Quote:
Originally Posted by Galin
(...) Even letter 211 (1958), describing how Elros and Elrond were found, was possibly abandoned, as JRRT ultimately abandoned the detail that Elrond seemingly meant *Elf of the Cave, for instance. Tolkien might have kept the details found in this letter, but as the meaning of the name arguably reflects the story, it's a bit of a question mark to my mind.
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Hmm, according to the TYs, Elros and Elrond are born in FA 532 and the Havens of Sirion are destroyed 6 years later, in 538, and:
'sons of Earendil taken captive, but are fostered with care by Maidros.'
In the letter:
Quote:
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'Elrond and Elros, children of Earendil (sea-lover) and Elwing (Elf-foam), were so called, because they were carried off by the sons of Feanor, in the last act of the fued between the high-elven houses of the Noldorin princes concerning the Silmarils; the Silmaril rescued from Morgoth by Beren and Luthien, and given to King Thingol Luthien's father, had descended to Elwing dtr. of Dior, son of Luthien. The infants were not slain, but left like 'babes in the wood', in a cave with a fall of water over the entrance. There they were found: Elrond within the cave, and Elros dabbling in the water.'
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Do people agree that the suggestion here is that the 'infants' were left here by the sons of Feanor just after they were carried off, to be found again by someone, and in this scenario would not have been fostered?
Granted, again the name
Elrond does not seem to have retained this seeming meaning *Elf of the cave (note Elwing is here 'Elf-foam'), possibly denying this conception, but anyway there doesn't seem to be any fostering going on here.