LotR bunny bits
Would you believe that "The History of Middle-Earth, Volume X - Morgoth's Ring" is a bunny farm? I wouldn't have, but it is.
Quotes & notes found
Page 207ff, Laws and Customs among the Eldar
"The Eldar wedded only once in life, and for love or at the least by free will upon either part. Even when in after days, as the histories reveal, many of the Eldar became corrupted, and their hearts darkened by the shadow that lies upon Arda, seldom is any tale told of deeds of lust among them." (p210)
Footnote to above: "Text 'A' has: The Eldar wedded once for all. Many ... could become estranged from good, for nothing can wholly escape from the evil shadow that lies upon Arda. Some fell into pride, and self-will, and could be guilty of deeds of malice, enmity, greed and jealousy. But among all these evils there is no record of any among the Elves that took another's spouse by force; for this was wholly against their nature, and one so forced would have rejected bodily life and passed to Mandos. Guile or trickery in this matter was scarcely possible (even if it could be thought that any Elf would purpose to use it); for the Eldar can read at once in the eyes and voice of another of they be wed or unwed."
P212: "It was the act of bodily union that achieved marriage, and after which the indissoluble bond was complete. ... it was at all times lawful for any of the Eldar, both being unwed, to marry thus of free consent one to another without ceremony or witness (save blessings exchanged and the naming of the Name [Eru]); and the union so joined was alike indissoluble.
"As for the begetting and bearing of children: a year passes between the begetting and the birth of an elf-child, so the days of both are the same or nearly so, and it is the day of begetting that is remembered year by year."
P213: " For with regard to generation the power and the will are not among the Eldar distinguishable. Doubtless they would retain for many ages the power of generation, if the will and desire were not satisfied; but with the exercise of the power the desire soon ceases, and the mind turns to other things. The union of love is indeed to them a great delight and joy ..."
P221: "For all the Eldar, being aware of it in themselves, spoke of the passing of much strength, both of mind and of body, into their children, in bearing and begetting. Therefore they hold that the [fe:a - spirit, personality], though unbegotten, draws nourishment from the parents before the birth of the child: directly from the [fe:a] of the mother while she bears and nourishes the [hrondo - body, flesh], and mediately but equally from the father, whose [fe:a] is bound in union with the mother's and supports it. ... the [fe:ar] of the wedded is not broken by distance of place ..."
And there are interesting things about exchanging rings and sane things about remaining separate people with separate skills and interests, even though united.
Intersect this with the hormonal force of the ravening fangirls (the inspiration for Teanna's "Viagraquenta" halfway down the page, a conversation about m-preg, the canon deep friendship between Legolas and Gimli, and my own penchant for doing terrible things to my favorite characters....
I was reading on the way to the Symphony, and it was very much in my brain while I was listening (and wishing I had remembered to bring in a pen with me) so: ambiance includes Stravinsky's 'Scherzo a la Russe', Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto and Shostakovitch's 15th symphony.
Get off my ankle, damnit! (it's not going, can you tell?)
Anyone got a spare Legolas icon I can have?
Quotes & notes found
Page 207ff, Laws and Customs among the Eldar
"The Eldar wedded only once in life, and for love or at the least by free will upon either part. Even when in after days, as the histories reveal, many of the Eldar became corrupted, and their hearts darkened by the shadow that lies upon Arda, seldom is any tale told of deeds of lust among them." (p210)
Footnote to above: "Text 'A' has: The Eldar wedded once for all. Many ... could become estranged from good, for nothing can wholly escape from the evil shadow that lies upon Arda. Some fell into pride, and self-will, and could be guilty of deeds of malice, enmity, greed and jealousy. But among all these evils there is no record of any among the Elves that took another's spouse by force; for this was wholly against their nature, and one so forced would have rejected bodily life and passed to Mandos. Guile or trickery in this matter was scarcely possible (even if it could be thought that any Elf would purpose to use it); for the Eldar can read at once in the eyes and voice of another of they be wed or unwed."
P212: "It was the act of bodily union that achieved marriage, and after which the indissoluble bond was complete. ... it was at all times lawful for any of the Eldar, both being unwed, to marry thus of free consent one to another without ceremony or witness (save blessings exchanged and the naming of the Name [Eru]); and the union so joined was alike indissoluble.
"As for the begetting and bearing of children: a year passes between the begetting and the birth of an elf-child, so the days of both are the same or nearly so, and it is the day of begetting that is remembered year by year."
P213: " For with regard to generation the power and the will are not among the Eldar distinguishable. Doubtless they would retain for many ages the power of generation, if the will and desire were not satisfied; but with the exercise of the power the desire soon ceases, and the mind turns to other things. The union of love is indeed to them a great delight and joy ..."
P221: "For all the Eldar, being aware of it in themselves, spoke of the passing of much strength, both of mind and of body, into their children, in bearing and begetting. Therefore they hold that the [fe:a - spirit, personality], though unbegotten, draws nourishment from the parents before the birth of the child: directly from the [fe:a] of the mother while she bears and nourishes the [hrondo - body, flesh], and mediately but equally from the father, whose [fe:a] is bound in union with the mother's and supports it. ... the [fe:ar] of the wedded is not broken by distance of place ..."
And there are interesting things about exchanging rings and sane things about remaining separate people with separate skills and interests, even though united.
Intersect this with the hormonal force of the ravening fangirls (the inspiration for Teanna's "Viagraquenta" halfway down the page, a conversation about m-preg, the canon deep friendship between Legolas and Gimli, and my own penchant for doing terrible things to my favorite characters....
I was reading on the way to the Symphony, and it was very much in my brain while I was listening (and wishing I had remembered to bring in a pen with me) so: ambiance includes Stravinsky's 'Scherzo a la Russe', Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto and Shostakovitch's 15th symphony.
Get off my ankle, damnit! (it's not going, can you tell?)
Anyone got a spare Legolas icon I can have?