The Few, the Proud, the Elf-Friends!

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

This is going to sound absolutely ridiculous, but something that happened this morning made me think of it. There are creatures that have good perception of emotions and intents of other creatures -- like dogs that are able to tell a friendly person from an unfriendly person, and who cannot be fooled by feigned pleasant behavior. One can only presume that they are able to discern cues from the person approaching them -- body language, tone of voice (quite possibly including tones and pitches we cannot hear in our own voices), even scent. There's nothing metaphysical about it; it's merely within the capacity of their natural senses to perceive this. Not all dogs are good at this -- some never were taught or needed to hone the ability -- but some are uncannily perceptive in telling for from friend.

Not to dismiss Legate's intriguing take on things, but perhaps this ability to discern an Elf-friend from... er... Elf acquaintances comes from their naturally keener senses and other mind-related abilities. As with humans, some have better perceptional skills than others. The naming of Elf-friend could be simply an honorific (though not lightly bestowed), but it could also be something able to be "seen" by Elves whose perceptivity is exceptionally strong. If all Elves could see and sense the things they do, all Elves would know on sight that these people are friendly to Elves to a more than casual degree, but since they can't, the bestowal of the "title" (and its subsequent announcement to other Elves) allows those Elves who do not have these particular skills know that these non-Elves are their allies.

I'm not sure that the conferral of the title makes it instantly perceptible to all Elves. I have to wonder if Haldir and his brothers would have known that Frodo was an Elf-friend if they hadn't been told by Galadriel.

Just my two cents, once again. Blame the neighbor's dog.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

This is going to sound absolutely ridiculous, but something that happened this morning made me think of it. There are creatures that have good perception of emotions and intents of other creatures -- like dogs that are able to tell a friendly person from an unfriendly person, and who cannot be fooled by feigned pleasant behavior. One can only presume that they are able to discern cues from the person approaching them -- body language, tone of voice (quite possibly including tones and pitches we cannot hear in our own voices), even scent. There's nothing metaphysical about it; it's merely within the capacity of their natural senses to perceive this. Not all dogs are good at this -- some never were taught or needed to hone the ability -- but some are uncannily perceptive in telling for from friend.

Not to dismiss Legate's intriguing take on things, but perhaps this ability to discern an Elf-friend from... er... Elf acquaintances comes from their naturally keener senses and other mind-related abilities. As with humans, some have better perceptional skills than others.

Well, but this is in no way contradicting what I said. That's actually what I meant. Only, I don't think that the "Elfsight" (as in: the sense which allows the Elves, and perhaps some others, to spot Elf-friends) can be compared to, for instance, a sense of smell on the physical level - only on analogical one. The reason why I call it "metaphysical" is that I definitely cannot imagine it working in any crude material way, now wouldn't that be completely un-Elvish? Like "smelling pheromones of Elvishness", perhaps somebody could phrase it that way and effectively it would be okay in the outcome, but I just cannot associate something so crude and material with the Elves. But let's not start about that, please.

In any case, the point was that if it was just a physical quality, it would be rather difficult to come up with how it's determined. You can explain that all the Elves have some extra sense, but how do you explain that some random Goldberries have that or not? Likewise, I really think there is the connection of the "purity of heart" and the ability to discern the Elf-friends (whatever the definition for it would be from e.g. Pitchwife or Findegil's point of view) - like I said already, I just cannot imagine a bunch of Saurons having the ability to discern Elf-friends. And again, how do you make the "goodness" (of the observer!) "physical"?

So, basically, I don't have anything against Ibrin's interpretation, if it is basically the same thing that I meant - or if meant literally (that there is really a purely mechanical thing like smelling "Elvishness-pheromones"), it is not, in which case I disagree with it

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

So, basically, I don't have anything against Ibrin's interpretation, if it is basically the same thing that I meant - or if meant literally (that there is really a purely mechanical thing like smelling "Elvishness-pheromones"), it is not, in which case I disagree with it

It's close to the same, but not quite. By 'natural senses,' I mean those abilities, both physical and non-physical that Elves possess, to varying degrees. We know that some Elves, like Galadriel, can look from mind to mind (and not just because she has Nenya), just as these days, some humans have, reportedly, telepathic or empathic abilities. Elves with this skill would be able to sense more about a Mortal than their mere appearance, scent, etc. If they are able discern certain positive qualities about a person, they might be able to know that they are what they call an Elf-friend. It is more than physical (although I believe certain physical cues might be a tip-off); it's at least partially psychic.

For orcs and such, though, it might be purely physical, even a smell. Gollum can't bear the touch of hithlain or the taste of lembas. Orcs might smell things like Elven cloth, or the scent of a person who has been eating a lot of Elven food. One never knows about such critters.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Okay, in that case, that's metaphysical for me, so I am fine with it in my book.

As for Gollum touching Elven ropes etc., that's a bit different thing for me than Elf-Friendishness (if you read my definition of it, you'll probably understand why), that's "elven magic" present in these objects, or a "trace" of it - trace of the fact that it's been made or shaped or influenced by the Elves.

I am still and all the time bearing in my mind somewhere in the back Tolkien's definition of Elves as the inhabitants of Faërie. The Smith of Wotton Major is, for me, an example of something like Elf-Friend (and all those Star-bearers are, consequently) explained in a bit different, un-Middle-Earthish cathegory: in the sense that he is able to access and accept things which exist in the Secondary reality and which the other, "common" people don't. The difference is that Middle-Earth itself IS a Secondary reality, therefore the Elves there are real, and the Elf-friends can also have far closer relationship to them, provided that they meet them. The Smith, although in many aspects ordinary, is treated differently by the Elves (if only in the sense that he is allowed the access to where the others are not allowed), and there is a reason to this which all the Elves acknowledge - it is plain obvious to them. The ordinary villagers (sic ), however, do not seem to perceive anything specific about him. This is, I think, a really good example of an Elf-Friend in a similar sense as we see it e.g. in Frodo's case.

(I acknowledge that what I just said probably requires people to have read more things from Tolkien, namely the abovementioned story and On Fairy-Stories, to be understandable (or at least I hope it will be understandable after reading that ). But I assume that many members are familiar with it and to those who are not, I can only suggest that becoming able to understand my post is a good excuse to read those, because they are just brilliant.)

[Lalaith]

I must say that this always slightly rankled with me.

In the First Age, it was really, really difficult to qualify as an Elf-Friend. You had to fight against Morgoth shoulder-to-shoulder with the Firstborn, most of your family probably died, you might get given a bit of land by the Eldar but by Iluvatar you had to defend it until its soil was sodden with your life's blood...
....in the third age, all it took was a camping trip.

[Lastande Took]

I'm in with those who have two types of Elf-friends. There's probably something especially 'good' or 'Elvish' about a person that Elves (and a few others, I won't speculate who) can identify, even though we can only tell that person (hereafter called 'A') is 'different' or not notice anything at all. The title Elf-friend is given to A when/if an Elf recognizes it. I don't think A is necessarily born an Elf-friend; the trait can develop.

That brings me to the second class. The term Elf-friend could be given to someone ('B') who doesn't have Elf-friendishness (?) but does something to deserve the title. True Elf-friendishness, or something very like it, might grow through extended contact with Elves or developing Elvish behavior traits. (I'm thinking of Frodo's order to show mercy to Saruman after the Battle of Bywater as an example of Elvish traits, even though Frodo already was an Elf-friend.)

[Rumil]

On a frankly silly note-

'Hmmm! it smells like elves!' thought Bilbo

[morwen edhelwen]

I agree. I think myself that an Elf-friend is someone recognised by Elves as having a special "status" that other mortals do not- for example, a long-time ally ( Hùrin, Tùrin, Tuor etc) someone who is literally a 'friend to Elves" like Bilbo or Frodo.