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Old 02-10-2003, 10:46 PM   #34
Ultimatejoe
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario
Posts: 125
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Sting

Aragorn was fostered by Elrond and bears heirlooms dating back to Valinor. I'd be surprised if someone in that situation wouldn't have aquired some curiosity for earlier days.

As for Legalos; there is reams of evidence to show that Legolas isn't from Gondolin.

A) He's not of the Noldo
B) When he talks about the voices of the rocks in the foothills bellow Caradharas; he describes the Elves that they lament (The Noldor) as being a strange folk to him. Surely someone from Gondolin, carved out of rock in the middle of a field of mountains, wouldn't see the Noldor as such.
C) He has never seen the sea before. All the survivors of Gondolin made their ways to the coastlands of Beleriand and established havens. Why then would he say he hasn't seen the sea.
D) There is no evidence that it is the same Legolas as in FoG. Sp recognized the Balrog... This is hardly evidence. Glorfindel and the Balrog fought at the head of a long column of survivors on a twisting mountain pass. There is no guarantee, let alone evidence that Legolas would have had a clear view of the fracas. Considering how large Gondolin was and that there were at most 3 or 4 Balrog's there, it is unlikely he would have seen one.

Unless there is anything in the text that indicates that Legolas a survivor of the first age (and I have seen none) then we cannot as readers imply that he is. The reason we can make such an assertion about Glorfindel in the text is that he is referred to as an Elf-Lord and to past experiences that would indicate a connection to a previous storyline. For everyone's favourite travelling son this isn't so.
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