Silvan Elves

[Man-of-the-Wold]

As I've noted before despite the fading of the Elves in the Third Age, there does seem to be an exception in the case of the Silvan or Wood Elves of Rhovanion. Partly this is due to help they received from Noldor (High-elves that had lived in Eldamar or decendents of those who had), Sindar and Green-Elves who left Lindon and came among them during the Second and Third Age.

By the later Third Age, these Silvan Elves were contained in two principal places, but in those places they had strong robust populations. In Lothlorien, they were ultimately ruled by Celeborn and Galadriel, but only after the darkening of Moria and the passing of Amroth, although Galadriel and other Noldor (some refugees of Eregion), as well as Sindar and Laiquendi, had lived in Lothlorien and probably did so to some extent until the end of the Third Age, contributing to its strength, culture and beauty, despite the misgivings of Nimrodel and other Silvan Elves of similarly conservative mind. Eventually, a derivation of Sindarin was the main tougue spoken there.

In Thranduil's realm, Noldorin colonist were probably nonexistent, but besides Thranduil's family, a significant number of other Gray and Green-Elves were likely counted among the Wood-Elves there. The Common Speech and/or some Silvan tongue seem to be the main languages of the Mirkwood elves.

But who were the true Silvan Elves? In my distant youth, I had once thought they were Avari who finally wondered West, but that doesn't seem right, although perhaps some of those on the Great March who turned aside at the Sea of Rhun were numbered among the Elves of Mirkwood. But they were really not Avari in any significant way.

Rather, the Silvan Elves seem to be Eldar, if not nearly as great as those that did dwell in Beleriand -- They are the Nandor, who at the Second Sundering were led aside by Denethor, and eventual resided at times in various places East and South of Beleriand, into which some eventually entered and became the Green-Elves.

So, then are these Silvan Elves drawn to the Sea like Legolas to go to Eldamar? I believe that, yes, they are, and that many had already left through Gondor as Amroth and Nimrodel attempted to do.

Eventually in the Fourth Age, I believe that most of the Nandorin Elves also went to the Gray Havens, like the Noldor and the other Telerian Elves that hadn't left with Olwe, or they went down the Anduin.

It's entirely possible, though, that not all Nandorin Elves did so, and they would be the only Eldar who stayed and faded in Middle-Earth.

[ November 24, 2002: Message edited by: Man-of-the-Wold ]

[Legolas]

Rather, the Silvan Elves seem to be Eldar, if not nearly as great as those that did dwell in Beleriand

The Eldar are those who accepted the Summons and went on the Great March, whether or not they completed it. The Silvan elves did not accept the Summons, and subsequently were not considered Eldar.

Letter No. 144

They are represented as having become early divided in to two, or three, varieties. 1. The Eldar who heard the summons of the Valar or Powers to pass from Middle-earth over the Sea to the West; and 2. the Lesser Elves who did not answer it. Most of the Eldar after a great march reached the Western Shores and passed over Sea; these were the High Elves, who became immensely enhanced in powers and knowledge. But part of them in the event remained in the coast-lands of the North-west: these were the Sindar or Grey-elves. The lesser Elves hardly appear, except as part of the people of The Elf-realm; of Northern Mirkwood, and of Lorien, ruled by Eldar; their languages do not appear.

[ November 26, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ]

[Man-of-the-Wold]

Considered Eldar? Perhaps, not by you. I believe as you say that the Eldar are those who went on the Great March. The First Sundering, determined who was Eldar and who was Avari, and it seems the Avari never enter into the Books afterwards at all, except via oblique references such as being the early helpers of the Secondborn.

In contrast, the Silvan Elves are of the Telerin branch of the Eldar, split-off at the Second Sundering, and thus Eldar (albeit barely) but with the right and inclination (for the most part) to eventually depart into the West as attempted by Amroth and Nimrodel, and likely successfully done eventually in the Second, Third and Fourth Ages my most of their kind.

To wit, I offer the following from the Unfinished Tales, which is a quote of Tolkien from a late 'etymological discussion' in Appendix A of the History of Galadriel and Celeborn:

The Silvan Elves (Tawarwaith) were in origin Teleri, and so remoter kin of the Sindar, though even longer separated from them than the Teleri of Valinor. They were descended from those of the Teleri who, on the Great Journey, were daunted by the Misty Mountains and lingered in the Vale of Anduin, and so never reach Beleriand or the Sea. They were thus closer akin to the Nandor (otherwise called the Green-elves) of Ossiriand, who eventually crossed the moutains and came at last into Beleriand