# How immortal were Elves?



## jbru119 (Jul 13, 2003)

don't flame me for not knowing this... how immortal are elves?... if an elf gets, you know, hacked or shot in some fashion that would easily kill a man, would an elf die too?... if he fell off a cliff and plummeted to the bottom would it kill him?...


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## Confusticated (Jul 13, 2003)

Elves can heal much more than men can from wounds.

I suppose that if an elf took any wound that would kill a man instantly, it would also kill that elf right away.

Say for example the elf was cut in a place where he lost very much blood right away, I would guess he would die.

But if he had a wound that would kill a man over a longer amount of time, he would be able to heal from it, or at least his chances of doing so would be much greater.

Elves die in battle, by swords and by fire and by werewolves.

My own belief is that they have an amazing ability to fight away infections before they can really become infections. Surely that is why many men died from wounds - infections. 

I think elf flesh will heal faster for that reason and also because they just have more command over their body with their spirits, and this would also be a reason for that first reason.

So going off a cliff that would kill a man on impact would kill an elf, I am sure. But one that would only break some bones and leave a man in much pain and eventually death... say... 4 days later, an elf would probably heal.

Aside from elves having more control of their bodies, they would probably know much about herbs with healing qualities. But I do wonder when they would need this? Perhaps poison (vs. bacteria), but elves can die from poison, by the way.

As for how immortal they are... well, as long as the world lasts they are immortal. There is a place where they go when they die, and after some time they usually get a body just like their former one, and live again.


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## Lasgalen (Jul 15, 2003)

You pretty much summed everything up, Nom. I would just like to add that Elves can also die of grief.


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## Captain (Jul 23, 2003)

Like Maglor. Well said, Nom.


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## Turin (Aug 2, 2003)

Hey Nóm what do you mean werewolves?


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## YayGollum (Aug 3, 2003)

I'm guessing that she just means werewolves. No hidden meaning. Werewolves were talked about in Tolkien type bookses, weren't they? Well, that's what I read. Maybe I'm just crazy. oh well.


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## BlackCaptain (Aug 3, 2003)

If an Elf grows old of 10,000 centuries he begins to become slightly more Manly in the fact that they grow slightly weaker and begin to feel grief. Stuff like that....


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## Confusticated (Aug 3, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Turin _
> *Hey Nóm what do you mean werewolves? *


In addition to what YayGollum said, I mentioned werewolves because:

Finrod Felagund, greatest elven king in the history of Middle-earth as far as I am concerned, broke from his binds in the pits of Sauron and died fighting a werewolf with his hands and teeth.


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## BlackCaptain (Aug 3, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Nóm _
> *Finrod Felagund, greatest elven king in the history of Middle-earth as far as I am concerned*



Hmm... I wonder why


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## Glory (Aug 4, 2003)

Well maybe, but what if the elf is stronger than the werewolf? 
ehem.. of let supposse this a really strong elf against a really weak werewolf. Then I guess the elf could get to live, right?


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## Confusticated (Aug 4, 2003)

It depends how badly the elf is wounded. 

Elves have bodies subject to death/destruction, they just have more power for healing. Imagine a person with a super-strong immune system, and a body that heals from wounds faster. They can die from wounds, but not as easily as men can. Over time as the spirit of an elf gets more command over his body, he becomes even more difficult to slay. Eventually elves in Middle-earth who have not died will 'fade', this is their bodies will be 'consumed' by their spirits. 

A dismembered elf body will not fly back together and suck all the blood back up into its veins. 

So yes, elves can die by werewolves, but put more efficiently: elves can die by anything that ruins their body. That could be a falling tree, lightening or drowning... anything! It is no thanks to some special power that werewolves possess that they can die by them.




> Hmm... I wonder why


It is not because he is my favorite elf, it is the reason he is my favorite elf. 
I'm sure you've seen me praising Finrod somewhere now.  
He is wise, intelligent, kind, generous, without malice, has a great heart, is couragous, a diplomat and friend.


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## Turin (Aug 4, 2003)

Being an elf you can get super strong, imagine being able to work out for thousands of years.


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## Glory (Aug 7, 2003)

Thanxs for the explanation Nóm  Guess that's why elves mostly died during battles and the like.


> _Originally posted by Turin _
> *Being an elf you can get super strong, imagine being able to work out for thousands of years. *


 or get really rich by saving little by little or keeping things for a really long time and then sell them to a museum or something and get millions.

Though elves seem to apreciate wisdom over money and/or strength.


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## Nautilus (Aug 8, 2003)

Elves also could die of hunger or thirst - their flesh needed foodstuffs just like any other race.

(This reminds me of the old question with the Elf falling down a bottomless pit - unless he/she feeds out of thin air, will die of thirst after some time  )

~Nautilus


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## Inderjit S (Aug 10, 2003)

Maedhros survived that's the 20 odd Y.O.S hanging of a precpice off Thangorodrim presumably without any food, so I wonder if Elves staright from Aman were able to last longer then Sindar


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## Confusticated (Aug 10, 2003)

Inder, the wording does not exclude the possiblity that he did get food and water during the 20(?) years. But I'm sure this is why you say 'presumably'.

I just can't see it. I do not believe he was without water. The only mention I know about elves starving is from Voronwe in UT, though there might be more. Regardless... how could they possibly be exempt from dehydration? I do not see it.

For me, I presume that he was with food and water.

But imagine the elves fresh from Aman could last longer without food, because I suppose their bodies were in better condition.

But I wonder about general healing abilities? In Middle-earth elves fade away, and as they do so it becomes harder for them to die because the fea gets the upper hand... so a Calaquendi born in Aman and new come to Middle-earth could be slain easier than a very old Sinda? What do you think?


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## Inderjit S (Aug 10, 2003)

> Inder, the wording does not exclude the possiblity that he did get food and water during the 25 years. But I'm sure this is why you say 'presumably'



But I wonder how they got the food to him? And why he woud feed Maedhros, who was now a pretty usueless hostage. Though he may have been fed occasionally since he was pretty gaunt when Fingon retrieved his love. (Sorry friend) 
But then again Melkor was the kind of guy who would say feed him horrible Ork-meat to bring shame on him and keep him hanging for a long time which would lead to a very long and painful death, plus he wanted him to look bad in front of Fingon. 



> In Middle-earth elves fade away, and as they do so it becomes harder for them to die because the fea gets the upper hand... so a Calaquendi born in Aman and new come to Middle-earth could be slain easier than a very old Sinda



I don't know, but I really doubt it. wasn't it because of him just coming from the blessed realm that Maedhros was able to heal so quick? Or maybe he was Fingon's date at the Mereth Arthedad and that spurred him on? Or maybe I'm just a idiot.


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## Nautilus (Aug 13, 2003)

> But I wonder how they got the food to him?]



With a fishing rod perhaps? 



> And why he woud feed Maedhros, who was now a pretty usueless hostage. Though he may have been fed occasionally since he was pretty gaunt when Fingon retrieved his love. (Sorry friend)
> But then again Melkor was the kind of guy who would say feed him horrible Ork-meat to bring shame on him and keep him hanging for a long time which would lead to a very long and painful death, plus he wanted him to look bad in front of Fingon.



Why?... seeing Morgoth perversity, he was just the kind of guy to feed and keep a hostage alive just to torment him longer.

~Nautilus


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## Stridir (Aug 14, 2003)

from what i know, elves can only be slain in battle or die of a broken heart. they never die of old age


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## Turin (Aug 15, 2003)

Heres a tip, before you post read the whole thread.


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