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The Fading of Elves

In The Rings of Power universe

·         Every Elf is imbued with the light of Valinor

·         Over many centuries, this blessed illumination fades away and, if allowed to extinguish, the Elves will fade along with it.

·         Gil-galad says the decay of Lindon's trees reflects an "inner reality" which Gil-galad describes as the "light of the Eldar fading"

·         If this blight isn't halted, Middle-earth's Elves will diminish completely, and The Rings of Power presents this fate as tantamount to dying.

·         The discovery of mithril by the Dwarves containing the light of the Two Trees of Valinor from a Silmaril will halt this decline

From Tolkien’s Lore

·         Only some Elves spent time in Valinor and were enriched with the light of the Two Trees

·         Elves were composed of two components: spirit (fëar) and body (hröa)

·         While the fëar would last until the end of time, the Elven hröa would (very, very slowly) grow wearier. The time frame here is over millennia. Galadriel is 8,000 years old when she leaves Middle-earth

·         Elves who remained in Middle-earth until the Fourth Age and refused the return to Valinor would fade away completely, remaining immortal, just formless

·         Returning to the Undying Lands the Elves' hröa would age "apace with the fëar," thereby maintaining their immortality and form

·         Men are fated to inherit the world and the Elves fade. The Three Elvish Rings, made using the knowledge given by Sauron, were intended to slow this inevitable fade

Ref: ‘Morgoth's Ring’, History of Middle-earth, The Silmarillon, Sreeenrant

Artwork:PrimeVideo, NewLine Cinema/WingNut Films

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