Post by Laurasia on Oct 11, 2005 19:48:02 GMT -5
Hello everyone.
I have submitted a new article to the "Parish Garden" newsletter for the www.alt-tolkien.com website. These are the people who featured our little corner of the internet in the on-line magazine "Middle-Earth Reunion" earlier this year. By the way, the new edition of the newsletter has just come out so stop over there to read the rest of it as well.
Anyway, this is a copy of the article that I submitted. It was written from a place deep within my heart & I am really looking forward to discussing with others here so feel free to comment if you're moved to do so. ;D And, no, I do not mind if our Elvish members respond. You should all know me well enough by now that I don't mean any offense with my words.
"'What of the Races of Men from Middle-Earth?'
by Laurasia
It is a bit disheartening to see so much of a spotlight focused on the Elves of Middle-Earth [sic], while the other Races seem to elicit little consideration. I find this to especially be the case concerning the Races of Men.
It seems as though some of the people I've spoken with consider the Races of Men to be somewhat "beneath them". As though the Men of Numenor, Gondor or Rohan were almost meaningless to the history of Middle-Earth. As though they were a mistake of Illuvatar's.
Which brings me to another thought ... What about those who are Half-Elven? Could their very existence be the effect of Elvish / Men unions, such as those by Aragorn / Arwen, Eomer / Lothiriel, etc?
Why are people so eager to dismiss their mortal roots for their Elvish ones? Is not the history of the Numenorians, Gondorians or the Rohirrim spectacular enough in their own rights? Is their worth lessened because they are not Elvish? I think not.
While I do love the Elvish Races and appreciate fully what they stand for and represent, I can't help but feel a bit dismayed by the fact that such "snobbery" seems to occur regarding the Races Men. With everything that some people with Elvish backgrounds remember, they seem to have forgotten that Elves alone did not dwell in or protect Middle-Earth. Without the blood of Men, Middle-Earth may have very well fallen to the Dark Lord.
While Men are not immortal and are definately more flawed in nature than the Elves, these are also the things that make great Men what they are. Our fragileness, our weaknesses and the ability to act in ways that defy both.
I long for the day when I can see people that are descended from / reincarnated from the Races of Men of Middle-Earth represented just as greatly as those that are from the Elvish Races. For without them and their sacrifices, many of us would not be here to remember Middle-Earth in the first place.
~Laurasia~"
Sincerely,
Laurasia
I have submitted a new article to the "Parish Garden" newsletter for the www.alt-tolkien.com website. These are the people who featured our little corner of the internet in the on-line magazine "Middle-Earth Reunion" earlier this year. By the way, the new edition of the newsletter has just come out so stop over there to read the rest of it as well.
Anyway, this is a copy of the article that I submitted. It was written from a place deep within my heart & I am really looking forward to discussing with others here so feel free to comment if you're moved to do so. ;D And, no, I do not mind if our Elvish members respond. You should all know me well enough by now that I don't mean any offense with my words.
"'What of the Races of Men from Middle-Earth?'
by Laurasia
It is a bit disheartening to see so much of a spotlight focused on the Elves of Middle-Earth [sic], while the other Races seem to elicit little consideration. I find this to especially be the case concerning the Races of Men.
It seems as though some of the people I've spoken with consider the Races of Men to be somewhat "beneath them". As though the Men of Numenor, Gondor or Rohan were almost meaningless to the history of Middle-Earth. As though they were a mistake of Illuvatar's.
Which brings me to another thought ... What about those who are Half-Elven? Could their very existence be the effect of Elvish / Men unions, such as those by Aragorn / Arwen, Eomer / Lothiriel, etc?
Why are people so eager to dismiss their mortal roots for their Elvish ones? Is not the history of the Numenorians, Gondorians or the Rohirrim spectacular enough in their own rights? Is their worth lessened because they are not Elvish? I think not.
While I do love the Elvish Races and appreciate fully what they stand for and represent, I can't help but feel a bit dismayed by the fact that such "snobbery" seems to occur regarding the Races Men. With everything that some people with Elvish backgrounds remember, they seem to have forgotten that Elves alone did not dwell in or protect Middle-Earth. Without the blood of Men, Middle-Earth may have very well fallen to the Dark Lord.
While Men are not immortal and are definately more flawed in nature than the Elves, these are also the things that make great Men what they are. Our fragileness, our weaknesses and the ability to act in ways that defy both.
I long for the day when I can see people that are descended from / reincarnated from the Races of Men of Middle-Earth represented just as greatly as those that are from the Elvish Races. For without them and their sacrifices, many of us would not be here to remember Middle-Earth in the first place.
~Laurasia~"
Sincerely,
Laurasia
