Sunday, December 13, 2009

Please take my Poll on Elves and Gender Issues!

And please also post evidence for it in the comments to this post.

8 comments:

Old Fashioned Liberal said...

Slender bodies, status as loremasters, affinity for the "weak" weapons (bows, etc.), litheness, not strength, is most notable, skill with words and music, sensitivity for the supernatural

Their more magical nature would allow them to transcend their sex far more easily than such a thing would be for a human. This would make them both more masculine and more feminine.

Ancient Greek Philosopher said...

I agree. I was going to vote the same as you, but I hadn't read the Silmarilion in years.

BTW, what do you think you are doing anyway, OFL??? We already had a 50+ comment post on this sort of thing.

Old Fashioned Liberal said...

On elves and gender...I don't remember. Besides, one of the seminarians disagrees, and I think he's WRONG!!!!! :)


Oh yes...he's almost never wrong, so I try to catch him any way I can. :)

Old Fashioned Liberal said...

I do rememver other things and gender, just not elves.

Marie Simas said...

Hey, they might be effeminate, but I still ove them!

Ancient Greek Philosopher said...

Well, I think you won, OFL.

Old Fashioned Liberal said...

He needs proofs!!!!

Unknown said...

I don't believe any of Tolkien's works try to convey that his elves are effeminate or have confusion about their gender. First, there are several sub-species of elves and they all have different characteristics. If you have read the Silmarillion, I think you will find that there is nothing "feminine" about the male elves. To care for nature or others, to be intellectual, does not make one effeminate. Just as a female elve adept in bow or swordplay should not be seen as a manly elf.

Whether they used swords or bows had more to do with their environments, than their masculinity. They are elves, therefore different than man, and that is a good thing.