I suppose that's just the way things turned out. I could write a short essay here about representation of themes, Elvish/Mannish personalities, Male-Female roles and the question of forty-two (etc); however I don't really think it's fitting on this question... it would certainly be a very abstract speculation.
=] I suppose we can look for a reason at each case. (I've noticed this myself, by the way, as I expect have most people. Don't think it's ever come up before though.)
In each Union of Elves and Men (if you're looking for a better expression than 'interracial', Ascaalphion :rolleyes : ) -- namely those of Beren=Luthien, Tuor=Idril, Aragorn=Arwen -- there has actually been a common factor; the Man (in this case using both senses of the word) has been a warrior. He has won through, and at the end won his bride.
In the case of Beren and Luthien, where both of them won through together, this still does work out as Beren had to get to Doriath in the first place... I suppose it actually could have been a human woman in this case, with Luthien (obviously with a different name) being male; the story wouldn't really have worked properly at all though, certainly not fitting in with the overall infrastructure of the mythology.
Tuor and Aragorn, of course, Tuor performing the sort of task he did (realise that we're talking about classic literature here; not a modern Hollywood film [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]) and Aragorn being a king (and a captain and soldier as well -- and the heir of Elendil and Isildur, one who must take up their task), had to be men. The characters of Arwen and Idril fitted in with this and with the whole structure of things when you think about it, which is vitally important. The story of Beren and Luthien did work a lot better with their respective sexes being as they are, and thus it was important for them too for the purposes of fitting in with it all.
Yes, so I'd say that's probably what it is. Just the way it worked out.
[ August 31, 2003: Message edited by: Gwaihir the Windlord ]
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