Can the 'power' or 'being' of Elves increase over the years? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 03-19-2003, 08:49 AM

Doesn't it depend what you mean by 'power'? Power to do what? What kind of Power - physical, mental, spiritual? It all comes down to what the Elves want from the world, what they want to achieve. There's a quote from one of Tolkien's letters which I quoted in another thread - 'Its about death, the inevitability of Death-

''But the Elves are not wholly good or in the right. Not so much because they had flirted with Sauron; as because with or without his assistance they were 'embamlmers'. They wanted to have their cake & eat it; to live in the mortal historical Middle Earth because they had become fond of it (& because they there had the advantages of a superior caste) & so tried to stop its change & history, stop its growth, keep it as a pleasaunce, even largely a desert where they could be artists, & they were burdened with sadness & nostalgic regret''

Its not just about becoming more or less 'powerful'. Becoming more 'powerful' in the sense of becoming better & more powerful 'embalmers' is really to become less 'powerful' in a moral & spiritual sense.
In the light of that quote, you have to ask whether Nenya did really have a rejuvenating effect on Lorien, or whether it just 'embalmed' it, so it couldn't change. But, we've maybe covered this aspect on the 'inevitability of death' thread

03-19-2003, 08:49 AM	#2
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Doesn't it depend what you mean by 'power'? Power to do what? What kind of Power - physical, mental, spiritual? It all comes down to what the Elves want from the world, what they want to achieve. There's a quote from one of Tolkien's letters which I quoted in another thread - 'Its about death, the inevitability of Death- ''But the Elves are not wholly good or in the right. Not so much because they had flirted with Sauron; as because with or without his assistance they were 'embamlmers'. They wanted to have their cake & eat it; to live in the mortal historical Middle Earth because they had become fond of it (& because they there had the advantages of a superior caste) & so tried to stop its change & history, stop its growth, keep it as a pleasaunce, even largely a desert where they could be artists, & they were burdened with sadness & nostalgic regret'' Its not just about becoming more or less 'powerful'. Becoming more 'powerful' in the sense of becoming better & more powerful 'embalmers' is really to become less 'powerful' in a moral & spiritual sense. In the light of that quote, you have to ask whether Nenya did really have a rejuvenating effect on Lorien, or whether it just 'embalmed' it, so it couldn't change. But, we've maybe covered this aspect on the 'inevitability of death' thread __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."