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Essays

fanon, part one

This has been a long time coming. I promised Ilye a long time ago I would discuss fading, but I have been slowly adding to this discussion over the last couple of weeks. Right now, we have three topics on the slate; feel free to drop a comment with your own fanon/misconception you would like me to discuss, and I can make this into a series.

Fading among the Elves

I have this one first because I really owed Ilye. :)

How many fics have you personally read that involve the following concept:

Elf A loses someone close to them. The grief is unbearable, and they begin to "fade" from the shock of the loss. Elf B has held an unrequited flame for Elf A and refuses to let them go, and so, Elf B "bonds" to Elf A (a ritual that invariably involves the sharing of blood and oftentimes some form of confrontation with Námo), thereby saving Elf A from death, and proving to Elf A how much Elf B must love them. A & B therefore consummate this new love, and all is happiness and skittles.

Let's be honest, this was a trite concept the first time it appeared in this fandom. And even the author of that first story (the aforementioned Ilye) admits as much. Her story, The Kindred Spirits Trilogy was the initial appearance of this particular plotline. And so completely and utterly compelling was it that it was quickly snatched up and used by any number of other authors with varying levels of success. Now, it is considered to be chapter and verse.

One small problem. It's bunk. Every bit of it. Ilye took three (three!) perfectly legitimate canon concepts, mixed it with a few emotional trappings and ritualistic details swiped from Anne Rice, threw them in a blender, and hit 'frappe'. Elves fade, yes. Elves die from grief, yes. Elves bond, yes. They do not, however, fade from grief, nor could such a process -- if it existed -- be halted through a bonding.

In all of the Histories of Middle-earth, only one Elf has ever "died from grief" -- and even that was temporary. I'm talking of course about that singularly unique and exceptional case of Tolkien's one and only Mary Sue -- Luthien Tinuviel. That was a specific and highly irregular set of circumstances, and has never been repeated. Grief is simply not a common cause of death among the Elves -- nor should it be. Tolkien stated repeatedly that sorrow is an integral part of the lives of the Elves. If it was supposed to be that close to them all the time, then it must be one hell of a hard-hitting blow to push them from sorrow into a grief so severe that it kills them. Nerdanel didn't die from grief, and she had reason. Celebrían didn't die from grief, and she certainly had reason. Maedhros didn't die from grief -- he had to physically leap into a chasm of fire. So, honestly, these little hurts and losses that seem so important to us as human beings -- just not big enough to wound an Elf's spirit so harshly that it would force its way out of the body.

Fading is a completely separate concept -- and no (that's zero) Elves have ever been recorded as fading. Why? Because the story ends looooooooooooooooong before that would ever be an issue. Fading is mentioned in the LACE as the ultimate fate of any Elf who did not return to Aman. The Elf would eventually fade from the sight of mankind. They would still be alive -- fading was NOT death -- but they would be unable to interact with or affect the world around them. They would be nothing but formless ghosts drifting through the world of Men. Small wonder then that most Elves chose to return following the War of the Ring.

Finally, bonding is nothing but Elven marriage. It is described as nothing more than the exchanging of rings and the invocation of Eru's name. There is no Pagan symbolism, there is no Native American symbolism, there is no Christian symbolism, and there is certainly nothing reminiscent of Interview with the Vampire. There is no ritual involved more than the simple act of exchanging rings and speaking the name of Illuvatar. Depending on one's interpretation, this bond may or may not be unbreakable. However, it imparts no special powers to the couple. It merely designates them as mates.

So, people, please, as a favor to Ilye who is pleading with the fandom, let this fanon concept die. Find something new and original and stop ripping her off!

Birth Order in Middle-earth

Birth order is not a matter of choice, as some people suspect. Just because we may not have dates does not mean that we have to guess as to sibling order. Tolkien was really specific on how he discussed siblings. Eldest to youngest, everytime. Elros was older than Elrond, Elladan was older than Elrohir, the Lorien bothers go Haldir, Rumil, and then Orophin. Theodred was a cousin, but he is older than Eomer and Eowyn, and Eowyn was the youngest of the three.

All you have to do is take a look at what order Tolkien mentions them in. All siblings, whenever spoken of, are always spoken of from eldest to youngest. This is proven when he discussed changing the birth order of Elrond and Elros when he originally intended for Elrond to be mortal and Elros to be an Elf... not to mention checking the birthdates known for certain Elves, like the sons of Fëanor.

I have yet to understand why people seem to feel the need to ignore even the smallest canon detail as to birth order. Elrohir was *not* firstborn, and they did rule Imladris together following Elrond's departure. The Epilogue to LotR shows that when Sam is talking with his daughter. Rumil is *not* the baby of the three and Eowyn was not the eldest who babysat her younger brother and cousin.

Elves 'giving up' their immortality

Real quick on this one. They can't. Ever. Elves, for all intents and purposes, are immortal. Once again, the only full-blooded Elf who was ever able to accomplish this feat was Luthien, and only because she was a Mary Sue with the power to be the only Elf to ever sway Námo to pity.

Now, Half-Elves are a different story. They are granted a single, irrevocable choice to either live as an Elf or live as a Man. They can live as an Elf for as long as they want and choose mortality at any point. However, once they make that choice, there is no going back. But, it is the Peredhil, and only the Peredhil who are given this choice because of their unique mixed heritage.

So, no, Legolas can not choose to give up his immortality to be with Aragorn. Arwen can (and did) because she was granted the choice, same as her brothers, father, and uncle, because of her mixed blood.

In the past two years, I've seen Grelvish all but disappear from the fandom. I'd love in the next two years to see some of these worn-out fanon concepts fade out, too. Try something original. Don't just take it as read that the things you read in fiction are always straight out of Tolkien. There are plenty of online resources you can look at before starting a fic if you want to keep close to canon. And if you don't, then be different -- be original. Take your own ideas and expand on them rather than rehashing the same things as everyone else.


	Disclaimer This site contains content of an adult nature, both in written and graphical versions. If you are under the age of consent in your city, state, country, or province, please click here and exit the site. Site Map home lotr fanfiction elvish rants inspiration artwork links Section Links Canon vs AU/Non-Canon Children and Music The Civil War Debunking Evil!Thranduil Elven Haircolor 101 Elvish Names 101 Elvish Names Continued Elven Population Elven Rebirth Fanon, Part One Free Speech Independence Day Bullshit Musings On The Movie "Supersize Me" The Mysterious Glorfindel Nazi Germany Symbols and Words Voting Rights Act Who Is Gildor Inglorion? Why Gay Christian Is Not An Oxymoron		Essays fanon, part one This has been a long time coming. I promised Ilye a long time ago I would discuss fading, but I have been slowly adding to this discussion over the last couple of weeks. Right now, we have three topics on the slate; feel free to drop a comment with your own fanon/misconception you would like me to discuss, and I can make this into a series. Fading among the Elves I have this one first because I really owed Ilye. :) How many fics have you personally read that involve the following concept: Elf A loses someone close to them. The grief is unbearable, and they begin to "fade" from the shock of the loss. Elf B has held an unrequited flame for Elf A and refuses to let them go, and so, Elf B "bonds" to Elf A (a ritual that invariably involves the sharing of blood and oftentimes some form of confrontation with Námo), thereby saving Elf A from death, and proving to Elf A how much Elf B must love them. A & B therefore consummate this new love, and all is happiness and skittles. Let's be honest, this was a trite concept the first time it appeared in this fandom. And even the author of that first story (the aforementioned Ilye) admits as much. Her story, The Kindred Spirits Trilogy was the initial appearance of this particular plotline. And so completely and utterly compelling was it that it was quickly snatched up and used by any number of other authors with varying levels of success. Now, it is considered to be chapter and verse. One small problem. It's bunk. Every bit of it. Ilye took three (three!) perfectly legitimate canon concepts, mixed it with a few emotional trappings and ritualistic details swiped from Anne Rice, threw them in a blender, and hit 'frappe'. Elves fade, yes. Elves die from grief, yes. Elves bond, yes. They do not, however, fade from grief, nor could such a process -- if it existed -- be halted through a bonding. In all of the Histories of Middle-earth, only one Elf has ever "died from grief" -- and even that was temporary. I'm talking of course about that singularly unique and exceptional case of Tolkien's one and only Mary Sue -- Luthien Tinuviel. That was a specific and highly irregular set of circumstances, and has never been repeated. Grief is simply not a common cause of death among the Elves -- nor should it be. Tolkien stated repeatedly that sorrow is an integral part of the lives of the Elves. If it was supposed to be that close to them all the time, then it must be one hell of a hard-hitting blow to push them from sorrow into a grief so severe that it kills them. Nerdanel didn't die from grief, and she had reason. Celebrían didn't die from grief, and she certainly had reason. Maedhros didn't die from grief -- he had to physically leap into a chasm of fire. So, honestly, these little hurts and losses that seem so important to us as human beings -- just not big enough to wound an Elf's spirit so harshly that it would force its way out of the body. Fading is a completely separate concept -- and no (that's zero) Elves have ever been recorded as fading. Why? Because the story ends looooooooooooooooong before that would ever be an issue. Fading is mentioned in the LACE as the ultimate fate of any Elf who did not return to Aman. The Elf would eventually fade from the sight of mankind. They would still be alive -- fading was NOT death -- but they would be unable to interact with or affect the world around them. They would be nothing but formless ghosts drifting through the world of Men. Small wonder then that most Elves chose to return following the War of the Ring. Finally, bonding is nothing but Elven marriage. It is described as nothing more than the exchanging of rings and the invocation of Eru's name. There is no Pagan symbolism, there is no Native American symbolism, there is no Christian symbolism, and there is certainly nothing reminiscent of Interview with the Vampire. There is no ritual involved more than the simple act of exchanging rings and speaking the name of Illuvatar. Depending on one's interpretation, this bond may or may not be unbreakable. However, it imparts no special powers to the couple. It merely designates them as mates. So, people, please, as a favor to Ilye who is pleading with the fandom, let this fanon concept die. Find something new and original and stop ripping her off! Birth Order in Middle-earth Birth order is not a matter of choice, as some people suspect. Just because we may not have dates does not mean that we have to guess as to sibling order. Tolkien was really specific on how he discussed siblings. Eldest to youngest, everytime. Elros was older than Elrond, Elladan was older than Elrohir, the Lorien bothers go Haldir, Rumil, and then Orophin. Theodred was a cousin, but he is older than Eomer and Eowyn, and Eowyn was the youngest of the three. All you have to do is take a look at what order Tolkien mentions them in. All siblings, whenever spoken of, are always spoken of from eldest to youngest. This is proven when he discussed changing the birth order of Elrond and Elros when he originally intended for Elrond to be mortal and Elros to be an Elf... not to mention checking the birthdates known for certain Elves, like the sons of Fëanor. I have yet to understand why people seem to feel the need to ignore even the smallest canon detail as to birth order. Elrohir was not firstborn, and they did rule Imladris together following Elrond's departure. The Epilogue to LotR shows that when Sam is talking with his daughter. Rumil is not the baby of the three and Eowyn was not the eldest who babysat her younger brother and cousin. Elves 'giving up' their immortality Real quick on this one. They can't. Ever. Elves, for all intents and purposes, are immortal. Once again, the only full-blooded Elf who was ever able to accomplish this feat was Luthien, and only because she was a Mary Sue with the power to be the only Elf to ever sway Námo to pity. Now, Half-Elves are a different story. They are granted a single, irrevocable choice to either live as an Elf or live as a Man. They can live as an Elf for as long as they want and choose mortality at any point. However, once they make that choice, there is no going back. But, it is the Peredhil, and only the Peredhil who are given this choice because of their unique mixed heritage. So, no, Legolas can not choose to give up his immortality to be with Aragorn. Arwen can (and did) because she was granted the choice, same as her brothers, father, and uncle, because of her mixed blood. In the past two years, I've seen Grelvish all but disappear from the fandom. I'd love in the next two years to see some of these worn-out fanon concepts fade out, too. Try something original. Don't just take it as read that the things you read in fiction are always straight out of Tolkien. There are plenty of online resources you can look at before starting a fic if you want to keep close to canon. And if you don't, then be different -- be original. Take your own ideas and expand on them rather than rehashing the same things as everyone else.