# Elves: Facial Hair?



## Tatem (Jan 23, 2003)

Are Elves too "fair" for facial hair?


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## Orodreth (Jan 23, 2003)

Not at all! Remember at the end of the LOTR that Cirdan had a beard. Of course, his was probably about a million years old at the time (not exagerated).


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## Ithrynluin (Jan 24, 2003)

Still beards are not too common among the Firstborn.


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## Beorn (Jan 24, 2003)

You may want to check out:

http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8460

and

http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6137


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## faila (Jan 24, 2003)

[glow=red]i thinkonly some had it, but i personally think an elf with it would be wierd[/glow]


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## Lasgalen (Jan 26, 2003)

In the "History of Galadriel and Celeborn" in UT it says "among the last writings of my father's on the subject of Middle-Earth, there is a discussion of the Elvish strain in Men, as to its being observable in the beardlessness of those who were so descended..." To me, this sounds like Elves can not grow beards. Tolkien often changed his work. Since this note was written in 1972, I believe Tolkien changed his mind about Elves being able to have beards. So Cirdan, you need to shave!!

-Lasgalen


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## darkjedi (Feb 13, 2003)

I don't think they would look right with facial hair. They are supposed to be creatures of great beauty and whatnot, like supermodels or something,lol.


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## Inderjit S (Feb 16, 2003)

Mahtan, Feanor's father-in-law also had a beard, as did Gwindor and in one of J.R.R's paintings, it seems that Beleg has a beard too. I think that Pengolod, loremaster of Erresea had one too. 

I think that I read somewhere that as soon as Elves reached their 'Third Stage' then they could grow beards.


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## GuardianRanger (Feb 19, 2003)

I submit this from the first page of the chapter "Of the Ruin of Doriath" in the Silmarillion:



> For twenty-eight years he had been captive in Angband, and he was grown grim to look upon. His hair and beard were white and long, but he walked unbowed, bearing a great black staff, and he was girt with a sword.


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## Inderjit S (Feb 20, 2003)

Hurin was a man.


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## GuardianRanger (Feb 20, 2003)

Note to self:
Do *NOT* read the Silmarillion when excessively tired.

I had only finished six hours of shoveling snow when I decided to read. So of course I'm dead tired when I read past that part in the book. Having remembered this thread, I came out to post.

Now I have a bunch of parts to re-read.

My bad.


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## Lantarion (Feb 21, 2003)

No problem, Inderjit caught you pretty quick. 
I think that in one of the HoME-volumes it is said that Elves grew beards but rrreeeaaalllyy slowly.


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## Theoden_king (Feb 21, 2003)

I didn't think they did because I can remember reading that elves made fun of the dwarves because of their beards


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## Tar-Elenion (Feb 21, 2003)

As published in the linguistic journal Vinyar Tengwar, JRRT wrote:
"Elves did not have beards until they entered their third cycle of life. Nerdanel's father was exceptional, being only early in his second."


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## Lantarion (Feb 22, 2003)

Ta-daa! Well done, Tar-Elenion.


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## ElvishHellion (Feb 23, 2003)

i see


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## jallan (Feb 23, 2003)

So an Elven beard is like a Schrödinger cat.

If you read the Círdan passage at the end of LR or the _Vinyar Tengwar_ passage, the beards exist, and if you read the _Unfinished Tales_ passage, they don’t.


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## Tar-Elenion (Feb 23, 2003)

Or perhaps:
"Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes."

"La"


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