With respect to stature we have some seemingly competing texts. I'll only post some 'later' examples here, but Tar-Elenion has posted an external history in the
Translations from The Elvish forum (which I've just bumped with an addition).
There is a well known note in
Unfinished Tales that implies Elendil the Tall is nearly 8 feet tall (but see below) -- and yet seemingly, Thingol should be taller for example, as the tallest of the Children of Eru -- but which Elendil is he taller than?
In any case, from a more general perspective...
Quote:
'They were called 'Halflings'; but this refers to the normal height of Men of Numenorean descent and of the Eldar (especially those of Noldorin descent), which appears to have been about seven of our feet.'
JRRT, Of Dwarves And Men, '1968 or later'
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Quote:
'The Quendi were in origin a tall people. The Eldar (...) they were in general the stronger and taller members of the Elvish folk at that time. In Eldarin tradition it was said that even their women were seldom less than six feet in height; their full-grown elfmen no less than six and a half feet, while some of the great kings and leaders were taller.'
JRRT, late manuscript, The Lord of the Rings Reader's Companion, Hammond and scull, p. 107
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The Numenoreans...
Quote:
'... the Numenoreans before the Downfall were a people of great stature and strength, the Kings of men; their full grown men were commonly seven feet tall, especially in the royal and noble houses. In the North where men of other kinds were fewer and their race remained purer this stature remained more frequent, though in both Arnor and Gondor apart from mixture of race the Numenoreans showed a dwindling of height and of longevity in Middle-earth that became more marked as the Third Age passed. Aragorn, direct descendant of Elendil and his son Isildur, both of whom had been seven feet tall, must nonetheless have been a very tall man…, probably at least 6 ft. 6; and Boromir, of high Númenorean lineage, not much shorter (say 6 ft. 4).'
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The problem is, I've no idea if these notes published by Hammond and Scull are earlier or later than the late statement from
Of Dwarves And Men (in which the Eldar seem generally taller).