Arwen: Did she really choose to be of the Edain?

Hi!

Mark Edelstein schrieb:

> matjla....DeleteThis@gmail.com wrote:

>>Did Arwen *really* choose to be one of the Edain? Or did she just
>>choose to die?
>>I ask this because I notice that if Arwen really chose to be one of the
>>Edain, she would have died on the spot, being well over 2,000 years
>>old... or does a Half-Elf's human lifespan begin when they make the
>>chose to be of the Edain?

> I think the deal is Elrond's children got to decide whether they would
> be mortal (which really means they would die and go beyond Arda) rather
> then immortal and bound to Arda. It doesn't mean their years would
> suddenly catch up to them all at once. The grace is choice to really
> die, not which "species" one becomes.

But the point is: _When_ are they supposed to make their choice?
Concerning Arwen it seems that they are counted among the Elves (or at
least it's an indifferent "intermediate state" with similarity to the
elvish existence) until they finally decide where to belong to.
It's interesting that Arwen hadn't made up her mind yet when she met
Aragorn, for until that moment she shouldn't have had any reason to
become mortal, or maybe she'd known with foresight that the fate of
Luthien will be hers as well?
I wonder indeed if Arwen (as well as Luthien) had a real choice in that
matter. Somewhere it's stated (AFAIR in SIL) that the Two Children of
Illuvatar shouldn't wed unless for some higher purpose.

--
We will dance upon the water
We will walk upon the wind
We will tear down all the borders
Let the holy time begin (SPOCK'S BEARD)
 >> Stay informed about: Arwen: Did she really choose to be of the Edain? 

On Tue, 10 May 2005 19:43:09 -0500, Mark Edelstein wrote
(in article <1115772189.657978.153820.TakeThisOut@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>):

>
> matjla....TakeThisOut@gmail.com wrote:
>> Did Arwen *really* choose to be one of the Edain? Or did she just
>> choose to die?
>>
>> I ask this because I notice that if Arwen really chose to be one of
> the
>> Edain, she would have died on the spot, being well over 2,000 years
>> old... or does a Half-Elf's human lifespan begin when they make the
>> chose to be of the Edain?
>
>
> I think the deal is Elrond's children got to decide whether they would
> be mortal (which really means they would die and go beyond Arda) rather
> then immortal and bound to Arda. It doesn't mean their years would
> suddenly catch up to them all at once. The grace is choice to really
> die, not which "species" one becomes.

Except that Tolkien himself said that Elves and Humans were the same species
as evidenced by the fact that they could have viable offspring with each
other. The difference between the two was their fea (spirit).



---
Graham
 >> Stay informed about: Arwen: Did she really choose to be of the Edain?