Tolkien: What was life like for the lesser elves?

[Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.]

And by that I don't mean the Sindar or dark elves or whatever. I mean the non-king, non-prince, non-great craftsmen in each group of elves. Someone had to dust the carvings and grow elf food and shovel elf crap and stuff like that. That was true of dwarves and men of course, as it is for men now, but at least those poor bastards could look forward to raising a family, a few decades of laughs and finally the sweet, sweet release of death.

If star elves like Galadriel eventually tired of life in Middle Earth things must have really sucked for Galadriel's handmaiden and Lothlorien's assistant plumber, yes? Anytime there came a battle with Sauron I'd be begging to be in the first row of the attack.

Does Tolkien talk about this at all or does he exclusively focus on the great ones?

[Argyle Sock]

They lived in hollow trees and baked cookies.

[Annoying Retard Nonny]

wot is token

[Chacoguy]

Originally Posted by Annoying Retard Nonny

wot is token

It's a 420 thing, like baked cookies.

[Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.]

Godammitsomuch! That was spelled right on preview.

But my point stands. If you or I ended up being cookie bakers, that's pretty cool. Sure, you're not a King or among the very wise, but that's a good, honerable, human life. Marry a good mate, raise a family, live long enough to spoil the grandchildren and then pass to the next plane.

But imagine being the cookie maker for four thousand years. OK, maybe after a thousand you invent lembas bread and get your praises sung for a couple hundred years. Every millennium or so you get to go kill orcs. But even that has to get boring in a world with no technological change. "Charmed swords? Again? Make with the gunpowder already."

It just seems like immortality would really suck if you weren't on the leading edge of things.

[Chacoguy]

Originally Posted by Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.

It just seems like immortality would really suck if you weren't on the leading edge of things.

Hell, there's folks that are Rich and Famous that can't manage to make it 40 years in this life; and these are folks that haven't had to face anything as problematic as evil, just regular boredom and narcissism.

[Rebo]

Originally Posted by Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.

Godammitsomuch! That was spelled right on preview.

I fixed your thread title.

[Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.]

Thank you.

[eleanorigby]

I'm thinking life was pretty damned good. Think of the elves who were on duty the night the dwarves and Bilbo escaped in the barrels. Those elves were tipsy, then drunk as lords. They didn't seem to worried about being caught on-duty three sheets to the wind and all.

So they didn't have fame and glamour--they were elves. Their lives were good be definition.

[Khampelf]

Originally Posted by Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.

It just seems like immortality would really suck if you weren't on the leading edge of things.

Not this.

Originally Posted by eleanorigby

So they didn't have fame and glamour--they were elves. Their lives were good be definition.

This.

Bits of magic make even mundane work fun.

Basically, everything is fun when you're an elf. You can't look at things like a human does. Humans are insecure and driven by odd notions centered on the esteem of others. Elves are more self-sufficient.

[Dragonlady]

What do YOU know about it?

You are no "lesser elf"!

[Khampelf]

Sure I am.

I'll tell anyone "Just lesser elf go and enjoy life!"

[Glazer]

Originally Posted by Khampelf

Sure I am.

I'll tell anyone "Just lesser elf go and enjoy life!"

[jayjay]

They're ELVES, ya know? It's like being the 1% instead of the .01%...you're not as rich and powerful as Willasim Ennyn but you're not some grubby Dunlending churl, either.

[sturmhauke]

Even the lowliest elven shit-shoveler can shovel it faster, pack it down better, and leave the place smelling rosier than the best royal gardeners in Minas Tirith. And they can still kick some orc ass in their spare time.