December 20, 2002

Elrond's Age
Brett C.

Good question, Lady of Rohan. Questions that make you look things up are always more enjoyable.

Elrond was born in the First Age just prior to the War of Wrath and, I believe, after the Fall of Gondolin, based on the info in the Silmarillion and his references in the Council of Elrond to remembering the banners of the Elves at the destruction of Angband and having seen three ages of the world.

It says in Appendix B that Elros died in 442 of the Second Age. We know that he lived to be 500 years old when he 'laid down his life' [Unfinished Tales p218]. 500 take away 442 leaves 58, so Elros and Elrond [they were twins, weren't they?] were born 58 years before the destruction of Morgoth's realm in the War of Wrath and the subsequent end of the First Age.

The Second Age lasted 3,441 years and the Third Age 3,021 years [ROTK Appendix B]. Add these together and then throw in the 58 years he lived during the First Age and you get Elrond's Age at the time of his departure from the Grey Havens at 6,520 years [or, if you prefer, 6,518 years at the time of the Council of Elrond in FOTR].