June 13, 2003

Re: Immortality
Ar-pharazon

Eruvande, hope this helps.

Elrond was truly half-elven, the son of Earendil and Elwing. He and his brother Elros were given the choice of which race to belong to. Elrond chose to be an Elf and was given all the gifts of the Eldar. Elros chose to be a man. However, he and his decendants - the kings and queens of Numenor - were granted longer life than other men. Indeed, the Silmarillion states that the Edain were in all ways like the Eldar except for mortality.

Aragorn is a descendant of Elros and thus has some Elvish blood, but very little. About 6000 years passes from the death of Elros to the birth of Aragorn. However, Gandalf states that the blood of Numenor runs true in Aragorn, and he is more like the ancient kings of Numenor
than those before him.

The mother of Arwen, Elladan, and Elrohir is Celebrian, daughter of Galadrial and Celeborn. She left Middle Earth in the third age after being captured and tortured by Orcs (about 1000 years before the war of the ring). She was rescued by Elladan and Elrohir, but lost interest in Middle Earth and left for Valinor. Although technically, Elrond's children have more Elvish blood than that of men, they are also given the choice of the half-elven. Although it is never stated in LOTR, the Silmarillion, or Unfinished Tales, Tolkien hints that Elladan and Elrohir may also have chosen to be of mankind, due mostly for the love for Aragorn and their desire to continue to punish orcs for torturing their mother.

Elves could not give their mortality to a mortal. Arwen tells Frodo that she "gives" to him her place in Valinor. She is hoping that the Valar will grant her request, and allow Frodo to journey to Valinor. However, only the Valar can truly admit anyone to Valinor. The ring bearers are not granted mortality. Indeed, they are still mortal, and do not go to Valinor. They are allowed to sail to Tol Eressea, an island off the coast of Valinor inhabited by the Eldar and protected within the girdle of Valinor (considered part of the Blessed Realm). There the ring bearers are allowed to heal and live out their days. I assume that Gimili was also allowed to live out the remainder of his days at Tol Eressea. It is stated in the Appendices that Gimili was allowed in the Blessed Realm due to the petitions of Galadriel.