[inglor]

have it or don't have it?

[Thuriniel]

You know, I have asked myself that question time after time. I think they would ... we know for certain that the males are "beardless as females" (don't ask me where that quote is ... the Sil maybe? all I know is that I've read it). And we know of Cirdan, who did have a beard, which makes me think that they had some bodily hair to certain extent.

Conclusion: in my humble opinion, I think they would have some .

[Moralanqua]

We (Panneth and I) came dangerously close to asking Craig Parker this very same question...

I think that in fandom, its split down the middle. I imagine they do have pubes but some think they cant. Testosterone etc....

[BittenBuggy]

Well, to me, 'hairless' means just that. No body hair whatsoever. Now whether I LIKE it or not, its what canon means to me

Personally, I say, bring on the pubes!

Oh oh! Mora! Did you grab Parker-ass? Huh huh?! And you SHOULD have asked him, I would've!

[queenoftheshire]

[Panneth]

[sindohte]

[Roisin]

I think the evolutionary purpose of pubic hair is probably to keep your privates warm, so that would indicate to me that Elves would have a little. They just wouldn't have facial hair.

I think I heard Tolkien screeching from his grave.

Roisin

[PoweroftheBook]

Hmmm...the subject of pubic and underarm hair came up some time ago in a biochemistry class of mine.

Some theories have put such hair as a way in which the body 'wicks out' pheremones that attract the correct type of mate. I tend to believe this, because I read up on a test study performed on about fifty men and fifty women. Each person was given a simple white T-shirt to wear for the next two weeks. They could not shower, shave, wear anything but the t-shirt, could not wash the t-shirt, could not wash hair, wear underarm deoderant, etc. After the two weeks were up, the T-shirts were collected, tagged, and separated into male and female groups.
The test subjects were then invited back to sniff the shirts of the opposite sex. They were then instructed (one at a time), to sniff all the shirts, and separate them into three groups - those that stank terribly, those that were rank but not quite as bad, and those that were the best, almost pleasant. After some genetic testing, it was determined that the best genetic matches for the majority of the test subjects were those that they had picked out as having shirts that smelled the best. The worst matches were generally those that had been designated as smelling the worst.

Myself, I'm all in favor of Elf pheremones.

I have also heard it speculated that pubic hair enhances the friction, and therefore the pleasure in copulation. Being a virgin, I can't confirm or deny this.

An Elf would have to attract a mate as much as any human would, and given all the speculation surrounding how Elves pick their mates, perhaps pheremones might play a role. And what better way to broadcast them (scientifically speaking) than a wicking effect?

Thoughts?

Regards,

The Power of the Book

[PoweroftheBook]

Oh, and Roisin?

I may be across the ocean in the States, but I can hear Tolkien wailing from here.

Regards,

The Power of the Book

[sindohte]

PoweroftheBook -

I think that horrific sound might be me screaming here on the East Coast as I find myself sucked into this discussion. I would have to say that Elves probably have very little hair covering their "certain selves" as a friend of mine would say in referring to the genital region. Elves, esp. male Elves just have to have a bit of hair or else they would look like freaking Barbie dolls or like the angels from the movie Dogma.

[PoweroftheBook]

Sindhote -

You may be right. After all, it's not like Legolas (Orlando Bloom) needed pheremones to garner the females that follow him.

I am also starting to feel a bit taken aback that I jumped into this thread so easily!

Regards,

The Power of the Book

[Andreth]

And here I thought Mora was the only one obsessed with Elf pubes. The actual quote concerning the 'hairlessness' in Elves is from Unfinished Tales, pg 247 in my first edition copy. Don't know about the later ones.

"It is written in December 1972 or later, and among the last writings of my father's on the subject of Middle-earth, there is a discussion of the Elvish strain in Men, as to its being observable in the beardlessness of those who were so descended (it was a characteristic of all Elves to be beardless); and it is here noted in connection with the princely house of Dol Amroth that 'this line had a special Elvish strain, according to its own legends'..."

So the actual quote is that Elves were *beardless* not *hairless*. As for Cirdan and his beard some think that the professor simply forgot he'd already given Cirdan a beard when he wrote the above text, but in Vinyar Tengwar #41 Tolkien said that Elves had no beards until their third cycle of life and that Mahtan, Feanor's father-in-law, was an exception to this because he had his beard in his second cycle. But then there is no mention anywhere else of what or how long these Elvish life cycles were.

So would Elves have pubes? I don't see why not. Orlando can't grow a beard and I bet he has pubes.

[Anna]

I can´t believe we´re discussing this! First elf weenies and now pubic hair! God, my mind belongs in the gutter...

I think the elves had pubic hair, just not so much of it. Perhaps a bit more 'downy' than the average human...
Besides, pubic hair isn´t just for wicking out pheremones, it serves as protection as well. Keeps dirt, dust etc out.

[Panneth]