The Elves - What have they ever done for us?

[Mithalwen]

Hi Wayland,

I found the names in the Silmarillion confusing the first time and (the second!) I was lucky that I had both the Tolkien Companion (JEA Tyler ) and Fosters "Complete Guide to Middle Earth" to help me through.

I seem to remember preferring the Tyler but either would be useful and are available on Amazon fairly cheaply if the library hasn't got them.

The Silmarillion is great but it is a much harder read than the LOTR though shorter.

You may want to try "Unfinished Tales" as well as the appendices. Although they are ideas and drafts a lot of it is more "user friendly" then the Silmarillion and has some more information on Galadriel and Celeborn, Thranduil's elves at the Last Alliance, Elvish interraction with the men of Numenor as well as stuff about the wizard and the palantiri and Gandalf's version of the beginning of the Hobbit.

Christopher Tolkien has edited a complete version of "The tale of the Children of Hurin" (Of Turin Turambar from the Silmarillion plus other elements published later in Unfinished Tales and the History of Middle Earth) Although the heros are mortals there is a lot of elvish involvement and this single more developed storyline may be more approachable when it is published in April.

You may well be able to get the "Tolkien Audio Collection" through the library too - It has JRRT reading bits of the Hobbit and LOTR and Christopher reading quite long extracts from the Silmarillion. I found it helped hearing it read - and you get a more or less definitive pronounciation guide on some of those names...

[Lalaith]

Argh, I only skim-read your response, Mith - got all excited, rushed over to amazon...only to find, as you of course pointed out, that it isn't published til April. I can't wait...I think it's the best story Tolkien wrote. I'd like to know how Christopher resolves the despair issue that we debated on the Downs a while back - does Hurin die in despair, or with the anger passed from him as in the Sil....?
Anyway, this is thread-hijacking of the worst kind. Sorry. I just get easily carried away about Hurin....

[Mithalwen]

This links to the official website which Davem posted in Announcements a while back.

[The Might]

Just wanted to add that the Silmarillion and the UT are indeed good sources of information.
But the History of Middle-earth series also provides you with some very interesting texts on the Eldar and their customs and history. Some are quite in-depth, so if you are interested I strongly recommebd buying this book.
The Letters of Tolkien might also add some other pieces of information, but aren't really a must.

[Mithalwen]

That is true but HOME especially is a slightly premature step until the Silmarillion/UT has been grasped perhaps....

Of course the volumes containing the drafts of the LOTR are rather more approachable but won't provide so much info on elves....

If you can't get hold of the Guide or Companion but have good net access the Encyclopedia of Arda is a useful reference website - but the books are more convenient.

And Lal .. I am really looking forward to the "new book" - even though I find Morwen a bit ... well as Bertie Wooster might say it isn't hard to distinguish her from a ray of sunshine ..and I am not usually one of nature's optimists...

[Liriodendron]

When it comes to elves fighting Sauron, I just think of the saying "Been there, done that....(bought the T-shirt ) Probably one reason why they were so weary and worn out, been fighting the same battles forever....

[Boromir88]

I don't know if I can add much more than what's already been said, but here's a few more things about the Elven involvement in the Third Age.

Sauron had a smart strategy planned. Back at the end of the Second Age and the Last Alliance, Elves and Men combined to be a mighty force and they did overthrow and defeat Sauron. By the War of the Ring in the Third Age Sauron wanted to avoid this from happening again. He figured Gondor was going to be the toughest, plus he hated Gondor. He hated Isildur for taking the Ring from him and he hated Isildur's City. Therefor Gondor was going to bare the brunt of Sauron's attack.

What Sauron's strategy was is quite brilliant, and probably why we don't see Elves come to Gondor's aid in the way they united back in the Second Age. Sauron's strategy was to tie up any possible allies and prevent them from uniting with Gondor. Rohan was probably Gondor's strongest ally so he pulls Saruman to his side, to get Saruman to attack and tie up Rohan. He also sends an Easterling force to siege the Dwarves of Erebor and the Men of Dale. He sends his armies from Dol Guldur to attack the Elves of Mirkwood, and out of Moria comes the armies that would attack Lorien. To prevent Elves and other allies from uniting with Gondor he goes and attacks them and forces them to take the defensive. Definitely a good plan, it didn't work out the way he planned it, but nevertheless a good strategy.

Besides militarily lending aid, the Elves had also lent aid through council, gifts and rest. It was Elrond and Gandalf who did the main planning as far as the formation of the Fellowship and what they were going to do with the Ring.

When the Fellowship got to Lorien they had a much needed rest and were there for 1 month. The Fellowship needed both mental and physical rest. Also Galadriel and Celeborn help out the Fellowship through their gifts. The Elven cloaks, the elven boats, the lembas, the Phial of Galadriel all go to aid the Fellowship (and especially Frodo) through their journey. It was also Galadriel that sent the Dunedain to Aragorn and company:

'They answered a summons, as you heard,' said Gimli. 'Word came to Rivendell, they say: Aragorn had need of his kindred. Let the Dunedain ride to him in Rohan! But whence this message came they are now in doubt. Gandalf sent it, I would guess.'
'Nay, Galadriel,' said Legolas. 'Did she not speak through Gandalf of the ride of the Grey Company from the North?'
'Yes, you have it,' said Gimli. 'The Lady of the Wood! She read many hearts and desires. Now why did not we wish for some of our own kinsfolk, Legolas?'~The Passing of the Grey Company

Eventhough if The Elves were not militarily able to fight Sauron like they had in the past. As many of them had left, or been in the process of leaving Middle-earth. They still aided Men in other ways and in whatever ways they could.