How did Maedhros stay alive?

[Galadriel55]

Wait...... it was years? I always assumed it was less than a year.... Gotta reread my Sil.

Elves do seem to be able to survive without food for years though, since Thingol did the same when he met Melian. They were standing unmoving in the glade for years on end, while the Teleri were looking for dear lost Elwe.

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Elves do seem to be able to survive without food for years though, since Thingol did the same when he met Melian. They were standing unmoving in the glade for years on end, while the Teleri were looking for dear lost Elwe.

Yes, but stravation+torture would be a little harder.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

Yes, but stravation+torture would be a little harder.

Well, Maedhros was a bit more dishevelled than Thingol...

[Galin]

Maedros was held captive by the wrist sometime in Valian Year 1498, and was rescued in Sun Year 5. Assuming that VY 1500 represents a full 9.582 Sun Years (currently the topic of my thread on counting the Sun Years), Maedros was captive in this way for roughly 33.5 years on the high end; or 25 years on the lower end -- here using 9.5 to simplify, and for the low end counting only one Solar Year within 1498, which I admit is arbitrary.

Unless my math is wrong, or if we should not count 9.582 Solar Years for VY 1500

According to the Annals (Annals of Aman and Grey Annals) and the Tale of Years, the last Valian Year entry is year 1500, and then we have a new reckoning with Sun Year 1. Anyway, the Eldar normally need to eat so I assume Morgoth gave him just enough, or did something to keep him alive.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Galin

Anyway, the Eldar normally need to eat so I assume Morgoth gave him just enough, or did something to keep him alive.

Well, Morgoth sure likes slow torture...

I wonder if he also fed Hurin. Even if he did, I doubt Hurin would accept. So how did he stay alive?

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by G55

Well, Morgoth sure likes slow torture...

I wonder if he also fed Hurin. Even if he did, I doubt Hurin would accept. So how did he stay alive?

Morgoth would surely *like* to prolong his victims' suffering beyond natural limits, if he could... and no doubt he could. These are probably cases where you can more-or-less "handwave" it as "magic".

[Galadriel55]

And Morgoth...set his power upon [Hurin], so that he could not move from that place, nor die, until Morgoth should release him.

~The Words of Hurin and Morgoth, COH

This quote supports what Nerwen said. However, even as the greatest Ainu, Morgoth is inferior to Eru, and Eru holds the power to give or take im/mortality. It's not up to Morgoth to decide to make a human immortal until he got what he wants?

Or is it just withholding the death, not making one completely immortal?

I don't get it.