[ArwenUndomiel]

Hey all,

I am trying to write a story about Legolas, and I want to make sure I get my facts right.

Firstly, does anybody know exactly how old he is? I have found a few different sources, and they all differ. Also, does he have any siblings? And is his mother still alive? I have never heard her mentioned.

Any other facts about Legolas that I could work into my story would also be appreciated. And even if I can't put them in my story, I still want to know!

[inglor]

The answer to all your questions is: The Prof Never Said.

We are not even sure exactly what color hair he had.

[Ilmatar]

Wikipedia offers a decent article to start with. You might also find some useful information if you go through old threads in the forum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legolas

[ArwenUndomiel]

Ok, thanks. I'll check the wikipedia link, hopefully I'll find something.

[Rhapsody]

Ever heard of Wikiality?

The professor never mentioned Legolas hair colour, it can be blonde, dark, red...

This might come close to something:

"Frodo looked up at the Elf standing tall above him, as he gazed into the night, seeking a mark to shoot at. His head was dark, crowned with sharp white stars that glittered in the black pools of the sky behind." The great river, Lord of the rings: The Fellowship of the ring

Sons don't necessarily have to inherit their father's hair colour.

Neither is a mother or siblings mentioned, all Tolkien said was that Legolas was Thrandruil's son and did not say sons.

[angelmariecloud]

We can only make guesses about Legolas' age. I know I tried to find info. Found a bio of him, but I am not sure about the acuracy of it. (Spelling, not my strong point) It doesn't mention anything about family, other than his father. Some people take this to mean that Legolas is an only child and that his mother is either dead or in the Grey Havens. No mention of him having a wife and kids either. So you are pretty much free to make him have siblings and a mother. Hair color is uncertain either. And no matter how many times I search the book, I can't find a description that tell us more than he was handsome. Handsome can mean so many things. But I am guessing that because of the time period that this is set in, he was a blonde. Fair people were usually blonde with blue eyes because this was rare. And I'd guess he's about 2,000 years old because he speaks of his youth like it was ages ago. If he says that the old forest make him feel young again, he couldn't be more than 2 milenia old. But hey, make him as old or as young as you want. You can make him 50, 500 or even 5,000. Just kidding on the 5,000. That would be too old.

[NierielRaina]

While much of the advice on this forum so far is true...I HIGHLY recommend that you read this article... http://www.istad.org/tolkien/legolas.html

There is much Tolkien did NOT say...but there is much he did and with a little deductive reasoning you can figure some of it out.

Tolkien says nothing about Legolas mother...but she wasn't part of the story...it would have been understood that she was at home doing needlework or such as was expected of elven women at that time (Arwen spent much time doing needle work) Remember Tolkien was very conservative and believed in traditional roles of men and women. He also told of the fate of Elrond's wife...I would assume if similar had affected Thranduil's wife he would have mentioned it...though maybe not.

Now, as to siblings and whether Legolas was married or not...I will quote from LACE (laws and customs of the eldar from Morgoth's ring volume 10 of the history of ME)

'The eldar wedded for the most part in their youth and soon after their fiftieth year. They had few children, but these were very dear to them. their families or houses, were held together by love and a deep feeling for kinship in mind and body and the children needed little governing or teaching. There were seldom more than four children in any house, and the number grew less as the ages passed; but even in days of old, while the Eldar were still few and eager to increase their kind, Feanor was renowned as the father of seven sons, and the histories still record none that surpass him.

The Eldar wedded once only in life, and for love or at the least by free will upon either part. Even when in after days, as the histories reveal, many of the Eldar in Middle-earth became corrupted, and their hearts darkened by the shadow that lies upon Arda, seldom is any tale told of deeds of lust among them.

Marriage, save for rare ill chances or strange fates, was the natural course of life for all the Eldar...."

So it is very possible Legolas had siblings, though not many...it's also not only possible, but very PROBABLE that he was MARRIED!!! Arwen is one that the prof pointed out had a strange fate...as she did not marry at the usual time of life and married a mortal. There are only 3 such couplings in the history of middle earth...and Legolas was not one of them *Grin*

Here are some other sites i would suggest you check out...
http://www.ansereg.com/what_tolkien_officially_said_abo.htm
http://www.istad.org/tolkien/legolas.html
http://www.tuckborough.net/legolas.html

Hope that helps! just remember a lot of stuff out there if FANON...not canon! *grin*
NiRi

[Rhapsody]

[NierielRaina]

Notice i didn't say WAS married...but very probable ...I would never make a definite statement when Tolkien himself did not specify...However, I'm quite aware that not all elves married but when it says in short that marriage was pretty much the norm for elves, I think you should put some stock in that too.

I get tired of it being assumed Legolas was single simply because there is no mention of a wife. Thranduil's wife is never mentioned either...she just wasn't important to the story... it irks me because if you dare say Legolas MIGHT have been married, OMG that's NOT canon! - sorry...i think it could go either way...it's the same as those who assume Legolas was young for an elf (and I am in this camp) but he could very well have been born in the first age as no date is given for his birth and we have dates for every other member of the Fellowship...

I was only trying to point out that we don't KNOW a lot about Legolas and to try to help people see there are other possibilities than the widely accepted fanon...Technically, he would NOT have had the title of PRINCE either as princes were rulers under a king NOT sons of the king, yet that is widely accepted too (and I admit I use it as well )

Ok oK...I'm getting all in a huff over something stupid...sorry...I'll get off my soapbox now...I just think people should consider that he COULD have been married and it could still be considered canon...I was also trying to point out that elves did not have many children...
I think those sites I listed are much better than I to give the facts anyway...

NiRi

[Rhapsody]

In canon there is so much room to write than to blindly follow fanon and to follow 'standards' that stand so far off Tolkiens world, words & intentions. But I prefer to take a canon fact and write a story around it. Each to their own I guess.

[Jael]

[Ningloreth]

Jael wrote:

[Jael]

[Ningloreth]

Jael wrote: