Schuldgefühle der Elben

[Gast Carlem]

Was zum Ausschlachten:

Hier einige Überlegungen zu den Ringen / den Ringträgern die in

der Uni FFM im Rahmen der Veranstaltung "Transcultural Tolkien" angestellt wurden.

Der beigefügte Text (leider in Englisch da es eine Anglistik-Veranstaltung war) unter dem Titel

"Paying off their dues – The Elves and the Three Rings of Power" fasst die Überlegungen zusammen die

wir darüber angestellt haben WARUM die Elben sich "schuldig fühlen" für die Geschehenisse die mit den magischen Ringen in Verbindung stehen und WIE sie darauf reagieren (müssen)

In introducing the 3 elvish ringbearers we also introduced three different kinds of

being elvish (elvishness). Those different kinds of elvishness are also fundamental for

their feeling of responsibility towards the other free people of Middle-Earth because

there was one who exploited their elvishness and used it against them - Sauron, the dark

lord of Mordor, the bearer of the one ring who, as we have already heard, played an

essential part in the forging of the rings of power.

Sauron knew that the firstborn had the greater power of Iluvatars children and he knew that

they were aware of this. After the War of Wrath and the end of the first age many of the

Eldar sailed back to Valinor/Tol Eressa but many stayed on Middle-Earth for various reasons.

Some of the elves wouldn't go back to Valinor because they didn't want to abandon their

existance as "superior beings" among Iluvatars children, and those who felt that the elves

still had their place on Middle-Earth had to face one important issue concerning them:

Their fading.

The mighty kingdoms of old had faded ... Gondolin, Doriath and Nargothrond were no more, and living in the desolate lands that recounted many an heroic deed of their kin -

fading became a main issue amongst the elves and they started to wish they could preserve their power in order to expand "the time of the elves".

This wish became ever stronger the more years passed by, until Sauron came, offering to them

the ultimate tool for "warding off the decays of time and postpone the weariness of the world", and they accepted it gladly.

But Sauron’s plan didn't work out the way he wanted it to. The elves noticed that there was a

ruling ring and he made war on Eriador and reclaimed all of the rings of power he could in order to distribute them to the other children of Iluvatar. Once again Middle-Earth was surrounded by darkness and this time the elves felt responsible, for the rings were made for them (and by them).

With the help of the 3 unsullied rings forged by Celebrimbor they set up the last 3 elvish

strongholds on Middle-Earth: Imladris, Lothlorien and the Grey Havens under their leaders Elrond "Half-Elven", Galadriel and Cirdan the shipwright.

After the end of the 2nd Age the 3 elven strongholds remained in the background, not acting openly anymore in Middle-Earth, wielding wisdom rather than weapons. Of course the destruction of Sauron was still the main motive for staying on Middle-Earth but each of elven bearers of the unsullied rings had an own specific motive for staying.

Elrond commited himself to the preparation of the "coming of men", Galadriel reigned her own kingdom until she was able to overcome her "elvish pride" and Cirdan assured that there would always be a ship at the Havens until the last elf on Middle-Earth had passed over into the west.

During the third age the ringbearers became conscious of the fact that the fading of the elves was in itself an inevitable condition for the new ages to come since the destruction of Sauron also meant the destruction of their three rings and therewith the end of their individual power.

The bearers of the 3 elven rings knew that it was now time to overcome their "elvish pride" and to take into consideration that the fate of Middle-Earth was now “no longer only in their hands”. The only way of being able to end Sauron’s reign was to "become transcultural", to work together with the other free people of Middle-Earth as they had done for the last time in the Battle of Dagorlad. And they had the feeling that this was their responsibility.

This time their feeling of responsibility was justified, since they had the greatest transcultural background, reaching back into the time of their awakening at lake Cuivienen when they first encountered the Valar.

The engaging in certain modes of transculturality can be seen clearly at the point when Galadriel gives the strand of her hair to Gimli, a member of the race that her people had fought terrible wars against. Another example for the overcoming of the elvish pride is the sending of the fellowship on the quest and therewith laying Middle-Earth’s destiny in the hand of the small people.

The elves being the "transcultural archives" of Middle-Earth could recount from many transcultural clashes during Middle-Earths history and this is again a reason why only the elves were able to engage in the actions the way they did – being transcultural the way the elves are, required of course the “having-been-transcultural”.

The transcultural acts that the elven ringbearers perform show that they accepted the fact that the “destruction of the rings and therewith the destruction of their power on Middle Earth was a condition for the end of Sauron’s reign. Of course this meant for them having to play a controlling role in the quest that would amplify their fading.

Accepting this and helping the other people “to help their selves” – can be seen as the last transcultural act they do “to pay off their deeds” before the age of men begins.

by Carlem Deoreg

PS: Rechtschreibfehler dürft ihr behalten...Was die Form betrifft...sorry *g*