<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pile o' Bones
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The choice of the Half-elven
This is a rather vexed issue, actually. Accepting the account in HoME V as canon for the moment (and I'm not too sure if it is), the Judgment of Manwe (which Comrade Tar-Elenion quoted) indicates that the presence of human blood made all Peredhel human by default, unless Manwe granted them the Choice. Because Earendil and Elwing took peril upon themselves for the benefit of the two kindreds, they were given the Choice of becoming elves or humans. It is not clear why Elrond and Elros were granted a choice. My take on this (NOT supported or AFAIK contradicted by any of JRRT's writings) is that perhaps Manwe felt it would be unjust to sunder families by having parents proclaimed elves, while their children remained human. At the same time, the Gift could not be denied. Therefore, the children of peredhel who had chosen to be elves were offered the Choice as a special dispensation against being considered human. Where peredhel chose to become human, the question of sundering did not arise, and therefore descendants on that line were not offered the choice.
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