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Originally Posted by Eönwë
What about Balrogs and Melian, though? Or even the Istari? (though I suppose they must, as they actually have the body of men.)
I must agree with skip spence that if you saw an elf doing manual work (other than smithing, which could be made to look elegant), then they lose their grace. So did elves build houses and flets, or did they get "lesser" beings to do it for them. And furniture too.
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Agreed. The Istari must have had mostly normal functions, although I can't think of an instance where Radagast, Gandalf, or Saruman betray their human weakness.
But I have to ask: what about smithing could ever be elegant? It's long, hard work dealing with some of the hardest, most enduring elements in their world (save dwarven delving). I'm curious to know how smithing could be seen as elegant. Even in the movies, banging on Anduril to reforge it looks like quite a physical achievement.
As for lesser beings making things for the Elves, what about Gondolin? If no one was allowed to depart or enter (save for a very fortunate few), then the furniture and buildings inside must have been built by the Elves themselves. Or else, the Gondolin Elves were rather ascetic and disdained such low and common things as houses and furniture...
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Originally Posted by skip spence
To return to Mr. Baggins musing: if we picture Galadriel retreating behind a bush with some leaves and a newspaper her aura of magic and mystery quickly dissipates.
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Yes, that would destroy the aura, and I believe that is why JRR neglected to inform us of her "extended-reading" habits, with her copy of "The Lorien Libelous" or "Rivendell Report."
I suppose another theoretical argument for denying Elves the right to partake of such lowly practices would be that the sheer volume produced by a single Elf over their extended lifespan would be phenomenal.