With which Middle Earth Race do you most identify?

[littlemanpoet]

Posts are of course welcome to explain or describe.

What traits of the race do you identify with?

[Lhunardawen]

I answered Elf. I had thought at first that my answer would be "human," no doubt, and saying "Elf" would be nothing more than wishful thinking. But I realised that I'm too attached to life despite its fleeting nature, but through not much effort of my own, unlike the Numenoreans who grasped at anything to hold on to their lives in realisation of their mortality. For me, it just seems to be that way. (Maybe that's because as a Biology major, I study life. )

I could be wrong, but somehow I can more easily associate my melancholic disposition with Elves than Men. I tend to think too much - of the future, of the past, to the point of being overwhelmed and wondering why some things have to be.

[littlemanpoet]

I voted human. I'm certainly intrigued by the others, but I'm inescapably human. I agree with your sense about Elves, but I have "beyond the walls of the world" so much in my mind that I cannot be Elf nor Dwarf; I have not the patience of Ents and I have not the lightheartedness of Hobbits. I have the melancholy associated with Elves, but not their wisdom or craftiness. But it's the 'beyond Arda' thing that tips the scales for me.

[Lhunardawen]

Hah, I knew I missed something about humans. But then it seems, if it didn't get to me the first time, the "beyond the walls of the world" feeling isn't too strong for me. I feel there's too much to do in life to give the "beyond Arda" thing more than light consideration and acceptance of its eventuality.

[mormegil]

I think personality wise I'm most like the dwarf of M-e. They tend to be rather serious but can be of good humor. They tend to be a bit snappy at time, so do I. Plus they are so rugged and handsome...well so am I!

[smeagollives]

May be with hobbits (but i think not with the normals ones... may be with the a little bit less typical ones like Bilbo).

Also with dwarves. I like handicrafts just as they do.

another reason why i identify with hobbits and dwarves is that i am not really big. I like books with small heroes.





I was never able to identify with the men in middle earth. Don't know why.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Ent. When I hear of the gross environmental mistakes made in the world, and I hear all the fluff about how it will affect jobs and how it will affect the economy and how in the long run the forest/resource/species wasn't needed or interesting, I think to myself well, why not save it just because it lives and is part of the world? Plus my family are all massive greenies and I'm slower and more reclusive than many people I know. Oh and I love history.

[Aganzir]

I've never actually considered myself anything else than a dwarf. I behave like a dwarf (whatever that means) and look like a dwarf (even though for some reason I'm unable to grow a beard). I've also heard more than once that my sense of humour is just so dwarvish.

When I was a child, I hated elves passionately for a year or so. I guess it was rather due to that everybody else seemed to think elves were oh just so perfect and wonderful than that I'd actually have hated them. The movies had just come out and the word 'elf' meant people like Orlando Bloom (who isn't elvish at all!). And in the movies dwarves were treated, well, very disrespectfully - Gimli was nothing but a joke, his main function was to make the viewers sneer and laugh at both him and the noble race of dwarves. I was terribly angry with this and I doubt I would've felt as I did towards elves had I never seen the movies.
Childish? Maybe, but it wasn't funny at all to see how Peter Jackson treated dwarves.

When I started roleplaying at the age of 12, my first rpg character was a dwarf. I remember how it upset my GM and fellow players (who wanted to play young and pretty women)- "You really want to play a dwarf!? And a male dwarf? You must be crazy!". But I'm quite sure I wouldn't have enjoyed roleplaying as much as I did (and still do) hadn't I decided to have a dwarf character.

I can't understand people who think dwarves are somehow worse persons because they're short, bearded, sullen, greedy or whatever. Not everybody need be "perfect". That someone doesn't understand why a certain person (be it dwarf or something else) has done what he did doesn't mean that what he did was wrong. I once argued with a friend for a whole two-hour bus ride about whether Mîm was evil or not. Some weeks later I heard my friend had been arguing about the same thing with her cousin who was reading The Silmarillion back then - and this time my friend had shared my opinion about Mîm. It was funny to listen to her complain about her cousin who had said Mîm is evil "without understanding his motives to do what he did". Yeah, didn't we have the same discussion a while ago?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

One thing, elempi. Shouldn't you have discerned Men and Dúnedain? Just a thought.

For me... well. Using an elimination method, I would say who I don't identify with: the Hobbits and the Dwarves (sorry Agan... but it's not for the reasons you mention). The immediate thing, and I believe many of my friends would think so, is an Elf. Though personally, I am not so sure. I would say Elf because I like them, why not, and I have certain Elvish traits no doubt - the sort of a melancholic, fantasy-view and dream-weaving, but there are other things that restrain me from it. I am not probably that much tra-la-ley and not that im-mortal(meaning: not that distant from mortal things). My no to the Elves is totally opposite to that of elempi's: I cannot be Elf because I am too tied to the reality of the world, here is my place and I have to be here.

Now I know some would like to see me confess to being an Ent, but in fact, when someone asks me about races in ME, I would think about Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves and Men (and Dúnedain), but not Ents, so... I don't know. And I don't think, given the question, that I have most Entish traits either.

So, it looks like Man for me. Had there been that Dúnadan option, I wouldn't have taken it either: I feel myself more amidst the "common folk". All these Easterlings in Beleriand (the good ones), Breelanders and Dunlendings, people of Nurn, men from the White Mountains... I like Northerners but I am probably not one of them. Only that...

...there is one race still. I don't know how it may sound: funny, nontypical, maybe it could seem arrogant from certain point of view. But I feel that maybe this is the race where I'd feel most at home, whose traits are the closest to me. Again, please, do not interpretate it the way that I am arrogant or something like that. That "race" is the Wizards.

But it will be on everyone to judge if that's plausible

[Lindale]

I voted Elf, though I look like a cross between a Dwarf and a Hobbit. I like their sense of art and longing, and it seems to me that they are the most philosophical of all, unless maybe the Dunedain? Not the tra-la-ly elves also, but the artists and philosophers (but Tolkien never actually used the word philosopher, wonder why?), the sadness that is not emo especially is very inviting to me. Ah well. The girl who identifies herself as an Elf but actually looks like a misshapen Hobbit with unruly black hair.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

One thing, elempi. Shouldn't you have discerned Men and Dúnedain? Just a thought.

Ha! I'm not the only one.

I voted human. With a very strong Numenorean slant. So yeah... Human, trying and failing to be more Elven. But still better than the average human.

[Nerwen]

Yet another Elf.

I think I'm possibly one of the annoying tra-la-la-lally kind, though.

I always have identified with Tolkien's Elves, even as a child. I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's just because I'm tall and thin. Or maybe it's because I'm an artist and think Profound Thoughts (I do! Really, I do!) but can act silly...

[Valier]

I voted Hobbit. I am quite laid back in nature as they are. I like food, (though not as much as Hobbits) I love the outdoors. Over all I'm a loud, fun, boisterous person. I laugh alot and have a good time. Also I'm pretty short 5'4 and no I don't have hairy feet Also being Canadian....I like beer.

[littlemanpoet]

I included Ents because they came to mind as one of the five races of the free peoples. I kind of wondered how anyone might identify with them, since they feel so "other" to me, but I had not considered the "green" aspect. Heck, I'm a tree hugger too...

I didn't even think of Dúnedain as separate race. Well, because they're not. All half-Elven, half-Human born people in Middle Earth had to choose between the two races. That does not, of course, mean that the Elvish blood disappeared from their veins, but there's that rather critical element that distinguishes the one from the other: Humans are mortal. Thus Dúnedain are Human.

Legate, I have a mind to create another poll thread some time soon, having to do with the Ainur - after all, the Wizards are originally counted amongst them.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I couldn't be a normal hobbit though, I would be a Took, because sometimes they go on adventures and also there is something not quite hobbitlike about them!

I think I am a very good hobbit, not just because I am not very tall at the moment (i am still growing), but also I have a passion for food. Although I'm loud and noisy most of the time, I do like some sort of peace (that is why I lock myself up in my room away from the rest of the family and read for hours and hours on end, or not talk to anybody and go on the 'downs), and I hate change. Although I am not old enough to drink alcohol, I still like very good root beer and will party like theres no tomorrow. I will also let all of my problems go for a while and have fun! I also like bright colours, such as yellow and some greens, just like hobbits. ... Oh yes and I HATE heights with a passion.

Oh and I also like Samwise and Peregrin enormously!

Of course, my mom says I would be a great elf, because of my long and slender body shape and my silky (when I brushed it) long hair. Also because I think a lot.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Hmmm. Now I don't know whether I should not vote Elf after all. Oh my, the famous choice is upon me. Well done, elempi, you managed to get me to an in-book situation. Heck, I don't know, really. Could not someone choose instead of me? It would be easier Hmm, which reminds me of...

Then Eärendil said to Elwing: "Choose thou, for now I am weary of the world."

I can say I understand Eärendil. So probably, that's where I am now: still in the pre-choice state.

[Lhunardawen]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Hmmm. Now I don't know whether I should not vote Elf after all. Oh my, the famous choice is upon me. Well done, elempi, you managed to get me to an in-book situation. Heck, I don't know, really. Could not someone choose instead of me? It would be easier Hmm, which reminds me of...

I can say I understand Eärendil. So probably, that's where I am now: still in the pre-choice state.

Too bad you don't have an Elwing to help you decide (and practically decide for you).

[Bêthberry]

I must congratulate elempi for the wisdom of this poll. He omitted orc and troll, therbye limiting any potential problems caused by the likes of spammers, trolls (hey, there's a real identification ), monkeys, hacks, and just your plain garden-variety jokers. Sometimes, you just have to ruin some people's fun.

I must ponder the inclusion of ent, though. Not because ents aren't a race in Middle-earth, but because I wonder whether ent includes entwives. I notice that elempi carefully sidestepped this issue of gender inclusiveness by using human rather than the term Tolkien himself used, man, or men. But since entwives are differentiated from ents, does that not suggest that ent refers only to the male form of the species? (Assuming that trees have male and female gender and not some other biological expression of reproduction).

After all, we don't have elfwives or dwarfwives. (Do we even have female dwarves?) What does this naming suggest about the race of ents? Does the poll need a separate choice of entwife?

I notice also another omission, one probably due to the enigmatic difficulty of categorizing his race. And that of his wife. I speak, obviously, of the omission of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry from this list. Are they a race unto themselves or do they belong with the Ainur?

[Meriadoc1961]

I am human, but I identify mostly with the Hobbits. My two favorite characters in the books are Merry and Faramir.

Merry

[The Might]

I took Hobbit, becaue like Hobbits I greatly enjoy the finer things in life, a good beer, nice food and the comfort of a nice evening together with my friends. The only thing about them that I can't identify with at all is their lack of interest for the outside world and lack of adventure (with some exceptions).

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I chose Ent, but not for the 'green' aspect. My reasons for identifying with the brethren of my favourite character Treebeard are more to do with a sense of isolation from the rest of Middle-earth's inhabitants. The Ents seem to belong to the world in a different way from the other species, who are all coming and going; but the Ents watch them as they do this. I also thought they would be much more sensible company than the others, who are more prone to childish capering.

Or, to quote my significant other (who may or may not post her own response to this thread): "Yes, you would be an Ent, all cynical and completely unaware of modern technology. "

[alatar]

In order from least likely to more likely:

• Dwarf - Could never identify with dwarves. Not materialistic nor into making things (fixing things, sure), and never been that fixated on one thing. And just what is the birth rate amongst Durin's folk?

• Hobbit - Couldn't see myself here as well. Comforts are great, but not necessary. Most likely too mean/stern/cynical to be one of the little folk. Can't sing a note either.

• Ent - Sure, I like to study things, but never to the point of watching grass grow. Hopefully, though some of my posts may show otherwise, I'm not predisposed to being long-winded and boring. And do Ents dance?

• Human - The living fast and dying hard - then living elsewhere - is just too cool, but definitely don't have the passions of Turin. I'd like to think of myself as a little more learned than the typical human - more steeped in history and science, and somehow that doesn't fit here. And there's just something about the choice 'human' that means "typical" - that I am not.

• Elf - Of the available choices, this would seem the be the best fit. Dancing, laughter, seriousness, thoughtfulness - that apparent aloofness that living a billion years can give one are all appealing. Daily using what some would call 'magic,' looking backward, but with some prescience mixed in fit too. Elf would be a good choice, but not the best. On the other hand, my indecision is mostly likely from my elvishness.

That all said, I'm holding out with LoAL and going with 'Wizard.' That option not available, then 'elf.'

[Thinlómien]

I really can't answer this question, because I can't decide if I should answer "Elf" or "Human".

I've always loved the Elves. Nowadays my enthusiasm towards most Elven folk has somewhat faded, but I haven't got over the Noldor. They are the people of Arda I love the most: proud, stubborn and hot-tempered, wise and skillful, lovers of languages, tales and different crafts. I see so much of myself in them. I'm all too stubborn, sometimes too proud and used to have quite a temper (I've calmed when I've got older, though... blah ). I love languages and tales and I would love to be wise and great like the High Noldorin Lords. Also, I could see myself acting as stupidly as many Noldor did. I know very well the feeling of defying authorities even if it's not the wisest thing to do and of being too proud to admit your mistakes and apologise. Also, in the Silmarillion, when it's told about the Noldor's wish to see unseen lands and found realms of their own, it always creates an odd feeling of sympathy and recognition in me. Likewise, I recognise the Noldor's lust for knowledge and lore in myself.

Lastly, one big thing that connects me and Elves is the love of sea. I've lived practically all my life near the sea and it has a special meaning for me. I could sit on a beach for hours and just watch the changing sea. I love wading in the sea (and getting all my clothes wet... it's the best in a long skirt ), not to mention swimming in the sea. And when I'm diving in the sea I feel like I was in a totally different world and the greenness is something really beautiful. The sea always makes me feel sad and small. (And I live near the tiny and almost lake-like Baltic Sea that freezes during the winter... I have no idea what a proper sea or ocean would make me feel...)

So I do identify with Elves, but I also identify with the Humans who lived beside them. I can so well understand their reactions to the Elf-folk: the awe, the love and the bitterness too. And humans are, well, more human. Their sorrow, courage and happiness has always touched me more than the Elves'. In a way, it seems like their sorrows and joys were stronger (definitely not deeper, but stronger) than the Elves'. The courage of the Men of the First Age always makes me cry. Just look at Húrin and Huor or Haleth. How the brothers fight against an evil foe bigger than them side-by-side with an immortal folk greater and more powerful than them, but still no way, do lesser deeds or display lesser courage, quite the opposite. And Haleth, she and her folk show that Humans can survive without the Elves' assistance and that there's great strength and courage in their people. Besides, I have always thought all the three houses of Edain were interesting and of the later peoples the northern peoples - mainly Beornings and Rohirrim - are just something really great.

Also, there's more mirth and sort of warm or gentle joy in Humans than there is in Elves. As I've always been quite cheerful of nature, the one thing that I find distant in Elves is that they're always so serious, or if they're happy, they're happy in a very non-down-to-earth way (happy in their own spheres of sort of divine joy) or in a tra-la-lal-ly -way, which quite doesn't inspire me.

In conclusion, I would maybe say that in general, I identify with Humans more than with Elves, but the Noldor are the people I most identify with and thus I can't really answer the original question.

[Selmo]

I don't really have a choice!

I am short and more than a little rotund.
I have curly hair that used to be brown.
I like dressing in bright colours.
I eat good, simple food as often as possible.
I enjoy a pint of strong, dark ale and the occasional pipe of tobacco.
I love to walk in the tranquility of well-managed countryside.
I enjoy the occasional adventure, so long as it's there and back again and any dangers are more apparent than real.

The only thing missing is the hairy feet.
.

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

I must congratulate elempi for the wisdom of this poll. He omitted orc and troll, therbye limiting any potential problems caused by the likes of spammers, trolls (hey, there's a real identification ), monkeys, hacks, and just your plain garden-variety jokers. Sometimes, you just have to ruin some people's fun.

I actually did consider their inclusion, but discluded them ultimately on the ground that they are, in Tolkien's mythos, degradations of the originals.

I must ponder the inclusion of ent, though. Not because ents aren't a race in Middle-earth, but because I wonder whether ent includes entwives. I notice that elempi carefully sidestepped this issue of gender inclusiveness by using human rather than the term Tolkien himself used, man, or men. But since entwives are differentiated from ents, does that not suggest that ent refers only to the male form of the species? (Assuming that trees have male and female gender and not some other biological expression of reproduction).

Entwives are, of course, Ents. Just because females of our own species are called WO-man does not mean we fail to include them in the race of Men. Of course, in this era we always say Human, but Tolkien didn't.

I notice also another omission, one probably due to the enigmatic difficulty of categorizing his race. And that of his wife. I speak, obviously, of the omission of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry from this list. Are they a race unto themselves or do they belong with the Ainur?

I am no authority other than that based on my creation of this poll, but for the purposes of this thread, Tom and Goldberry are excluded on account of them being (in my opinion) among the Ainur.

Originally Posted by Selmo

The only thing missing is the hairy feet.

Give it a few years....

Eomer, how soon will your choice of Ent make your significant other an Entwife?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

In the sense that she ups and leaves me? Hopefully never!

[Lhunardawen]

But would she really identify most with an Entwife?

[Cailín]

Nah, she wouldn't. As a matter of fact, she absolutely despises gardening.

[Elmo]

I didn't vote as you couldn't vote for orc.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Elmo the orc? Hmm....

I admit that when I first joined the Downs I was nothing other than a Human with a mix of Entish, Hobbit and Elvish sympathies, but now from all appearances I am a thorough hobbit. This is has been lately verified by my daughter, who when describing her parents to classmates got the response, "Oh, your parents are hobbits!" Of course, she probably said something along the lines of "short", "plump", and "food is very high on the list of priorities". Thankfully, she was raised to observe decorum and doubtless did not make mention of the hairy feet.

[Elmo]

i think it has a ring to it anyway

[Volo]

This was a hard decision between Human and Elf. I am Human, no denying, but the longing of the Elves feels closer than that of Men. I usually feel that I'm living in the past and envy what Eru gave Men. Then again, I don't feel constant like an Elf and I might just be trying to think of myself as an Elf, different from the other Men.

I already answered the poll, but now I'm not sure which of the two is closer. I am either, depending on some random factor.

There's a bit of Hobbit too. I can't remember when was the last time I didn't want to eat more, although I can pretty much not eat anything for several days and still feel fine. And other than that I dislike travelling with a passion. But I sure don't feel down-to-earth.

Dwarves are wierd.

Ents are a bit too passive.

[Sir Kohran]

I would say the Dwarves. Like them I've always felt a bit hard-done by, and I have always been somewhat reclusive (not antisocial, but maybe not as outgoing as I should be). I'm generally aloof/stoical and quite cynical - but I also enjoy a good laugh now and again.

[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

I just realized I cast my vote days ago, and then had to dash off to rehearsal or class or something, and never actually got around to explaining myself.

I see myself very definitely as a Hobbit--a Fallohide Hobbit, to be exact. From the first description, I fell in love with Hobbiton and the Shire, far more so than with anywhere else in Middle-earth. I share Hobbits' childlike qualities, their purity and innocence. The simple joys are the most important ones to me, things like friends and family, home, laughter, peace and quiet, good food... Like them, when put to the test, I prove to be far tougher than I look. I even have the fascination with geneologies, and it frustrates me to no end that my mother's more nomadic side of the family seems not to have bothered to keep clear records of where they came from--my dad's side is nice and organized. I wouldn't turn down adventure if it came knocking at my door, though.

I don't look particularly like a hobbit, since I may be short (I'm barely 5 feet, on a tall day), but I'm slight, light-boned, and my hair is, unfortunately, stubbornly straight.

The only other race I could think of that I might fit into is the Rohirrim. Aside from my small-ish stature, I wouldn't look particularly out of place there, and I do love the horses...but they look at life all wrong--too much obsession with death and too much value placed on glory of battle. Nah. I'm all Hobbit, through and through.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

As far as I'm concerned, this question calls for a complicated answer. When I chose my nick, I consciously chose a human name - though a Telcontar would have partially Elvish blood, of course. On the other hand, both names are in their Elvish forms; otherwise I would be called "Hope Strider".

I have never been a great fan of the Elves, have never had the desire to learn their languages, and the Silmarillion is not my favourite Tolkien book. However, I am an artisan and feel an affinity for their emphasis on arts and crafts. And with increasing age, I feel closer to some aspects of Galadriel and would love to have someone describe me with Sam's words:

Sometimes like a great tree in flower, sometimes like a white daffadowndilly, small and slender like. Hard as di'monds, soft as moonlight. Warm as sunlight, cold as frost in the stars. Proud and far-off as a snow-mountain, and as merry as any lass I ever saw with daisies in her hair in springtime.

Alas, I am nothing like her in appearance and do not look Elvish at all.

In appearance I would be closest to a Hobbit. I am more short and well-rounded than tall and slender, and I do love the creature comforts of daily life. I'm not fond of spending time in water unless it's well-heated in a bathtub. However, I dearly love to travel, so that would not go with a typical Hobbit.

I do like Gimli and his love of beauty, but I need sunlight too much to see myself as a Dwarf. Riches as such do not matter to me, so that's not my race either.

That brings me back to (Wo-)Man. I know that Tolkien intended his races to show various aspects of humanity, and as a mixture, I guess that's where I belong. Not high and lofty, not only down-to-earth, not concentrated too much on the past nor the present, but looking toward the future as well. Less Rohirrim, to be sure, as I am not terribly fond of horses and a warrior life-style; not Numenorian either, so Gondor would be the place to find me.

There - I've talked myself into the proper placement of my vote!

[Lalaith]

Just re-reading this thread.

. And Haleth, she and her folk show that Humans can survive without the Elves' assistance and that there's great strength and courage in their people.

You know, the people of Haleth have often reminded me of the Finns during the Winter War.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Lalaith

You know, the people of Haleth have often reminded me of the Finns during the Winter War.

I think that is no coincidence that exists only in your mind Lalaith. Like the story of Thermophylaie it is a story of a few standing against the many in extreme circumstances and winning the day just by not losing their ground against overwhelming odds. With his love of Finnish language it's easy to imagine the prof. reading with anxiety the news from the "eastern front" during the war...

Maybe he got a few inspirations from that?

But what comes to the question asked here I think I must at least partly agree with Lommy. I'm too human to identify myself with other races. So I'm a human. But with elves there is the idea of longevity and study, the arts and crafts perfected with a tradition.

It's a hard choice to make.

In the end I will take my chances with humans as we are also prone to a short life-span which makes our lives more significant than lives that could theoretically last forever.

Limits bring meaning forwards.

[Gwathagor]

Tough choice. I suppose I am a lower Elf, probably Sindarin, though I'm not sure why.

[A Little Green]

My first thought was of elves. Yet somehow, I couldn't vote "elf". Instead, I voted human.

Not a man of the first ages, but of the later. A human of the age when elves diminish and pass away, leaving the world a little less intriguing, a little less mysterious. A sadness overwhelms me at the thought of elves going away, but it is never for the elves. Instead, I feel sad because of the world is left to men, and with the elves passes much of the glory and the beauty in Middle-Earth.

It feels somehow symbolic to me. I often think about science and development as a killjoy of the worst kind. These days, it seems, no room is left for beauty, for creativity, for mystery, indeed for the world itself. That is why I feel like a human of the later ages, watching the elves pass to the west.

And no, I am not depressed.

[THE Ka]

I have no bloody clue, but chose ent to be safe.

I won't kid myself though, I'm either a very hasty ent or a rather lax elve, maybe Teleri, because I always am reluctant to move to another home and just plain 'fashionably late', but as for travel I love by boat the best.
So, I'm torn between some nice forest land, or the sea. 'Tis life.

Then again, I'm going into architecture. Noldor maybe? I'm not too hot for the kinslaying idea though, I like ships a lot, but I'm perfectly fine waiting an hour or so for a ferry in Seattle or wherever. I don't think I'd pitch a fit or take someone out because I couldn't get a boat.

Hrmm, well, my friends are rather amused with saying i'm just a grumpy, blunt and 'old fashioned' Gandalf. Which might work, since as a baby I had a period of randomly 'uncloaking', like most babies do.


I'd rather go with how others see me though, its too over personal trying to pin-point something close enough.

~ I am what I am Ka