Gondor: dealings with Elves

[The Mouth of Sauron]

In Henneth Annun Faramir told Frodo and Sam: "Yet there are among us still some who have dealings with the Elves when they may ............".

Faramir also said that his people sometimes tried to visit Lorien. Leaving them aside, who in Gondor would "have dealings with the Elves" and which Elves would they be?

[Inziladun]

When Faramir said "us", I think he meant Gondorians in general, not just those of Ithilien.

In Lórien, Haldir mentioned to the Fellowship that some of his people still ventured outside the wood to gather news, and thus spoke other languages. I think there were probably some Men of Gondor who were detailed to occasionally approach the area of Lórien and maybe exchange information.

[Ivriniel]

In Henneth Annun Faramir told Frodo and Sam: "Yet there are among us still some who have dealings with the Elves when they may ............".

Faramir also said that his people sometimes tried to visit Lorien. Leaving them aside, who in Gondor would "have dealings with the Elves" and which Elves would they be?

I think he may be referring to Edhellond and the Bay of Belfalas. The principality of Dol Amroth and the Elf harbour of Edhellond were neighbours for three Ages. Less well known was that Edhellond remained a harbour from which Elves departed on the Straight Road.

The Elves there were not High Elves, though Galadriel passed through there for a short stay during the War of Elves and Sauron.

[Inziladun]

I think he may be referring to Edhellond and the Bay of Belfalas. The principality of Dol Amroth and the Elf harbour of Edhellond were neighbours for three Ages. Less well known was that Edhellond remained a harbour from which Elves departed on the Straight Road.

Imrahil of Dol Amroth counters that idea. When Legolas comments that maybe not all of Nimrodel's line had departed from Amroth's haven (Edhellond), Imrahil replies:

'So it is said in the lore of my land, yet never has one of the fair folk been seen there for years beyond count.' ROTK The Last Debate

If Edhellond was a point of contact between Gondor and Elves, Imrahil was well placed to be aware of it.

[Mithalwen]

Well there are limited possibilities here aren't there. At this point. There ar known Elf settlememts: Lorien, Mirkwood, Mithlond, Rivendell. Boromir's difficulty in locating Imladris would seem to rule it out.so apart from Lorien there are two possible options. We know that the people of Thranduil had dealings with the men of Laketown and probably also with the woodmen in Rhovanion. The Dorwinion wine indicates there was trade with otherwise undocumented communities further afield. Not impossible that there was some low level of contact between Gondor and Laketown and through that elves. Or while elves may not have gone to Belfalas it maybe that men sailed north to Mithlond. Much easier to find the gulf of Lune than a hidden valley . Final possibility is that the visitors to the Palantir in the Emyn Beraid were not the only wandering companies. Eomer's query to the three hunters might suggest there were sightings of Elvish folk in Rohan.

[Ivriniel]

Imrahil of Dol Amroth counters that idea. When Legolas comments that maybe not all of Nimrodel's line had departed from Amroth's haven (Edhellond), Imrahil replies:

ROTK The Last Debate

If Edhellond was a point of contact between Gondor and Elves, Imrahil was well placed to be aware of it.

Yeah, there aren't many choices, really.

Amroth was lost at sea in 1981. He and a boat full of Elves were harboured at Edhellond. Amroth, probably Sindarin, was love sick for Nimrodel, the cranky anti-Noldorin Nandor/Silvan. She went missing, and Amroth begged his Elvish buddies to wait for her. They were holed up in an Elf-y boat having loaded it up with their belongings. Bound for the Straight Road. There was a freak storm of the mightiest-ing-ation-kind-big-thing (as Tolkien tends to do--he interweaves in his stories those times when the biggest-est-est thing happened), and the boat got unmoored. Off they were bound for Valinor, and Amroth (golden haired, not silver haired, which I find odd for someone supposedly Telerin) was spotted by the far sighted elves in the water, struggling for the shore.

What Imrahil and his folk, late TA know of Edhellond may not tell the entire tale. We know Edhellond was a very old Elven harbour probably dating back to FA, taking refugees from Beleriand. We think Galadriel and Noldorin folk spent some time there during the War of Elves and Sauron. And we know from that harbour Elves sailed on the Straight Road well into TA.

I don't know why Imrahil and Dol Amroth don't see many Elves anymore, but am not really surprised. By the time of the War of the Ring, there weren't many fair folk left in ME.