How old is Legolas?

[Rosie Cotton]

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How old is Legolas in the lord of the rings? I've heard lot of different people say lots of things. I'm just wondering if anyone knows. Guess are fine too.

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[Lady Eowyn]

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<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/nenya.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: How old is Legolas?

Welcome to the Board, Rosie!!
I read somewhere that he was 2931 years old
(still looks good for his age <img src=wink.gif ALT=";)"> )
I don't know it that's really his age, but it sounds good!!

And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom</p>

[as eowyn]

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<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/nenya.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: How old is Legolas?

Hey Lady Eowyn, ya i heard that too but i thought it was just the age they had decided to use in the movies.

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[as eowyn]

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<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/nenya.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: How old is Legolas?

Oh ya, i fogot Rosie Cotton and as eowyn are both me.

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[Niniel]

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<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/nenya.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: How old is Legolas?

lol. Is Alzheimers getting you already <img src=wink.gif ALT=";)">
But I think the age is about right..
2000 years, ya something like that...

Ups, I used the wrong nick again - argh....
It's me LE

And he who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile&u=00000289>Niniel</A> at: 10/18/00 6:11:03 pm

[The Barrow-Wight]

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<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/nenya.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: How old is Legolas?

Legolas was the son of Thranduil of the Woodland Realm in Mirkwood. Thranduil was present in the histories of the First Age, so it is likely that Legolas was born sometime in the Second Age, which would make him more than 3000 years old and as many as 5000 or more. His exact age is undefined.

The Barrow-Wight (RKittle)
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[Moritari]

Hello, i wanted to know how old Legolas is too, but i think he may have been around in the first age.
In the Book of Lost Tales, there is an elf by the name of Legolas who lived in Gondolin.
It may be someone else, but i thought people of importance didn't have their names duplicated.
Also, if Legolas was born in the second or third age, wouldn't it be mentioned in the timeline at the back of RotK, like everyone else?

[Finwe]

The Legolas of Gondolin that you are talking about is most definitely a different person. Tolkien re-used names quite a bit, and for a Green Elf, Legolas would be a very common name, since it means "Greenleaf."

I'm assuming that Legolas is just a little (little by Elven standards) older than Arwen. I don't think he's younger, because I've always thought of the Evenstar as being the youngest of the Elves, or one of the very youngest.

[Olorin_TLA]

Remember, folks, young among Elves is still really old. smilies/wink.gif

[Moritari]

Yes, but why then, wasn't Legolas' birth year in the timline? Nearly all other characters had their birth down at the back of RotK, at least all the fellowship did.

[Finwe]

Perhaps that was merely an oversight. After all, we don't really need to know Legolas' age. Does it affect the story or character development in any way? If he was 50 years old or two millennia old, he would still be the Legolas Greenleaf that we know and love. It doesn't really matter, and that is why his birth year isn't in the timeline.

[Olorin_TLA]

Or perhaps Tolkien himself wasn't ever sure.

[RoseMorninStar]

Well, Tolkien loved enigmas and felt they were very much a part of a proper story. In family histories especially he felt that some missing information was just, well, 'real'. Think of anyone trying to do a family tree. Some information is just missing or incomplete. One clue might be a response Tolkien made about Elves and their offspring. He said that most Elves (the ones that married at all because many did not, just like the Dwarves) married and had children when they were about 50 to 100 years old or so. There are MANY acceptions to this 'rule' however, Arwen was what 2,700 plus years old at the time of the war of the ring. I guess it is one of those 'If a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it did it make a sound' kind of things...does it really matter?

One thing I do find intruiging is how puzzled Legolas seems with death. And how he still marvels at life and small things and seems much 'younger' than say...Elrond or even Haldir. THere is much joy in his character. So, who knows... (there is an essay on the internet about this...somewhere...) Rosie

[Finwe]

I don't think that Legolas would be younger than 40, because then he would be considered a child, and I don't think that Elf Kings sent their children out on diplomatic missions when they were that young.

[Legolas]

Legolas is certainly older than 40 - at the very least he would be 200 or so (about twice Aragorn's age) since he comments in Fangorn that Aragorn and Gimli (and the other members of the Fellowship, save Mithrandir), but it seems he was older than that. Aragorn was ~90 years old during the War of the Ring.

'It is old, very old,' said the Elf. 'So old that almost I feel young again, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children. It is old and full of memory. I could have been happy here, if I had come in days of peace.'

This sbuject has been done a few times since this thread. Two in particular went much further than this one - I suggest you go to these two and post there on the theories. In the second, Tar Elenion explains his theory about Legolas not being around (or old enough to fight) in the Second Age with a number of reasons, including Legolas' absence from the Last Alliance.

How old was Legolas? (Again) (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=002286)
Legolas' Age (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=001211)