# Legolas' longing for the Sea



## Maeglin (May 13, 2004)

From "The Silmarillion, Valaquenta:"


> At times he will come unseen to the shores of Middle-eart, or pass far inland up firths of the sea, and there make music upon his great horns, the Ulumuri, that are wrought of white shell; and those to whom that music comes hear it ever after in their hearts, and longing for the sea never leaves them again.


This, of course, is describing Ulmo.
Is it possible that the cries of the gulls that Legolas heard were actually the music of Ulmo? I think it could be, because we are not told what his music sounds like, and he probably had the ability to facade the music as any noise he wants. Was it, perhaps, Ulmo that was calling Legolas towards the Sea, and not just his natural Elvish desire for the Sea? I think it definitely could be, based on the quote I provided, though it may be a bit far-fetched in this situation. 

Thoughts?


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## Gothmog (May 13, 2004)

To say that the cries of the gulls was the music of Ulmo would I think be too confining to that music. More likely is that Ulmo's music included the sound of the Gulls on the Shore.

With that as part of the music, hearing the cries of Gulls would, in the decendants of Teleri certainly and probably in most elves, call to mind the rest of the Music of Ulmo and therefore the sea-longing and the wish to travel over to the ancient west.


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## HLGStrider (May 15, 2004)

My answer would be. . .based on my personal opinion-impressions and nothing else. . .that it was reminiscent of it but not it.


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## Hobbit-GalRosie (May 23, 2004)

I'm afraid I made this connection a long time ago, Legolas and the music, and like it too much not to think of it as true...It's kinda like how Tolkien was always big on the applicability of his work, and though I know that it might not really have been true if you asked the man himself it will always be true in my heart. I don't think the gulls actually made the music of Ulmo, but I think that Legolas might have heard both at the same time, since Ulmo's strength remained very much in the waters of the world, or so I recall, but my memory is hardly beyond failure. I rarely thought of the music of Ulmo as being terribly distinct from other sounds in nature, I thought rather that since he was the Ainu that had done most for the creation of water that his music would be the purest and well, noblest, for lack of a better word, rendering of all the melodies of wave and ripple and current. My mind is such that it likes the times when one concept flows seamlessly out of another, and has always appreciated the beauty of the natural world, so that's what I always make of the sea-longing bit, but I can hardly expect that anyone else shares the experience or even cares about my opinion.


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## HLGStrider (Sep 7, 2004)

Puts in her vote as someone who cares about Rosie's opinion.


Perhaps the gulls merely awakened the music that was already planted within Legolas. 

The sea longing seems to be associated with the Elves rather than the sea. If a man looks upon the sea he is inflicted with no such longing. Therefore we have to either assume that the longing only works on Elves which means there is something in the Elves that can hear the music that men can't or. . .that the music is within the Elves and the sea only awakens it.

Like how water brings a flower out of a seed.


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## Elfarmari (Sep 7, 2004)

HLGStrider said:


> Puts in her vote as someone who cares about Rosie's opinion.





HLGStrider said:


> Perhaps the gulls merely awakened the music that was already planted within Legolas.
> 
> The sea longing seems to be associated with the Elves rather than the sea. If a man looks upon the sea he is inflicted with no such longing. Therefore we have to either assume that the longing only works on Elves which means there is something in the Elves that can hear the music that men can't or. . .that the music is within the Elves and the sea only awakens it.
> 
> Like how water brings a flower out of a seed.


I completely agree. However, it seems that this seed was also planted in at least some of the Edain. Tuor, for example. In Unfinished Tales, we have the following:


> . . . he [Tuor] came suddenly to the black brink of Middle-earth, and saw the Great Sea, Belegaer the Shoreless. And at that hour the sun went down beyond the rim of the world, as a mighty fire; and Tuor stood alone upon the cliff with outspread arms, and a great yearning filled hi heart. It is said that he was the first of Men to reach the Great Sea, and that none, save the Eldar, have ever felt more deeply the longing that it brings.


 To me, this would imply that other Men have felt the longing for the sea, although not as strongly as Tuor. I've always attributed this longing to the mariners of the Numenoreans, and indeed most mariners.


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## HLGStrider (Sep 8, 2004)

In the Numenoreans (though not in Tuor) it could be explained by Elf blood and so still conform to my theory.


Tuor I will just ignore because he doesn't fit my theory. If anyone brings him up again, I will hit them with my stuffed leopard.


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## Elfarmari (Sep 8, 2004)

HLGStrider said:


> In the Numenoreans (though not in Tuor) it could be explained by Elf blood and so still conform to my theory.
> 
> 
> Tuor I will just ignore because he doesn't fit my theory. If anyone brings him up again, I will hit them with my stuffed leopard.


I agree with the Elf-blood theory, and feel the need to bring up Tuor again, even at risk of being hit with a stuffed leopard . .  Tuor was chosen by Ulmo to be his instrument, so I guess he could have somehow intervened and given Tuor this sea-longing as a means of bringing Tuor to Nevrast. And, it is 'sung' that Tuor was counted among the Eldar, hence becoming an Elf.

edit for typo


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## HLGStrider (Sep 9, 2004)

Casually hits Elffy with a stuffed leopard then congratulates him for being helpful enough to rid her of the Tuor problem.


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