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Old 07-20-2012, 05:08 AM   #24
Findegil
King's Writer
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,694
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Just to nit pick a bit: Spirits of Men go to the halls of Mandos, before they leave the world, and some are allowed to wait thier for some time (see the exsample of Beren).

And I would like to add a bit to the quotation of Galadriel, from the same chapter just one paragraph further down:
Quote:
It is one with this gift of freedom that the children of Men dwell only a short space in the world alive, and are not bound to it, and depart soon whither the Elves know not. Whereas the Elves remain until the end of days, and their love of the Earth and all the world is more single and more poignant therefore, and as the years lengthen ever more sorrowful. For the Elves die not till tile world dies, unless they are slain or waste in grief (and to both these seeming deaths they are subject); neither does age subdue their strength, unless one grow weary of ten thousand centuries; and dying they are gathered to the halls of Mandos in Valinor, whence they may in time return. But the sons of Men die indeed, and leave the world; wherefore they are called the Guests, or the Strangers. Death is their fate, the gift of Ilúvatar, which as Time wears even the Powers shall envy. But Melkor has cast his shadow upon it, and confounded it with darkness, and brought forth evil out of good, and fear out of hope. Yet of old the Valar declared to the Elves in Valinor that Men shall join in the Second Music of the Ainur; whereas Ilúvatar has not revealed what he purposes for the Elves after the World's end, and Melkor has not discovered it.
So the fate of Men is certain as long as you trusted in what the Elves told you about their own learinings from the Valar. In contarst the fate of the Elves is unknown at least in the longrun and nneeded 'estel' which is trust in the goodness of Ilúvatar much more than Men.

Respectfuly
Findegil
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