The Afterlife, Reincarnation, and Courtly Love - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Idril · 07-27-2012, 01:43 PM

Hello! I posted this question to War of the Ring a short time ago and was met with limited response. Hopefully my luck will be better over here. : )

Essentially, at its bare bones, my question is- Is the Fellowship reunited in the Afterlife?

I understand the complexity and separation of Edain and Eldar in the Hall of Mandos, but what happens after Frodo, Sam, and Gimli's mortality is again drained in Aman? Where is this place Mandos sends the souls of the Edain? Gandalf, a Maia, and Legolas, an Immortal, obviously stay in Valinor. Word on the street is Tolkien alludes to a place where Edain and Eldar are reuinted after Arda's end (similar to the Judeo-Christian Paradise/Heaven) in "Morgoth's Ring." I have only read chapters available on the internet, so please feel free to enlighten me on what he actually says!

--And I actually have two more questions, bear with me.
1) Is it at all possible that Legolas is the reincarnation of his grandfather, Oropher, who died in the Last Alliance? I've seen several forms that discuss Legolas' heritage, but not Oropher and reincarnation. According to Tolkien in "Morgoth's Ring" (Laws & Customs Among the Eldar), elves who choose to be reincarnated are born again into their immediate family and never take the name they had before they died. It's a stretch, but Legolas fits the description.

2) I am also curious as to why male Edain and female Eldar always fall in love. For example, Beren and Luthien, Tuor and Idril, Aragorn and Arwen. Why not vise versa? I have a hunch this was Tolkien incorporating courtly love (a Medieval idea originating from the French Troubadours) into Middle Earth, but I don't know for sure. I personally would find it more romantic if an immortal male Eldar fell in love with a mortal female. The male would have to give up (or should give up) his immortality (granted by Eru Illuvatar) for his lover, disrupting the societal gender roles constructed in Middle Earth (Medieval Ages and early 1900's Europe). M.E. is, after all, modeled after a male-dominated power structure. I wonder how things would play out.

07-27-2012, 01:43 PM	#1
Idril Newly Deceased Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 5	The Afterlife, Reincarnation, and Courtly Love Hello! I posted this question to War of the Ring a short time ago and was met with limited response. Hopefully my luck will be better over here. : ) Essentially, at its bare bones, my question is- Is the Fellowship reunited in the Afterlife? I understand the complexity and separation of Edain and Eldar in the Hall of Mandos, but what happens after Frodo, Sam, and Gimli's mortality is again drained in Aman? Where is this place Mandos sends the souls of the Edain? Gandalf, a Maia, and Legolas, an Immortal, obviously stay in Valinor. Word on the street is Tolkien alludes to a place where Edain and Eldar are reuinted after Arda's end (similar to the Judeo-Christian Paradise/Heaven) in "Morgoth's Ring." I have only read chapters available on the internet, so please feel free to enlighten me on what he actually says! --And I actually have two more questions, bear with me. 1) Is it at all possible that Legolas is the reincarnation of his grandfather, Oropher, who died in the Last Alliance? I've seen several forms that discuss Legolas' heritage, but not Oropher and reincarnation. According to Tolkien in "Morgoth's Ring" (Laws & Customs Among the Eldar), elves who choose to be reincarnated are born again into their immediate family and never take the name they had before they died. It's a stretch, but Legolas fits the description. 2) I am also curious as to why male Edain and female Eldar always fall in love. For example, Beren and Luthien, Tuor and Idril, Aragorn and Arwen. Why not vise versa? I have a hunch this was Tolkien incorporating courtly love (a Medieval idea originating from the French Troubadours) into Middle Earth, but I don't know for sure. I personally would find it more romantic if an immortal male Eldar fell in love with a mortal female. The male would have to give up (or should give up) his immortality (granted by Eru Illuvatar) for his lover, disrupting the societal gender roles constructed in Middle Earth (Medieval Ages and early 1900's Europe). M.E. is, after all, modeled after a male-dominated power structure. I wonder how things would play out.