July 14, 2003

Age of Legolas
Elfowitz

Sorry Tinnowien, but there is nothing to suggest that Legolas is only 500 years old from the books. At Edoras, Legolas says to the others, "Five Hundred times have the red leaves fallen in Mirkwood in my home since [the golden hall was built] then and but a little while does that seem to us". So to Legolas, 500 years is 'a little while'. If there are any other references to 500 years in the book then please humiliate me but I can't think of any. It was Peter Jackson who came up with 2,931 I think and that sounds right based on Arwen's confirmed age of 2,780 from the appendices. As both Elrond and Thranduil fought at Dagorlad (over 3000 years ago) it would seem likely that their children would be close in age, give or take a century or two.