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Re: Tuor, Counted Among the Noldor (Long)

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  Posted by Michael Martinez on September 14, 1999 at 02:35:45
In Reply to: Tuor, Counted Among the Noldor (Long) posted by Dave C-Q on September 13, 1999 at 19:30:15:



: Tuor and Idril seek for a way through the shadowy seas without : the Silmaril. They are lost. From what I remember of the : Silmarillion, the last words said on the subject are something : along the lines of "But Tuor was after counted among the : Noldor, whom he loved, and his fate was sundered from the fate : of men" [paraphrase].

Not exactly. "But in after days it was sung that Tuor alone of mortal Men was numbered among the elder race, and was joined with the Noldor, whom he loved; and his fate is sunder from the fate of Men."

Of course, the passage precedes that statement by saying Tuor started feeling old age creep up on him just before he departed. He would seem (like Cirdan) a very old Elf indeed if he were included among their numbers and not given a good makeover.

: A few months ago in a different message board (a less reputable : one, IMHO), I got into a debate about what happened to Tuor. : The other arguer was convinced that the above passage meant : that Tuor became immortal, became a elf. This also implied that : Tuor and Idril eventually made it to the Uttermost West.

: Does anybody else think that? Is that the general consensus? Is : there a consensus?

[snip possible interpretations]

: Did Tolkien himself ever say anything on the matter? Is there : anything in the later editions of HoME? Anything?

[snip an interesting extrapolation]

First, to answer your question about consensus. I haven't come across any. There appear to be about two equally divided camps.

As for Tolkien himself, he seems to have left off the story of Tuor and Idril (that told in THE SILMARILLION is pretty much Christopher's attempt to tie up loose threads). I'm not sure, but I hink Tuor originally did become an Elf in THE BOOK OF LOST TALES.

But I agree with your assessment that Tuor probably did not become an Elf. There is no mention of his dwelling in Aman in "Akallabeth" when the King of Numenore asks about Earendil.

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