Posted: August 19, 1999 at 17:46:48: by Cuiviar
: It seems to me that Tolkien was a staunch believer in "hybrid
vigor". Many of the greatest heroes of the first age came from
cross-marriages between peoples: Fingolfin, Finarfin, Turin,
Tuor, Earendil, Elros, Elrond, Finrod, Galadriel. That is not a
complete list; I'm sure I left a few off. Most of them were
simply mixtures of different sub-races, so I think that Tolkien
thought that a mixture of the Edain and the Eldar would yeild
some of the greatest people of all. I see all of the
inter-marriages of the first age as culminating in the bond
between Earendil and Elwing.Yes, I think Tolkien was thinking along those lines himself in
terms of Arwen: through her father of the line of Fingolfin, and
through her mother of the line of Finarfin, plus the descendent
of Elwe and Olwe, and indirectly related to Ingwe (directly, to
his niece, Indis). see note 53, shibboleth of Feanor HOME vol.12
Then, she also has the blood of Melian, and the three houses of
the Edain.
Although, for such a combination of races, Arwen doesn't seem to
be a model of heroic vigor.
------------
|
