Stereotypes

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Groin Redbeard

Hmm... if anything I would think that the elves would be more like the Jews. After all they were the first beings to be created, that ties into them being God's chosen people

Just a side note: if you were to ascribe such thing to anyone in M-E, it would be the Dúnedain, I think (or then, some Vanyar, if you were to stick to the Elves. However). Because "chosen people" are already chosen (obviously) from some group which already exists. Using the biblical comparison, God created all people, and Abraham is just one of them (and even that after a long time). But Adam, Eve and all the others are simply ordinary people. Also, in Middle-Earth you have the problem with there being two, and not just one, such races - Men and Elves. And if we were to seek for a nation, or a group among them with the vocation like the biblical Israel, then I don't think there actually really is such a nation in the very same sense. Among the Men, like I said, I would speak about the Dúnedain. Because between the Elves, you really don't have anyone who would be specifically chosen to mediate, or at least carry, Eru's (or anyone's) will. We cannot compare it to the invitation to Valinor, as that's actually the opposite direction. And in any case, all Elves are invited by Oromë personally, it's not that he would invite just one group and then f.ex. let them tell to the rest (however that's not exactly the role ascribed to the biblical Israel as well). And by leaving, that group will leave the other Elves in Middle-Earth. That doesn't make sense. We would be looking for some Anti-Noldor, probably: a group who will be re-sent to Middle-Earth to act in a certain way among the other nations. However even then it will be just a single act, once they left, the contact with Valinor will be cut again. So, maybe some Teleri? Like the ones who kept communicating with Númenor. Or then, among the Men, the Dúnedain themselves. After their return to Middle-Earth after the fall of Númenor, the role of Dúnedain was probably the closest to the role of the Chosen People: to be a living reminder of something among the other nations (of Men, in this case). However, still in contrary to the people of biblical Israel, the Dúnedain had a prominent role in the structures of power in Middle-Earth.

If I were to say whom I really think close to this, it will be only one person, and that's Tuor, who is personally in contact with one of the Valar (!) and is given a certain task. But that's only one episode, however by its nature I consider it very close. Also, this trait goes with his family - Eärendil later is the one to reach Valinor and is given the favour to speak again to the Valar and ask for help as a representative of all the other inhabitants of Middle-Earth; and ultimately, it comes down to their descendants, who are the Dúnedain - so this is what I said above. So maybe this.

Hmm... But that would be probably better for another thread.

In any case, I don't think the way you put it was not the original meaning of how the comparison was meant. It concerned only language, and nothing else. Unfortunately, there is just a very little of Khudzul known, as far as I know. In the risk of another off-topic chain, but just as a question, was there any more of Khudzul in Tolkien's work asides from things like Khazad-Dum or the names of the mountains or such?

[Bêthberry]

The standard online reference for Tolkien languages, The Ardalambion, has the fullest Kazdul lexicon and grammar I've ever seen--or at least, did, last time I looked for said info.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Gwathagor

The idea of elves as a highly developed culture originates in Middle-Earth for sure. In the older fairy tales of which I am aware, elves are simply another species of rustic woodland sprite, rather than great craftsmen, loremasters, and artisans.

But what about the whole gnome (who later became the Noldor) thing? I'm sure it says something about him meaning "gnome" (from Greek, I believe) in the knowledgeable sense, and he got that from somewhere (Sadly I have no copy on me right now).

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

If I were to say whom I really think close to this, it will be only one person, and that's Tuor, who is personally in contact with one of the Valar (!) and is given a certain task.

But if we go with elves, then I would say that the "prophet" among them would be Cirdan.

[Gwathagor]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

But what about the whole gnome (who later became the Noldor) thing? I'm sure it says something about him meaning "gnome" (from Greek, I believe) in the knowledgeable sense, and he got that from somewhere (Sadly I have no copy on me right now).

I think that is based on a convenient similarity between the words "gnome" and "ginoskow" (greek "to know"), rather than an actual etymological connection between the words. Perhaps a bit of academic linguistic cleverness on Tolkien's part than actual scholarship. It's more likely that "gnome" comes from "genomos", which means "earth-dweller" - and Tolkien would have obviously known this.