Elves in modern times

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Feanorsdoom

When JRRT wrote of the Eldar, it was of mythological figures rather than what one might call historical persons. He pointed out that his 'history' should be considered as an Anglo cultural text to place alongside the Eddas or the Domesday Book (if not the Old Testament, which he presumably considered qualitaively different), and that the Valar and Eldar are mythical vehicles through which moral values are shown to humanity. If we are to imagine some Elves appearing in the modern world, it must be more of a momentous occasion than merely a curiousity. What would bring them forth? Certainly, nothing less than Morgoth returning to Arda and someone finding the Silmarils in preparation for the Last Battle. Anything less would be shrugged off by them as childish games played by us mortals.

I, for one, would probably prefer to miss that.

The Domesday Book is a foul Norman cultural imposition, no better than a Poll Tax handbook via which the English were weighed and measured to see how much loot the French could take from them.

Though of course it is a valuable historic document...

Nor are the Old Testament or the Eddas in any way, shape or form English. The Old Testament tells us zip about Britishness or Englishness - all it served to do was to direct the moral compass for a while, but you won't find anything about 'us' in there. The most you could hope to find is some linguistic resonance in the beautiful language in the King James version. The Eddas may prove more fruitful in that we have a strong element of Scandinavian culture amongst us (particularly here Oop North) - I for one grew up with local folk tales of Giants.

Tolkien was not trying to replace the mythology and folk lore that we already have - and if he was then his books ought to be burnt because that would be an appalling thing to do - he was melding a large range of cultural influences into something he could 'dedicate' to England. He was making an Artwork about England, not stomping all over the existing and very delicate mythology (as the French - them again - did with Arthur). He included the Viking, the Anglo-Saxon, the local Gods, the fairies, the Sidhe, the Brythonic Celtic, the Gaelic Celtic (just a little), the boggarts, the hobgoblins, the pagan water spirits, the Goddesses, the megaliths...

If you want to know about that cool quality just try to engage an English commuter in conversation and see the horrified reaction towards 'strangers'. We are not a very friendly people, but we have always had lots of fairies.