The Elven change in character

[Mithadan]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Spirit of Mist
Posts: 700</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
We are first introduced to Elves in the Hobbit as they sing (tra la la lally) and tease Thorin and company (don't dip your beard in the water, as Thorin struggles to negotiate a narrow bridge; hmmm what does this say about the very narrow Bridge at Khazad Dum) as they descend into Rivendell. The next morning they awaken Bilbo with a serenade of nonsense below his window in Elrond's house. They seem so silly.

Can these be the same Elves we see in LoTR and the Silmarillion? Can the seemingly ridiculous Elves shown in the Hobbit be reconciled with the deep, sad yet powerful Elves appearing in other writings by Tolkien without simply saying that the Hobbit was a children's story and the others were not? JRRT was a very careful writer. When he wrote the Hobbit, he had already written portions of the Silmarillion and the later story was drawn into the history created by the earlier. Can the behavior of the Rivendell Elves be explained?

700 posts! Watch out Kittle!

--Mithadan--
"The Silmarils with living light
were kindled clear, and waxing bright
shone like stars that in the North
above the reek of earth leap forth." </p>