Elves and death

[Andsigil]

Does anyone have any ideas on why Glorfindel was special enough to rate reincarnation/resurrection by Mandos? Certainly he was heroic, but he's also one of many such elves and, judged among them, nothing special.

[The Might]

Well, because of his noble sacrifice another exception was made at first in his case - he was allowed to return to the Undying Lands, although he had participated in the rebellion.

Why he was then allowed to leave the Undying Lands and got to Middle-earth remains a mystery. I doubt he was the only Elf valiant enough to leave Aman and go help the Elves of M-e, maybe it was his skill that played a part there. After all, it's not like the Valar wanted to allow all the Elves there to leave and go destroy Sauron, they had already done that once and it was enough.

So maybe he was kind of a special agent of Valinor chosen due to his skills, courage and possibly also friendship to Gandalf for example? He may have befriended Olorin during his stay there after all...

Thing is he was among those best qualified to come and support Elrond.

[Beregond]

Do you think it is any co-incidence that Gandalf also was "brought back" shortly after destroying a Balrog?

[Andsigil]

Originally Posted by Beregond

Do you think it is any co-incidence that Gandalf also was "brought back" shortly after destroying a Balrog?

I hadn't thought of it that way, to be honest. But Gandalf was a Maiar whereas Glorfindel was "only" an elf. Maiar were an immortal of a higher level, so I didn't think it strange that they got special treatment.

[Andsigil]

TM and obloquy,

I understand what you're saying, but I still see Glorfindel as "average" among the great heroes of the elves. I mean, Gil-Galad defeated Sauron with Ecthelion's help and sacrificed himself in the process. Fingolfin died fighting the Big Kahuna himself, Morgoth. Couldn't one argue that, instead of resurrecting Glorfindel to aid Elrond, why not instead resurrect Gil-Galad or Fingolfin to rule as High King of the Noldor again?

[Gordis]

They all had been resurrected, no doubt, but maybe only Glorfindel expressed a wish to return to ME?

[Andsigil]

Originally Posted by Gordis

They all had been resurrected, no doubt, but maybe only Glorfindel expressed a wish to return to ME?

That's literally so simple that I never thought of it. It makes perfect sense.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Andsigil

I understand what you're saying, but I still see Glorfindel as "average" among the great heroes of the elves. I mean, Gil-Galad defeated Sauron with Ecthelion's help and sacrificed himself in the process. Fingolfin died fighting the Big Kahuna himself, Morgoth. Couldn't one argue that, instead of resurrecting Glorfindel to aid Elrond, why not instead resurrect Gil-Galad or Fingolfin and to rule as High King of the Noldor again?

Originally Posted by Gordis

They all had been resurrected, no doubt, but maybe only Glorfindel expressed a wish to return to ME?

Yes, most likely that, (and Glorfindel was of course not that "average" anyway, but I guess even that was a bit of an exaggeration in your post, Andsigil) and mainly, these "big bosses" often fulfilled their role and it would be kinda weird, that I think is evident even from the point of view of every reader, to suddenly bring them back. Now you will have a guy who will suddenly come and take the "throne" of Noldor again for himself - wouldn't that be a bit queer? I won't mind if it was for example like with Gandalf, immediately after they died, why not, but to bring back some Fingolfin in the middle of the Third Age sounds pretty bad. Aside from the fact that the Elves were leaving the M-E, and their realms were diminishing (I think a good formulation would be "were supposed to diminish, not to grow", if I can phrase it like that).

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Gordis

They all had been resurrected, no doubt, but maybe only Glorfindel expressed a wish to return to ME?

Ooh! Afterthought!

On this point, there seems to be a lot of truth to it, if only when one considers that the only other returning Elves to Middle-earth had been the exiled Noldor (who returned out of a grudge)--and also because the general trend of Elves who never left Middle-earth was to get on ships and sail back to Valinor. After having tried both, most Noldor seem to have concluded that Valinor held the better life.

[Galin]

Tolkien seems to find a number of reasons why Glorfindel was reincarnated (being under the ban was problematic). He didn't list them like this, but here goes:

1) Glorfindel was an Elda of high and noble spirit (I'm going to assume exceptionally high and noble is meant)

2) he incurred the ban reluctantly only because of kinship and allegiance to Turgon, and love for his Kindred.

3) he took no part in the Kinslaying

4) 'More important': he had sacrificed his life, enabling Tuor and Idril to escape, a deed of vital importance to the designs of the Valar.

So Glorfindel was purged of any guilt (in note 12 Tolkien describes that his guilt had been small, and once again refers to his noble character, among other things), released from Mandos, and Manwe restored him to bodily life -- and he gained the primitive innocence and grace of the Eldar. It is then said he became a friend and follower of Gandalf.

Of course much of that's been already covered, but not in list form

[Formendacil]

I wish I could remember the reference (it might be in HoME X, Morgoth's Ring, pertaining to comments about Míriel and her refusal to return to her body) so that I might dig it up, but I recall Tolkien writing somewhere that Fëanor was unusual because he would NEVER be re-embodied during the life of this world. (There's a hint of this in the prophetic bit about him breaking the Silmarils and rekindling the light of the Two Trees--clearly an eschatological reference, given the unlikeliness of his re-embodying.) As with his mother, Míriel (and, if I recall HoME X aright, speculatively Finwë), Fëanor is not re-embodied solely because of the "sins" he was responsible for, but because of a disposition on his part--a willingness, as it were, to admit any wrongdoing.

What this would suggest is that re-embodiment is the norm for Elves, as already mentioned by obloquy, and also the length of time spent in Mandos seems to be proportional to how good the Elf was in the first place.* Given the singling out of the cases of Fëanor and Míriel as unusual, we should, in fact, assume that--eventually--Elves such as Fingolfin and Turgon did, indeed, return to life in Valinor.

Although I can (from cursory search) find no text in the Silmarillion to say so, it seemed to me clear that Finarfin rules the Noldor yet, in which case one maybe should ask if Elven culture permits re-embodied lords to resume rule. If my impression is correct, then it seems to be that Elven culture does not, since it also seems apparent that the re-embodied Noldor would not be re-embodied unless they were forgiven of their prior wrongdoings--and if forgiven, they would properly receive back what was theirs, unless death caused their claims to be bypassed (although a case could be made for the opposite position along the lines distinguishing between consequence and forgiveness).

Of course, I could be right about Finarfin remaining king, and it having nothing to do with Elven culture, and everything to do with Elven nature. Barring the example of Glorfindel, although we know that re-embodiment is the natural course for a dead Elf, we have no examples of any returning to a "public" life. Perhaps, therefore, passing through death predisposes most Elves to a life of "retirement," and thus the return of those possessing a prior claim to the Kingship of the Noldor (namely Fingolfin, whenever he might have been released) would not have endangered Finarfin's rule, due to an abdication of such worldliness on the part of the re-embodied Elf.

Certainly, we know from The Fellowship of the Ring that re-embodied Elves are somewhat otherworldly. Note the following quote about Glorfindel:

Originally Posted by Many Meetings

...And here in Rivendell live still some of his chief foes: the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the farthest seas. They do not fear the Ringwraiths, for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power.'

'I thought that I saw a white figure that shone and did not grow dim like the others. Was that Glorfindel then?'

'Yes, you saw him for a moment as he is on the other side: one of the mighty of the Firstborn....

--emphasis mine.

Although the above text doesn't ascribe anything special to Glorfindel as different from any other Elf, and it is to be supposed that, though more than 6500 years have passed since the Two Trees, there could well still be a few Elves in Middle-earth that marched behind Fëanor or Fingolfin, nonetheless, I would attribute the fact that Glorfindel is so mighty (and indeed few could be sent from Rivendell that had power to withstand the Nine--and Glorfindel was sent west along the road, where they were most likely to be met) to the fact that he had been re-embodied. And, indeed, as the texts about Glorfindel in HoME XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth makes clear**, there does seem to be a gravitas about Glorfindel that is not be found in the other Elf-lords around him: Galdor, Erestor, or maybe not even Gildor Inglorion (who unlike the last two is uncontestably a Noldo).




*As an addendum: it is nowhere said that I can recall that the Noldor (or other Middle-earthian Elves) could not be re-embodied before the Ban was lifted, but this is nonetheless the impression I got. It might be interesting to speculate, therefore, that some of the Eldar had indeed been re-embodied by the time of the Great March, and thus the Host of Noldor led by Finarfin to the War of Wrath may have, perhaps, included re-embodied Noldor... but as I say, this is pure speculation, and it does not seem to be borne out by the tenor of the story. Indeed, the Ban on return to Valinor may have also prevented any re-embodiment (given that it took place in Valinor, and so would have been a form of return) until it was lifted.


**Texts also highly recommended, along with the Míriel related stuff, and the Athrabeth for Tolkien's thoughts on Elven death re-embodiment.

EDIT Cross-posted from Galin, #14, onward.

[obloquy]

Originally Posted by Andsigil

Does anyone have any ideas on why Glorfindel was special enough to rate reincarnation/resurrection by Mandos? Certainly he was heroic, but he's also one of many such elves and, judged among them, nothing special.

Resurrection appears to have been typical for slain elves, but Glorfindel was notable for two reasons. First, he was a Noldo, and the Noldor were banned from returning to Aman--thus also, presumably, banned from reincarnation. Because of his sacrifice he was judged to be absolved of guilt and was allowed to be reincarnated. Second, he returned to Middle-earth after having been restored, which was, as far as we know, unique.

Originally Posted by Beregond

Do you think it is any co-incidence that Gandalf also was "brought back" shortly after destroying a Balrog?

It is. Glorfindel's death and Gandalf's were different, and their means of return was also different. The fact that a Balrog slew them both is irrelevant.