In this House of Elrond.....

[Mithalwen]

Again apologies if this belongs in N&N, but I was watching a programme on the History Channel yesterday - well sadly I only caught the end of it - in which this chap was following a medieaval map across the Welsh marches and mountains to St Davids.

As a pilgrims map he went past a ruined abbey and there was a shot of a valley with the mountains behind, and I thought "That looks a bit like Rivendell" - my idea of it of course, thought the valley was rather too wide and shallow perhaps - and the voice over said something about how abbeys were often built in beautiful and remote places and were the original hospitals offering both hospitality and medical care to travellers. And of course I thought that is like Rivendell too.

Abbeys were also repositories of learning and places that were entrusted with the care of orphans (Rivendell, check, check..). They were usually - but not always - based on communal living which seems to be the case at Rivendell. And while just becasue Arwen is the only woman mentioned it doesn't mean there weren't others in the actual descriptions she does seem alone and apart.

While Imladris does not have the religious function, at the Council of Elrond that there are some of the few references to the higher powers that govern Arda in the discussion of sending the Ring over Sea.

Of course when these kinds of thoughts strike you it is possible to get carried awayso Iwill leave it there until I see whether anyone thinks there is anything in this or if I have just gone off on a tangent.