The White Council

Re: Did Elves Farm?

Tolkien and Inklings Discussion

: snip : : : No I must disagree Tolkiens world does obey the laws of phisics arrows fly, water boils, and elves get hungry. They are immortal in that they don't age. But we know they can die, and they can not fly. A fall from a cliff would kill one. They can bleed to death. They can feel pain and suffer from torture. They can starve to death. They must eat to live

: : Well said and I totally agree, they had to eat as everyone else. : : They would not eat with others out of courtesy if they didn't have to - that would be foolish and rude and wasteful of food and animal life, which I bet the elves disapproved of strongly. : : Besides it says nowhere in the books that any race HAD to eat - they just do as a matter of course, its common sense. : : Reference the dwarves of Moria and the closing of the west gate for what 4 years?? They would stockpile food for a siege as anywhere else would. They would also have access to the mountain vales through bolt holes, or the East gate for growing mountainside foods, and mushrooms/fungi do indeed grow in the dark. Fish also swim in underground lakes fed by outside streams, and finally the gates being shut implies No Entry to refugees, not that they were never opened for the purpose of gathering food. : : Don Quixote

: So the elves may as well eat, but I doubt they could die of starvation. If they could, it would probably take over a year... Tolkiens world was definately different to our own in physics, take into consideration Ulmo dragging Tol-Erissa across the ocean, or Beren crossing from Dorthonian to Doriath; Or even something like when Maedhros was chained to Thangorodrim. Who knows how long he was up there, and he didn't have food or water (lack of water would have killed him, not lack of food, but he still endured it for a *very* long time). This example proves also that Tolkienian physics were very different to earth's (if they were same, Maethros' hand or even his arm would have come off eventually). Overall, I doubt that an elf or maia could die of starvation, they would, on the other hand, suffer (all that I have said is IMO).

: Maedhros No indeed the physics are not different. The world works the same in every way. In spite of what you may like Maedhros. You can not have your cake and eat it too. But I can easily agree with you the it might take a year for an elf to die of starvation. But long before the year was over he likely would be unable to move, the little energy he had left would be reserved to maintain life in his body. Likewise and elf would be able to endure much torture. But to maintain health and vigor and elf would need to eat. A machine needs fuel to run and that is true in Tolkiens world or any other.