Immortality and the sons of Elrond

[Galin]

Well, it's a mortal perspective that sometimes puts the Elvish longevity ('immortality' of the Elves) above the gift of God to Men, but also, there is the idea that the gift will come to be envied by the Elves, and 'which as Time wears even the Powers shall envy' (from The Silmarillion, chapter Of The Beginning Of Days).

In letter 156 (1954) Tolkien wrote that in the view of the myth, Death, or the mere shortness of human life-span, is not a punishment for the Fall, and: 'The attempt to escape it is wicked because 'unnatural', and silly because death in that sense is the Gift of God (envied by the Elves), release from the weariness of Time.'

And in 1958, draft letter 212:

'Mortality, that is a short life-span having no relation to the life of Arda, is spoken of as the given nature of Men: the Elves called it the Gift of Iluvatar (God). But it must be remembered that mythically these tales are Elf-centered, not anthropocentric (...) This is therefore an 'Elvish' view, and does not necessarily have anything to say for or against such beliefs as the Christian that 'death' is not part of human nature, but a punishment for sin (rebellion), a result of the 'Fall'. It should be regarded as an Elvish perception of what death -- not being tied to the 'circles of the world' - should now become for Men, however it arose. A divine 'punishment' is also a divine 'gift', if accepted, since its object is ultimate blessing, and the supreme inventiveness of the Creator will make 'punishments' (that is changes of design) produce a good not otherwise to be attained: a 'mortal' Man has probably (an Elf would say) a higher if unrevealed destiny than a longeval one.'

In 1963 (letter 245) Tolkien says that the Elves believed death meant: 'liberation from the circles of the world', and was in this respect to them enviable. And they would point out to Men who envied them that a dread of ultimate loss, though it may be indefinitely remote, is not necessarily the easier to bear if it is in the end ineluctably certain: a burden may become heavier the longer it is borne.' And in the Athrabeth (1959-ish) Finrod does say that: 'Our hunter is slow-footed, but he never loses the trail. (...) But is it not clear that a foreseen doom long delayed is in all ways a lighter burden than one that comes soon.' And in the Commentary to the Athrabeth: 'men were, of course, in general entirely ignorant of the 'Shadow Ahead' which conditioned Elvish thought and feeling, and simply envied Elvish 'immortality'.

After the Athrabeth, Tolkien makes the point that it is a conversation, and it may have some interest for men who start with similar beliefs or assumptions to those held by the Elvish King Finrod. And it is specifically said that the Elves, observing that all Men died (a fact confirmed by Men), held that death was natural, and that the fear (plural of fea) of Men left Time sooner or later, and never returned. More generally, in 1956 Tolkien explained (letter 186):

'The real theme for me is about something much more permanent and difficult: Death and Immortality: the mystery of the love of the world in the hearts of a race 'doomed' to leave and seemingly lose it; the anguish in the hearts of a race 'doomed' not to leave it, until its whole evil-aroused story is complete.'

And in his essay on Fairy Stories: 'And lastly there is the oldest and deepest desire, the Great Escape: the Escape from Death. Fairy-stories provide many examples and modes of this (...) Fairy-stories are made by men not by fairies. The Human-stories of the elves are doubtless full of the Escape from Deathlessness.'

And it might be added too that immortality is the natural state of the Elves of course, and Tolkien refers to this also as a special gift to them: 'Immortality and Mortality being the special gifts of God to the Eruhini (...) it must be assumed that no alteration of their fundamental kind could be effected by the Valar even in one case: the cases of Luthien (and Tuor) and the position of their descendants was a direct act of God.' These last two bits of information come once again from the famed letter 153 -- I note this considering that I think, in the books, Tolkien has a least implied the Sons of Elrond chose mortality -- versus this letter where he says they delayed their choice after Elrond left, but what can I do.