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Guinevere · 09-06-2003, 03:52 PM

What an interesting thread! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]
I must say it also struck me that it`s always Elf maidens that fall in love with Human men and never the other way round (I haven`t read HoME and so knew nothing about Andreth up to now...but she seems to be the only exception)
Apart from the "high purposes of Doom" in the 3 official Elf/Man unions, there are 2 elf- maidens that fall in love with the hapless Turin: first Nellas, later Finduilas. (And he doesn`t even notice it!! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] )
And there is the Elven ancestress of the lords of Dol Amroth...

I think perhaps it has also to do with the fact, that an older man can still be considered attractive even at the side of his Elven wife still looking young and unchanged (Aragorn was smart enough to move on before he became an old dotard [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ), but one somehow can`t imagine an ageing mortal woman as the spouse of an forever fair and young looking Elf man... [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

Didn`t Tolkien write the conversation between Finrod and Andreth much later in his life, when he might have had a different outlook?

09-06-2003, 03:52 PM	#30
Guinevere Banshee of Camelot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Switzerland Posts: 5,830	What an interesting thread! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] I must say it also struck me that it`s always Elf maidens that fall in love with Human men and never the other way round (I haven`t read HoME and so knew nothing about Andreth up to now...but she seems to be the only exception) Apart from the "high purposes of Doom" in the 3 official Elf/Man unions, there are 2 elf- maidens that fall in love with the hapless Turin: first Nellas, later Finduilas. (And he doesn`t even notice it!! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] ) And there is the Elven ancestress of the lords of Dol Amroth... I think perhaps it has also to do with the fact, that an older man can still be considered attractive even at the side of his Elven wife still looking young and unchanged (Aragorn was smart enough to move on before he became an old dotard [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ), but one somehow can`t imagine an ageing mortal woman as the spouse of an forever fair and young looking Elf man... [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] Didn`t Tolkien write the conversation between Finrod and Andreth much later in his life, when he might have had a different outlook? __________________ Yes! "wish-fulfilment dreams" we spin to cheat our timid hearts, and ugly Fact defeat!