[the phantom]

Okay, okay... here's a real response to the points you have raised.

Originally Posted by Rune

You are right in saying that it did not absolutely need to in order for the quest to succede, but no one said that there was a specific set of rules that had to be met for the rope to drop. It is magic! We are not supposed to have a check list.

They are being followed (check)
It would be usefull if the rope chose drop now (check)
Sertain doom if rope does not drop

oh darn the last one was not pressent therefor it cannot be magic!

My whole point about need was in response to the divine intervention argument for "magic". There is a difference between the two.

Example-
An elf runs over snow = normal "magic"
In a desperate situation an elf runs over water = not normal "magic" (must be divine intervention)

My argument is that the rope is either made to come untied upon command or it isn't. If it was not made that way (if it coming untied was not normal) then there was some sort of divine intervention involved. But obviously the situation did not call for divine intervention.

Therefore we must assume that the rope was designed to come untied, or that someone/something untied it. I have already given many reasons as to why I do not believe it was designed to come untied, and so the inescapable conclusion is that the rope was physically untied.

Originally Posted by me

But "magic" isn't "magic" to the Elves.

Originally Posted by Raynor

I disagree. Legolas sets himself apart from even Aragorn and Boromir in term of his ability - he does not consider it normal or ubiquitous.

Aragorn and Boromir are not Elves! So of course it is not normal for them. It is normal for an Elf however. It is as normal to an Elf as walking is to a man. Therefore it is not some form of unusual or unpredictable "magic". It is simply a natural ability.

Just like making "magic" cloaks. It is simply an enhanced ability naturally possessed and developed by some Elves. And logically, rope making would be the same.

I don't see how any of the other quotes you gave disproves my view of magic. As a matter of fact, they support it.

a magia, producing real results (like fire in a wet faggot) for specific beneficent purposes

You see? For a "specific" purpose! In other words, any "magic" that goes on is something that was specifically designed to happen. A rope doesn't untie itself because it is "magic"- it unties itself because it was purposefully and specifically designed to! Every time! The "magic" is consistent and precise- not enigmatic or unexplainable.

Anyway, there you go. The explanation has been given.

I think you guys just need to accept the fact that I found the Entwives.