And apologies to
Lisse for further hijacking her thread (i.e. my last comment).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galin
Hi again Lisse. Here it is, but it's not very long (pun intended)
http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthr...ight=pottering
And about the matter of black hair, Tolkien wrote in 'Words, Phrases, Passages' (p. 155): 'The Noldor were generally hróva or morna' [these Elvish words are noted] 'morna black of hair: hróva 'dark, dark brown'
In another entry JRRT seemed to think absolute black was not the case (same source): 'The predominant colour of Noldorin hair was very dark brown (no Elf had absolute black hair: morna)' I note here that Tolkien used morna, the word used in the previous citation.
But even if this entry is later than the first, it appears possible that JRRT revised that no Elf was black of hair, as in The Shibboleth of Feanor (dated 1968 or later), for example, Finwe has 'black' hair (note 19). Or concerning Urundil (note 61): 'His hair was not as dark or black as was that of most of the Noldor, but brown, and had glints of coppery red in it.'
Hmm  |
My own feeling is that this is a revision. I suppose it need not be, if you take "black" as really meaning "
almost black".