# Could Legolas wield magic?



## redline2200 (Jan 25, 2003)

This is pretty much a straight-forward question: Could Legolas wield magic? I know he was an elf (obviously) and elves can wield some magic (obviously), but there are no accounts, to my knowledge, of Legolas using elven magic; why not?


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## Rangerdave (Jan 25, 2003)

The Elves don't weild _Magic_ as associated with the conventional meaning of the word.

This quote from Professor Tolkien might be of help here.


> I have not used 'magic' consistently, and indeed the Elven-queen Galadriel is obliged to remonstrate with the Hobbits on their confused use of the word both for the devices and operations of the Enemy, and for those of the Elves. I have not, because there is not a word for the latter (since all human stories have suffered the same confusion). But the Elves are there (in my tales) to demonstrate the difference. Their 'magic' is Art, delivered from many of its human limitations: more effortless, more quick, more complete (product, and vision in unflawed correspondence). And its object is Art not Power
> 
> From a letter to Allen & Unwin 1 August 1950



So if this is the case, that Elven _Magic_ is their Art, then I would assume that Legolas uses _magic_. Of course, being a youngster (for an Elf anyway) he would not be as adept as say Galadriel, Cirdan or Elrond in his Art.

I hope this answers your question 

RD


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## Ithrynluin (Jan 25, 2003)

Also, being a Silvan Elf and not a High Elf, his chances at wielding some serious "magic" are lessened IMHO.
But you could say that he has the ability to do some magic, if you consider walking on snow and super-keen sight as magic.


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## redline2200 (Jan 25, 2003)

Ya, I see what you mean. Instead of saying "magic" i should have said "spells." Like for example the elvish rope in The Two Towers that glows in the dark because of an Elvish spell. And not to mention the cloak that Frodo and Sam recieve that camouflages them with their environment. This is some of the elvish "magic" that I was referring to. (There is also a story in the Sil where an elf makes him and the man he is walking with so they can't be seen and it says something about elvish spells or magic. I can't remember the exact story but the elf that cloaked himself might have been Voronwe. I don't have the Sil on me so I can't verify, sorry)


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## Ithrynluin (Jan 26, 2003)

Yes you are referring to Voronwe and Tuor and their journey to Gondolin, the Hidden City. The cloak was given to Tuor by Ulmo, the Deity of the Seas, and is therefore not made by elvish arts.


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## redline2200 (Jan 26, 2003)

Oh yeah, I forgot that Ulmo gave them that cloak.


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