The Greatest of the Eldar

[Galin]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

In QS, contemporary with the Lhammas, Tolkien had *all* the Danians eventually go on to Beleriand, without leaving any kin behind; and (consonant with the Lhammas quote) used the term Pereldar 'half-Eldar' for them.

The point was simply that Tolkien could, and already had, thought of a group whose status as 'Eldar' might depend upon its application. Later (and basically) Eldar: originally all Elves ('People of the Stars'), narrows to 'Marchers' (properly excludes the Avari), and narrows to 'West Elves' (properly excludes the Silvan Elves or East-elves of Mirkwood and Lórien).

(Thus of course when the Lorien chapters were written the Elves of Lorien were seen as Avari save for Galadriel herself. In this connection Imrazor+Mithrellas isn't counted in the Appendices as a Man-Elda marriage. But under the later conception this can be regarded as a needed correction overlooked, like 'House of Finrod.'

But why disregard a prime source and the ultimate conception described in it to conclude a correction is needed? Mithrelass is a Silvan Elf, thus not an Elda. No correction needed.

Indeed in UT Mithrellas 'was of the lesser Silvan race (and not of the High Elves or the Grey)' Nimrodel was a Silvan Elf, and sought to pass over Sea. These Elves are not Eldarin because that are not of the Three Kindreds that sought for the Undying Realm and came there at the beginning of days, including not being Sindarin (who achieved Beleriand of course).

In 'Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn' T says that Galadriel in Eregion had (... edit quote). No suggestion of Avari being present in the mix.

But in other later but unpublished texts (like Quendi And Eldar) there are Avari in the mix, and I was including them. If one excludes the Avari, OK, but then the Nandor of these two realms are still not Eldar by its later, narrowed sense.

'Elves has been used to translate both Quendi, 'the speakers', the High-elven name of all their kind, and Eldar, the name of the Three Kindreds that sought for the Undying Realm and came there at the beginning of Days (save the Sindar only).' (RotK, Appendix F)

Or

'The Elves far back in the Elder Days became divided into two main branches: the West-elves (the Eldar) and the East-elves. Of the latter kind were most of the elven-folk of Mirkwood and Lórien; but their languages do not appear in this history, in which all the Elvish names and words are of Eldarin form.' Return of the King