Are Elves vegatarian?

[mhagain]

One thing we can say that Elves probably don't eat is mushrooms.

This comes from a passage omitted from the Druedain material in UT but given in Of Dwarves and Men:

To the astonishment of Elves and other Men they ate funguses with pleasure ... the Eldar did not eat these things.

Tolkien struck this passage out, noting that it was "too like Hobbits", so it's up to us to decide if this was also a rejection of Elves not eating mushrooms.

Note also that he said "Eldar", so the Avari possibly do eat them.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by mhagain

Note also that he said "Eldar", so the Avari possibly do eat them.

Since Mîm the Petty-Dwarf said of the "proud ones from over the Sea" that they were "too proud to delve", I would be inclined to think they weren't all that keen on eating things they had to dig out of the ground. I can see them eating berries and things from vines and trees more easily.

Anyway, there's not "mushroom" for doubt that they at least ate meat.

[Galin]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Anyone, there's not "mushroom" for doubt that they at least ate meat.

I like it when people go to the truffle of adding a pun in their response.

[mhagain]

Originally Posted by Galin

I like it when people go to the truffle of adding a pun in their response.

Amid all the seriousness it's good to see someone who's a fun guy.

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by mhagain

Amid all the seriousness it's good to see someone who's a fun guy.

Me too, so long is it doesn't breach the forum's morels.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Legolas seems to have had no trouble eating meat. From LoTR "Flotsam And Jetsom":

"And you need not turn up your nose at the provender, Master Gimli," said Merry. "This is not orc-stuff, but man-food, as Treebeard calls it.Will you have wine or beer? There's a barrel inside there - very passable.And this is first-rate salted pork. Or I can cut you some rashers of bacon and broil them, if you like. I am sorry there is no green stuff: the deliveries have been rather interrupted in the last few days!"...
The three [Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli] were soon busy with their meal [no hint that legolas didn't munch on the pork or bacon

[Tuor in Gondolin]

And (from his website) Michael Martinez' opinion is:

Are the Elves Vegetarians?
February 12, 2013
By Michael Martinez
Q: Are the Elves Vegetarians?
ANSWER: This question often arises, and since the release of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” many people have been asking if the Elves are vegetarian or if Elves eat meat. When Thorin and Company are fed by the Elves of Rivendell, the dialog implies that the Elves do not serve meat to the Dwarves. However, at one point Fili tosses a sausage to Bombur, who is seated on a table. The extra weight of the sausage is enough to cause the table to collapse.

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth most Elves eat meat. The only Elves specifically said to be vegetarians were the Green-elves of Ossiriand. In Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth, it’s hard to find an Elf willing to eat meat. Still, you have to wonder where Fili’s Rivendell sausage came from.

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