Text

This view is therapeutic. - Author: LavenderStaticy
5K notes
Β·
View notes
Text







βπΌπππππ‘ππ π€πππ π‘βπ πΈππ£ππ , πππ π‘βπππ π€ππ πππ ππππ€ ππππ πππ π‘π πππ.β -The Silmarillion
ππ‘π ππ’ππ π¨π ππ§ ππ₯π βπΏΛqβπβΛΰΏ
Immortal, Graceful, Wise.
TheΒ ElvesΒ were the first and eldestΒ Children of IlΓΊvatar, considered the fairest and wisest of the earthly race ofΒ Arda.
πΊπππ ππ π»πππ
Their lives are not measured in decades, but in ages; their bodies do not wither with time, though sorrow may leave its mark. They may be slain or die of grief, but they do not pass into old age.
Elves awaken at CuiviΓ©nen, in the First Age, and many of those still alive in the Third Age were born under starlight long before the sun rose.
Elves' bodies developed slower than those of Men, but their minds developed more swiftly. Physical puberty is generally complete by their fiftieth year (by age fifty they reach their adult height), but they are not considered full-grown until a hundred years have passed.
π«ππππ π³πππ
π― MORNING:
Elves rise with the dawn not from sleep, but from trance. Unlike Men, they do not require nightly rest, but enter a waking dream to recover their strength. Their mornings begin with silence; poems, song, or quiet movement through forest and stone. Some attune themselves to the trees, the wind, or the memory of the stars.
πΏMIDDAY:
They tend to gardens, study lore, train with blade or bow, craft wonders in wood, gem, and silver. Elves are aesthetic beings; their daily work is an act of artistry, not labor. A Noldorin smithβs hammer is rhythmic as poetry. A Vanyarin singer might coax open a blossom.
π¦EVENING:
At dusk, they feast together; not in gluttony, but in fellowship. Lembas and mead, fruits and wild herbs, roasted meats caught in the wild. Elves value storytelling, i.e., songs of past kin, of grief and glory, and they will often dance under moonlight.
π³πππ πππ
π΄ππππ
Elves marry for love, or at least with free will from both parties, typically early in life. Monogamy is practised and adultery is unthinkable. By their very nature, they are "seldom swayed by the desires of the body" or influenced by lust.
They marry only once for it was ruled by ManwΓ« that, "'since the Elves are by nature permanent in life within Arda, so also is their unmarred marriage.'
FinwΓ«, theΒ King of the Noldor, was an exception. After hisΒ first wifeΒ died, from passing the majority of her life intoΒ FΓ«anor, and refused to be re-embodied, FinwΓ« was permitted to marry again. This was pronounced byΒ NΓ‘moΒ as the 'Statute of FinwΓ« and MΓriel'.
Spouses may choose each other, in their youth, and be betrothed long before they are married. The betrothal is subject to parental approval from both houses unless the parties are of age and intend to marry soon. At which point, the betrothal is announced at a meeting of the two houses, during which the couple exchange silver rings. The betrothal lasts at least a year.
A betrothal is revocable by a public return of the rings, which will then be molten, but revocation was rarely needed because "the Eldar do not err lightly" in the choice of their partner.
After their formal betrothal, the couple appoints a time for the wedding when at least a year has passed.
πΊπππππ πππ
π»πππππππ
Every Elf is a polymath of sorts, they are versed in:
Craftsmanship: Gems, weapons, embroidery, sculpture
Combat: Archery, swordplay, horseback riding
Lore: Language, stars, music, history, healing
Magic: Subtle enchantments woven into word and song (not flashy spells, but power from their spirit)
They are taught from a young age by loremasters, warriors, or kin. Some become great captains like Glorfindel, others master healers like Elrond, or singers of power like LΓΊthien.
πΊππππ πππ
πΊπππππ
Elves have a deep memory; they do not forget. All joy and all tragedy lives within them. Wars of the First Age still haunt their dreams. Many elves of the Third Age carry grief like a cloak: the Kinslaying, the fall of Gondolin, the Doom of the Noldor.
If slain, their spirits pass to the Halls of Mandos in Valinor, where they may be re-embodied after long reflection. Some, like FΓ«anor, refuse the call. Others return changed.
They fear not death; but diminishment.
π―ππππ πππ
πΉππππππ
Elves live in halls carved from stone, canopies of light-dappled leaves, or white towers beside the sea.
π½ππππππππ (π΄πππππππ) β refuge of lore and song, ruled by Elrond
π·πππππΜππππβ golden wood of Galadriel and Celeborn, timeless and enchanted
πΏππ ππππππππ π½ππππ (πΏππππππππβπ πΆππππππ) β forest-stronghold under the earth
πππππππβ in the Undying Lands beyond the sea, where the light of the Two Trees lingers
πΉπππ ππ π΄ππ
π
ππ-π¬ππππ
Elves are keepers of the old world, resisting decay. They fight not for dominion but to preserve memory, beauty, and freedom. Many are leaving; sailing West to Valinor, but those who remain do so out of love or duty.
They are not above any other race, but beside them; different in purpose, not in worth.
πππ πππππ πππ
π³πππ
Besides being considered more beautiful than men, Elves were also generally taller. Their hair colour varied; but the basic rules were that theΒ NoldorΒ generally had dark hair (brown or black), theΒ VanyarΒ golden, and theΒ TeleriΒ silver or dark. Their eyes are usually described as grey or blue.
81 notes
Β·
View notes