May 29, 2003

Response to Niphredil
Tomas

I think the reason for the mortality of Arwen may be found in the "Appendix A". On pg 1096 there is a conversation between Elrond and Aragorn (age 20) after his first encounter with Arwen. Here follows an excerpt:

"But as for Arwen the Fair, Lady of Imladris and of Lórien, Evenstar of her people, she is of lineage greater than yours, and she has lived in the world already so long that to her you are but a yearling shoot beside a young birch of many summers. She is too far above you. And so I think, it may well seem to her. But even if it were not so, and her heart turned towards you, I shall still be grieved because of the doom that is laid on us"
"What is that doom ? said Aragorn.
"That so long as I abide here, she shall live with the youyh of Eldar" answered Elrond "and when I depart, she shall go with me, if she chooses"

This seems to indicate that the children of Elrond have to live in his vicinity in order to gain the everlasting life that Elrond gained all those years before when he and Elros made their choices.