[Galorme]

Just saying it never does say Legolas of Gondolin is an Gnome, and I would like it if someone would at least concede that there is not much in the way or evidence to disprove that the Legolai (i love that word now) are one. As far as i can tell most of it is circumstantial, that he acts young, hasn't seen Lorien, pretends to be old etc.

Anyway here is something cool if they are not the same or if they are the same. In the book of lost tales it is said that he (whoever he is) went to live on the lonely isle, and that Rumil wrote more about him, which means he probably talked with him. Remember that Legolas sung about the Lonely Isle. So they may well have met there, and compared stories and tales and stuff.

Anyway i believe that Legolas is the same person. They may be in totally different stories, in different ages, in different places, and maybe on different timelines, but they are the same person. What little I have heard about the elf of Gondolin (his far sightedness, his love of Eressëa, even his full name is the same) matches the much greater knowledge I have of Legolas of Mirkwood. In JRRT’s mind they were the same, and the gnome/gnome wannabe just happened to be created at the wrong time of JRRT’s life, but he later came into being in a staring part he can play to perfection. I think that this fact along is enough to ignoor the inconstancies of the text to unite this lost fragment of Legolas to his later form.

As for seeming young, I have already argued in these forums before that when elves get older, they stop worrying and being sombre, and start to laugh, and sign, and see wondering in everything. I believe that Aman would be very much Faërieland, full of childlike elves who have long ago given up the worries of the world. Legolas, after 6000 odd years, had started this process.

I admit this is probably just me just clinging onto something I find really cool and don’t really want to give up.