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Tolkien thought
Jan. 9th, 2017 02:21 pmFirst, I am not the most highly educated person, don't have a high degree, but I do have curiosity. And I was listening to someone speaking about generational differences and that translated (naturally!) to me musing about how the Aman-born elves coped with the influx of so many different people.
And, if you are a canon scholar, please be gentle. I'm a layperson. I do this for my own entertainment and don't make a single dollar off it.
When the ban of the Valar was lifted a lot of Noldor sailed. That probably wans't so hard. They were Noldor, and if they weren't born in Aman, they likely had parent(s) who were and knew about life there.
But then you get the other kindreds. Silvan, Sindarin, Telerin (and yes, I know there are Teler in Aman, but the Falathrim were almost a people apart by then). And they brought with them all of their traditions and ways of thinking that must have been very different from those elves born in Aman. In M-e, you don't have the Valar right there. You don't have Maiar, at least not openly. You don't have the traditions of respect and stars only knows what other hundreds of traditions sprang up over the generations.
It all comes from this. Here, in America, we have a lot of different ethnic groups who moved here. Then you get the second generation who speak the language and understand both sides of the coin. My Dad was first generation Italian-American. He spoke both languages. His children do not speak Italian, don't know half the traditions of the old country and a lot of heritage was lost. We gained new traditions and I don't know....
I imagine that must be how it would be for the elves going to Aman for the first time. Everything would be odd, even if this is the place the Valar prepared for elves. They were born in M-e, raised there, for countless generations. It was home. It was where their ancestors awakened. It was the true, first Elvenhome. Of course, Cuivienen was gone, but still.
So how did they cope with all that new? All the traditions that weren't theirs. All the languages that they didn't know. All the places and memories and stories that were different and new and probably some very radical ideas about who and what the Valar were.
We're still learning in America how to deal with the changes. I find them fascinating and love to hear stories of how life was in a person's homeland and what traditions they had and still keep. But other people get threatened by change and worry it's changing the landscape of what they perceive as 'home'.
And, if you are a canon scholar, please be gentle. I'm a layperson. I do this for my own entertainment and don't make a single dollar off it.
When the ban of the Valar was lifted a lot of Noldor sailed. That probably wans't so hard. They were Noldor, and if they weren't born in Aman, they likely had parent(s) who were and knew about life there.
But then you get the other kindreds. Silvan, Sindarin, Telerin (and yes, I know there are Teler in Aman, but the Falathrim were almost a people apart by then). And they brought with them all of their traditions and ways of thinking that must have been very different from those elves born in Aman. In M-e, you don't have the Valar right there. You don't have Maiar, at least not openly. You don't have the traditions of respect and stars only knows what other hundreds of traditions sprang up over the generations.
It all comes from this. Here, in America, we have a lot of different ethnic groups who moved here. Then you get the second generation who speak the language and understand both sides of the coin. My Dad was first generation Italian-American. He spoke both languages. His children do not speak Italian, don't know half the traditions of the old country and a lot of heritage was lost. We gained new traditions and I don't know....
I imagine that must be how it would be for the elves going to Aman for the first time. Everything would be odd, even if this is the place the Valar prepared for elves. They were born in M-e, raised there, for countless generations. It was home. It was where their ancestors awakened. It was the true, first Elvenhome. Of course, Cuivienen was gone, but still.
So how did they cope with all that new? All the traditions that weren't theirs. All the languages that they didn't know. All the places and memories and stories that were different and new and probably some very radical ideas about who and what the Valar were.
We're still learning in America how to deal with the changes. I find them fascinating and love to hear stories of how life was in a person's homeland and what traditions they had and still keep. But other people get threatened by change and worry it's changing the landscape of what they perceive as 'home'.