Formie, a very thought-provoking post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formendacil
Now then, it seems to me that the logical place to begin in creating an "Elven forest-daughter character" is to take a look at the female Elves who do appear in the canon somewhere. The following come to mind immediately:
Míriel
Indil
Nerdanel
Aredhel
Galadriel
Lúthien
Nellas
Finduilas
Arwen
Nimrodel
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Thanks for this. You helped me to initialize my own thought structure as follows:
I am specifically NOT thinking in Silmarillionish terms. Why? Aside from Thranduil and Elrond, the elves in 'The Hobbit' (funny phrase) are much more approachable.
My elves-from-The-Hobbit are not gloomily Feanorean. They giggle. They laugh and laugh and laugh. They sing Tra-la-la-Lally. I expect Orlando to deliver a rousing Tra-La-La-Lally chorus, in all of his shimmering goldenness.
They participate in White Stag Hunts.
They have Mirkwood-parties with lanterns that go poof when foreigners bungle into their midst, or even close. They wear crowns of leaves. They are MERRY. Merry, merry, merry.
Now, I do not think this is particularly non-Noldorian... I do think that there were merry elves in LOTR. And in the Sil. In fact, I think that they must have been much more merry than we read about in order to survive all the gloom that Tolkien poured out into their lives. Didn't Sam describe Galadriel as "Proud and far off as any queen, and as merry as any lass with daisies in her hair in the springtime?"
So what else do Hobbitish Elves do? They taunt dwarves while dwarves are crossing narrow bridges. They dance and sing on the riverbanks during midsummer eve. The butler gets drunk with the turnkey. They sing about rolling barrels into a stream. They are MERRY. They love life. Frankly, I am jealous of them and am beginning to seek to emulate that very Merriness characteristic.
(What was it that Thorin said to Bilbo on his deathbed-- if more of us valued good food and merriment it would be a better world, or something like that...)
I am sure that PJ's elves will remain dangerous, gleaming, weighty characters (at least it is to be hoped.) But I also really hope that we get to see their merry side. Thranduil will have his occasionally Feanorean moments where he insists on his way or else. But meanwhile some of his elves will be having FUN-- feasting in the forest, hunting stags, or rolling barrels down into the stream. Wasn't Thranduil holding a big feast in his underground palace while the butler was downstairs getting roaring drunk with the turnkey?
So. Let's suppose Tauriel fits into this scheme of things. Will Tauriel be some happy-go-lucky young elvish girl just recruited to the royal court? Will she be in the White-Stag hunting party? Will she be the king's Other Cup-Bearer? Will she be an archery student? Will she be a banner-carrying herald? Will she join the dances (don't tell me that there will be no dances, I've been waiting ten years for an elvish circle dance. The hobbits got to dance in FOTR, it's the elves' turn now.) Maybe she does a solo dance at the feast. (Sam's Rosie gets her moment in the spotlight but Thranduil's elvish maidens do not? How fair is that?)
Maybe she'll be a messenger from the Northern Marches. Maybe she'll be the King's wine taster. Maybe she'll serve the apples... remember somebody got packed in a barrel that had been full of apples and declared he would hate the smell of apples for the rest of his life? Interesting, that Mirkwood elves import their apples!)
About the only thing I feel adamant about is that by the end of the movie, she NOT be married to Legolas (or carrying his child, for heaven's sake.). But if she bats her eyelashes at him, or gets all starry-eyed in his presence, I won't be surprised. Or horrified. Not at all.