More females than males?

[Rina]

I am in the middle of reading The Silmarillion, and have been noticing that there are a lot of elven deaths in the battles. Assuming that all the elven warriors were males, wouldn't this cause there to be a lot more female elves than males, because they are immortal, and can basically only be killed in battle?

I'm not sure that Tolkien addresses this, but if anyone has any information, please let me know.

[Ruler of the Frogs]

I would imagine that it would even itself out, because the souls of Elves always return to Middle Earth in a body that was simlilar (if not exactly the same) as they previously had. So I would guess that the souls of the slain Elves would return as males and it would even out. Someone, correct me if I'm wrong smilies/biggrin.gif

[Cibbwin]

I'm not sure if the above is correct, but don't forget, Elves CAN die of grief, I'm sure quite a few would have been totally devastated if their love died. smilies/frown.gif

[Meoshi]

Still, that would leave the Elven population that remained in ME a bit lopsided toward females.

Which would explain the mass sailings into the West of the Elves- they missed their dead kindred.

[Lutfiska]

off course alot of fe-elves went out in the west because of the grief

[lord of dor-lomin]

I've never even thought about that.

It looks like I'd enjoy staying with the elves even more than I thought I would.

[Afrodal Fenyar]

Well, the elves who died in a battle did return to Arda in a new body, but not to Middle-Earth. To Valinor. But elves can die out of grief, yep.

[lore_master]

i always thougt that only great heroes of battles returned to their bobys in middle earth (ex. Glorfindel)

[Faenaduial]

You are assuming there are roughly an even number of male and female elves to start with. However, if you look at any of the published family trees, it seems that there are many more male elves born than female elves.