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Haunting Spirit
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Re: About elves and immortality
Immortality as defined by Tolkien in letter 212:
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> In this mythical prehistory immortality, strictly longevity co-extensive with the life of Arda, was pan of the given nature of the Elves; beyond the End nothing was revealed. Mortality, that is a short life-span having no relation to the life of Arda, is spoken of as the given nature of Men: the Elves called it the Gift of Ilúvatar (God).<hr></blockquote>
Here is a clarification of Elven immortallity:
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> Letter 212:
In the Elvish legends there is record of a strange case of an Elf (Miriel mother of Feanor) that tried to die, which had disastrous results, leading to the Fall of the High-elves. The Elves were not subject to disease, but they could be slain: that is their bodies could be destroyed, or mutilated so as to be unfit to sustain life. But this did not lead naturally to death: they were rehabilitated and reborn and eventually recovered memory of all their past: they remained identical. But Miriel wished to abandon being, and refused rebirth.<hr></blockquote>
They cannot die and if they are slain they are immediatly reborn or rehabilitated. This is the essence of Elven immortality and no one believes this to be true with the dwarves.
Letter 212:
And of the fate that Ilúvatar has set upon the children of Aulë beyond the Circles of the world Elves and men know nothing...
Ok so here tolkien establises that the fate of dwarves is beyond the circles of the world.
Letter 268:
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> Gandalf was not dying', or going by a special grace to the Western Land, before passing on 'beyond the circles of the world'[as the hobbits were]:
he was going home, being plainly one of the 'immortals'<hr></blockquote>
And here it is establised that Gandalf was not going to "pass beyond the circles of the World" becasue he is immortal.
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Men are not tied to the circles of the World:
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> Letter 131:
The Doom (or the Gift) of Men is mortality, freedom from the circles of the world.<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> Appendix A; Aragorn's last words:
Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory, Farewell!" <hr></blockquote>
Elves are tied to the world:
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> Letter 212:
In this mythical 'prehistory' immortality, strictly longevity co-extensive with the life of Arda, was pan of the given nature of the Elves;<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> Letter 131:
The 'Elves' are 'immortal', at least as far as this world goes: and hence are concerned rather with the griefs and burdens of deathlessness in time and change...
---
...The doom of the Elves is to be immortal, to love the beauty of the world, to bring it to full flower with their gifts of delicacy and perfection, to last while it lasts<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> Letter 181:
They are therefore 'immortal'. Not 'eternally', but to endure with and within the created world, while its story lasts.<hr></blockquote>
All This is sumarized by this quote from Letter 186::
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> Death and Immortality: the mystery of the love of the world in the hearts of a race 'doomed' to leave and seemingly lose it; the anguish in the hearts of a race 'doomed' not to leave it, until its whole evil-aroused story is complete. <hr></blockquote>
And it is clearly stated that Dwarve leave it:
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> And of the fate that Ilúvatar has set upon the children of Aulë beyond the Circles of the world Elves and men know nothing... (letter 2q2)<hr></blockquote>
Elves do not die(their fate is tied with that f the wolrd they only die when the World does) Tolkien stated this clearly and unambigously and that Dwarves and Men do die(they go beyond the circles of the world and past that we don't know becasue all that is said about the area past the circles of the world is said by Morgoth: (UT part 1)
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> he Circles of the World I will not pursue them," said Morgoth. "For beyond the Circles of the World there is Nothing. ) <hr></blockquote>
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