Beards (Mine hasn't sprouted yet : ( , I'm only 12)

[Gimli Son Of Gloin]

Do elves have beards? I mean,. I just can't picture Legolas with a beard...

[Birdland]

Most elves seem not to, except for Cirdan, and that has been discussed in another thread. Maybe the elves just had some really great depilatories?

As for your own beard, Gimli: keep drinking like you've been doing at the "party", and it will definitely put hair on your chest. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[orlandoandsaran]

Well...i can imagine Legolas having a beard coz i just saw Orli having a beard!

Oh yeah Gimli...don't worry coz u'll soon have a beard soon or if you want a fast one...try using those fast growing hair things!
Good Luck!
[img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

[Daniel Telcontar]

Gimli, only pray for a beard if you want to keep it. Because if just want to shave it off, then it is just a waste of time plus your cheek will never be smooth again. But, since you are a dwarf you're probably gonna keep your beard. But if not, then you're warned.

[Kidd2323]

Gimli, I am 30 and I still can't grow a proper beard--I have a billygoat looking thing--so don't fret. If you're truly a dwarf, you will give Thorin something to be proud about in the 7th age.

[Gimli Son Of Gloin]

It stinks, my brother could grow a nice beard, nut he doesn't do anything about it! Maybe he doesn't shave for one of two reasons; he doesn't want to have to shave evryday, or he's scared it won't grow back, don't know which. I can't wait till' I'm 16... I'll grow a nice beard, yes a nice beard. Can hardly wait (and yes I am aware that it is a pain to shave everyday.)

[Rosa_Baggins]

:PKissing a bloke with stubble is bad but kissing a bloke wih a beard must be tickley [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
from
Rosa

Well,I've got more hair on my chin than on my head.....But hey im a nutta!! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Rosa_Baggins]

It cant be helped!!
[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
from
Rosa

[NyteSky]

Hmm. I always thought Elves never had beards. Except for me, but I'm in disguise. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Unless there's something on your face you desperately want to hide (and you can't hide the whole thing) then it's not really worth all the shaving. Did you know a beard won't grow over scars either? It's very strange.
So what did that other thread conclude about Cirdan?
And what about hobbits? They have no facial hair except for sideburns, right? And what's the deal with female dwarves having beards too? (I'm not sure if that's covered in tolkien but it's in other books)
Strange things, beards. Very strange indeed...

[Elrian]

Here's the link to the other thread about Elves and beards: Elven beards

[Gimli Son Of Gloin]

Do female dwarves have beards?

[Melephelwen]

Yes. I think it's somewhere in the LotR appendixes (sp?). I can't remember the exact word, and I don't think it's said directly, that they have, but it says something alike:
The female dwarfs don't usually come outside their homes, but when they do, they look so much like the male dwarfs, that somebody accidentally (sp?) think there's only male dwarfs.
How could the dwarf women look like males without a beard??

Anyways, I better stop writing on this post, before it stops making sense [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Nevtalathiel]

You don't want a beard Gimli, my Dad has a beard because my Mum thinks it makes him look "rugged" [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] It doesn't, it makes him look dumb!

[Sharkû]

Dwarf women need not have beards, and, if you ask me, the idea that in Tolkien's fiction dwarven women had beards is entirely off the table anyway, strange and probably disgusting as it might have appeared to the author.

It was said by Gimli that there are few dwarf-women, probably no more than a third of the whole people. They seldom walk abroad except at great need, They are in voice and appearance, and in garb if they must go on a journey, so like to the dwarf-men that the eyes and ears of other peoples cannot tell them apart. (App. A III, Durin's Folk)

Voice, appearance, and garb -- this does not mean they had beards. Basically, that this quote leads to the assumption of bearded dwarf-women is because of the common prerequisite that all male dwarves had beards. However, this is never explicitally stated!

Almost all dwarves encountered in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (and thus the only ones really described) are of Durin's Folk, which is also called the Longbeards. Hence, long beards are a special trademark of this line of dwarves that sets them apart well enough from the other six lines so that it gains a unique name. We can therefore assume that in other dwarven lines beards were considerably shorter. It would only be logical that in this case clean-shaven dwarves are not uncommon -- either that, or we assume that all male dwarves would look the same; completely unlikely in the light of the rest of the Legendarium.

Dwarf-women would, in my opinion, to the greatest part intentionally, look like shaven male dwarves, probably hiding their femininity as far as possible, being that the dwarves in general are a very secretive people.

As a last, off-topic note, noone is really interested in your beards; unless you are a dwarf or maybe the author this board is dedicated to. A general "chat" forum, which we are not, may be better suited for that.

[Kidd2323]

Gimli: in answer to your original question about elves having beards, I just read a passage from Unfinished Tales in the section concerning The History of Galadriel and Celeborn:

In a note written in 1972 or later, amd among the last writings of my father's on the subject of Middle-earth, there is a discussion of the Elvish strain in Men, as to its being observable in the beardlessness of those who were so descended (it was a characteristic of all elves to be beadless)...

Hope that helpes.

[ June 04, 2002: Message edited by: Kidd2323 ]

[Aramacil]

so, that will answer the question
[img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

nice work Kidd2323

[Aramacil]

well, that should anwer the question
[img]smilies/confused.gif[/img] [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img]

nice work Kidd2323

[Orald]

Kidd2323's quote would clear it up if you completely disregarded all of the other quotes that state that Elves can and do grow beards. Check out the link that Elrian so thoughtfully included in her post, and maybe the links that are on that link.

[Sharkû]

"But the shapes wherein the Great Ones array themselves are not at all times like to the shapes of the kings and queens of the Children of Ilúvatar; for at times they may clothe themselves in their own thought, made visible in forms of majesty and dread." (Ainulindale)

"The dealings of the Ainur have indeed been mostly with the Elves, for Ilúvatar made them more like in nature to the Ainur, though less in might and stature;" (Silm. 1)

"But the Quendi shall be the fairest of all earthly creatures, and they shall have and shall conceive and bring forth more beauty than all my Children;" (ibid.)

Furthermore, we know of the ambivalent relation of Valar and Elves with Men.

" His [Tulkas'] hair and beard are golden, and his flesh ruddy; his weapons are his hands." (Valaquenta)

So: a) The Ainur looked like Elves and Men
b) The Elves are more beautiful and like to the Ainur
c) The Ainur in turn lean more towards Elves
This leads to: => d) it can safely be assumed that the Ainur took rather the form of Elves (cf. also Olórin) than that of Men
e) Tulkas had a beard
Together with d), e) leads to f) (less likely, but an interesting speculation) Tulkas was a friend of Men, of the Valar the one most concerned about them and/or g) beards were thought to be beautiful and/or h) beards were common enough among Elves even in the vision of things to come the Valar only had in the Ainulindale.

[Sharkû]

I still like my posts, even though, or maybe because, noone ever replied.