When they die, where do they go?

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Nimrodel_9

I admit that I never fully understood the death of elves. They go to the Undying Lands, which is also called Aman, beyond the Great Sea. But you can also sail there, right? So let's say Elladan and Elrohir (just for example ) are in a battle. Elrohir is slain and Elladan wishes to see him again. Can Elladan just sail to Aman and find his brother? This is how I understood it.

That depends. First of all, Elladan and Elrohir are a bad example, because they are Half-Elven, and we do not know if they ultimately chose Elvenkind or Mankind.

But assuming that they chose Elvenkind, then Elladan COULD be reincarnated. Now, here's the catch: the decision to reincarnate Elves is left with Mandos (and Manwe). And if those Elves have not lived good enough lives, they are sunk. Feanor, to mention a specific case, because of the terrible evil of his deeds, will remain in Mandos until the end of Arda.

However, others like Glorfindel and Finrod, who were as good of people in life as possible, and died selfless deaths, were both reincarnated quite soon after death- or so it is implied. In the case of an inbetween Elf (I believe Saeros has it said about him), he/she will remain in Mandos for a long time, but will eventually be reincarnated.

Originally Posted by Nimrodel_9

But men can't sail to Aman, right? So what was the point in Frodo, Bilbo, and possibly Sam going? Perhaps they are regarded the same as elves... But they are not of the Firstborn.

Someone help me.

Nim

Actually, Men COULD get to the Undying Lands. Tolkien's vision of the Silmarillion, right up until the end, included the great tale being told to a man, while he was in Tol Eressia- the isle off the coast of Valinor where Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, and Gimli would have lived.

The catch is that they could not return to Middle-Earth. Not even the Elves could come back. It took a special act of the Valar to send the Istari (but they were Maiar anyway) in the Third Age. After the fall of Numenor, it became a one-way street.

A one-way street, it is true, on which Men (indeed, all Mortals) didn't have PERMISSION to travel on, but which they COULD anyway. In the cases of the Ringbearers and Gimli, this was a VERY special permission granted under very unusual circumstances. And while it did permit them to the Undying Lands, it did not make them undying. They remained mortal, and sooner or later (although envisioning later is more fun, to my mind) they would, of their own nature, being restored to the natural state Eru had envisioned, pass away and leave the circles of this world.