Pointy-Eared Elders from Stories Old

Those first created by the Gods

Fantasy equal: Elf

There are many kinds of elves to be found in a multitude of fables, tales and legends nowadays. According to me however, there is but one true kind of Elf and that is the kind brought to life by the great mind of the legendary storyteller named J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tolkien’s Elves are gracious and majestic immortal beings, fairest and wisest of all the folk of Middle-earth. They are akin with nature, find pleasure in all sorts of arts and lore, and yet are formidable warriors. This kind of Elf has been adopted in all fantasy based games as well, given it is made available as a race option during character creation.

On the other end of the spectrum is the despicable Christmas or Santa’s Elf. They are small, clumsy looking beings that help Santa Clause in manufacturing all the presents for all the boys and girls of the entire world. Santa’s Elves are simply a pathetic version of the great Elves of Middle-earth. I loathe watching Christmas movies, mostly due to the Christmas Elves that irritate me so much!

Elves are said to be immortal, for they cannot perish from ailments or old age. They can however be slain in battle, as was seen at the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Two Towers movie. Haldir, an Elf commander of Lothlorien, was slain by the Uruk-Hai. I suppose Peter Jackson (the director of the movies) wanted to show that Elves are not as invincible as some may have thought, for Haldir never even went to Helm’s Deep in Tolkien’s story.

Arwen, Elven daughter of Elrond, forsook her immortality to rather live one lifetime with her mortal betrothed, Aragorn, Son of Arathorn. So being mortal is a choice they can make at whatever stage of their lives. Once the choice is made, the light of the Eldar leaves their beings (the power bestowed on them that makes them immortal) and will slowly die as we all do.

Below then you would find a collection of Elves, gracious and majestic like they should be, made immortal on this blog.

“For those who're new to the works of Tolkien, a description of the Elves in general may be appropriate. They are as tall as Men, and often taller. Of all living creatures in Middle-earth, they are the ones described as the most beautiful and gifted. The Elves are immortal, but can be slain in battle, and can also loose the will to live. When they die, they go to the Halls of Mandos. There they wait, for one day to return. Mandos is one of fourteen "sub-gods" called the Valar. These are important when looking at the history of the Elves, as you'll hear more of later.
In the beginning of days the Elves dwelt in Middle-earth. But the Valar, who lived on the Isle of Valinor, beyond the Great Sea, asked the Firstborn, as the Elves are known as, to settle with them on the Isle. Many did so, but quite a few also stayed in Middle-earth. These were allowed to come to Valinor, where there were no evil, in their own time. You'll find many references to this later, as it's one of the most important aspects of the history of the Elves in Middle-earth. During the Second Age, Men envied the Elves their immortality, and tried to find Valinor. The Valar therefor hid the Isle and made it invisible, so that none other than the Elves could find it. The path across the sea they had to sail, was called the Straight Road. The song quoted above tells how Legolas, one of the most important Elves of The Lord of the Rings, long for the west.”
http://tolkien.cro.net/elves/ofelves.html