Race parents

[symestreem]

Well, as Findegil said, the halls of Thranduil were similar to those of Menegroth.

[Olorin_TLA]

Not only do they never name Legolas as son of Thranduil, but they constantly neglect to mention he's a prince! I suppose Legolas simply doesn't feel that makes him any "better" than anyone else, as he doens't seem to have pride, and so never mentions it. But it's still wierd.


But names like Glorifndel wouldn't be reused by the Elves, Tolkien said (a small part of the reason he decided they were the same person) - simpler names might have, he said, or ones less "unique" by the deeds done by someone so named. So I guess the mystery reamins.

As for Mirkwood...the Elven King's Halls would have been like an undergorund city. But I think many Elves lived in the woods to suit their less-housebound society.

[Guinevere]

Not only do they never name Legolas as son of Thranduil, but they constantly neglect to mention he's a prince! I suppose Legolas simply doesn't feel that makes him any "better" than anyone else, as he doesn't seem to have pride, and so never mentions it. But it's still weird.

That's something which also struck me. In my eyes it makes Legolas very sympathetic ! He's the son of a king, yet he's not proud or haughty at all. (Aragorn is much more fond of showing off his ancestry! ) Neither does he act like he's something better than the rest of the fellowship because he's an elf.

I think the hobbits having surnames may have been a device of Tolkien's introduced when he was writing 'The Hobbit', to be familiar to children/give the story an English feel

I think you are right in this, Symestream! The Hobbits are a (deliberate)Anachronism in Middle-earth. With them, the reader can identify. They are the bridge to the archaic world of ME. Bilbo and his home and his way of living are described much more like an upper Middle-class Englishman from around 1900.

[Lhundulinwen]

I think the main purpose of Aragorn to even be in the story (other than to protect Frodo, same as everyone else in the fellowship) was to reclaim his family's throne in Gondor. So his being the son of Arathorn had a pretty big impact. Frodo's introduction, Frodo son of Drogo, I think was probably just his habit. He was more of an upper class hobbit, and when he sent a letter or did anything more 'formal' in the Shire, I bet he signed it Frodo son of Drogo. Sam, when he used the more formal greeting, I think it was him trying to prove (maybe to himself) that he was as good as all the other hobbits, even if he was 'just a gardener'. Legolas really didn't introduce himself all that much, and I agree that maybe he was downplaying the fact that he was an elf. Plus, he may have been trying to make a name for himself without his famous father. Just my oppinion though .