out my annoying, somewhat off topic guess.

:D