Light Elves & Dark Elves

[JeffF.]

This concerns the children of the Noldor exiles who returned to Middle Earth. By definition the children of the Noldor who returned to Middle Earth should be considered Dark Elves since they never saw the Light of the Two Trees of Valinor. This Light is stated by Tolkien to confer great power on those who have seen it (from the description of Glorfindel in Fellowship of the ring).

Would any of that power have been inherited by their children? Gil-Galad was born in Middle Earth and so was a Dark Elf and apparently his power was much less than his ancestor's. In his grandfather Fingolfin's duel with Morgoth Fingolfin inflicted seven terrible wounds on Morgoth but nothing is said of Gil-Galad wounding Sauron in his famous duel on the slopes of Mount Doom alongside Elendil, only that he succumbed to the heat of Sauron. only the wound inflicted by Isildur with the shard of Narsil is mentioned.

Sauron is described in the Silmarillion as being less evil than Morgoth only because he served another which may indicate that his power was comparable to Morgoth's. Certainly Morgoth was not less powerful than Sauron.

In Gandalph's description of Glorfindel he states that those like him (with that power) are few in number implying that not many of the surviving/remaining Noldor had it.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

That is an interesting point, Jeff, and welcome to the Downs.

Does the experience of the parents in re seeing the trees mean that their children somehow gain the 'light', so to speak. I'm really not sure.

As for Gil-Galad, I reckon he was certainly not as powerful as Fingolfin, though very powerful all the same! Fingolfin wounded, though was not able to kill, Melkor - in fact, he was killed by Melkor. Gil-Galad, on the other hand, slew Sauron with Elendil - at the cost of their own lives (at least, this is my reading of Tolkien - I know Isildur has devoted followers ready to ascribe him credit in this matter )

But the hereditary passing of the light of the trees? Anyone?

[Elmo]

Didn't Elendil and Gil 'wrestle' with Sauron and throw him down? Then Isildur cut the fingers with the shards of narsil. That's my very hazy memory of reading about their encounter. Maybe in the bit at the back of the Silmarillion.

[narfforc]

You are correct Elmo, however I believe it was only one finger, the ring finger which was cut off. The children of the returning Noldor born outside Aman would probably be Umanyar and therefore Moriquendi. Only those Elves who came to Aman during the days of the Two Trees are Calaquendi, so Gil-galad is not an Elf of the Light. I think that JeffF is also correct.

[Elmo]

Yeah that's what I meant. There are four fingers on the black hand etc.

[LadyBrooke]

The interesting thing about Tolkien's definition of Calaquendi as someone who had seen the two trees is that by extension it means that anybody born in Valinor after the fall of two trees is also one of the Moriquendi (sp? my Tolkien books are all in my mom's car). Thoughts?