Elvish Class Systems?

[Novlamothien]

Good question! I don't have any concrete proof of my theroy, having not read the UT and all of the HoMe, but I think that the elves did have a slight class system, which would consist of the ruler and the ruled. Most times you find a community of Elves,they have a king or master, who rules the rest. As for the ruled having a class system, I really don't think so, as you said, they are all of equal prosperity and isn't that what establishes the class systems? as for elves with different occupations being treated differently, I get the impression that they all pitched in to help, or at least many of them. They all seem to be able to care for themselves and their animals without any servants, so why would they need them at home. Legolas is a good example, he is a prince, but holds out just as well as the hobbits, maybe even more so. And now that I think about it, there were a lot of royalty in the fellowship, Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir, and I guess you could count Gandalf, were all of royal heritage(Gandalf was a Maia, I think that counts)

Namarie