LOTR question (books): why were the Elves such cowards?

[Vympel]

What made the Elves leave Middle Earth? Why didn't they stay to help men? I don't remember if there was any acceptable explanation in the books, I clearly remember thinking to myself that they were just a pack of cowards who had lost their nerve, with the exception of a few (Legolas).

[Keevan_Colton]

I'd say it's summed up well with Elrond.
They've reached apathy, to them, humans keep fucking and as a people they're sick of bailing them out.

[Darth Wong]

Good thing modern police officers don't have that attitude.

[SyntaxVorlon]

Modern police don't live forever in luxuriant cities and forest enclaves.

[Vympel]

I'd say it's summed up well with Elrond.
They've reached apathy, to them, humans keep fucking and as a people they're sick of bailing them out.

Did Elrond say that? Sauron and the Orcs certainly don't have anything to do with humans- yes Isildur failed several thousand years ago, what excuse is that to leave all of Middle Earth at the mercy of Mordor and Isengard in the Third Age? It just doesn't make sense. It seems to me they just wanted to run away from their problems and ponce off to greener pastures and pretend Sauron isn't there.

[septesix]

Well, clearly you don't remember the books very well. Or at least, you didn't bother checking the appendies anyway.

Elrond didn't say anything about the elves leaving until the very end, after the war was over. Sure, we saw ONE instance of elves seemly leaving middle-earth at the very beginning, But we were also told that Lorien was fighting against the force in Dol Guldur(sp?), so that Theoden can safely ride to Gondor without coming back to a razed Rohan. The Elves of Mirkwood, where Legolas come from, was fighting with the Dwraves of the Lonely mountain and Men of the Dales against Easterlings. Rivendell itself was holding back the orcs of Moria. Cirdan at Grey Heaven is too far away from any of the actual fighting to do anyhting.

That is a quick breakdown of ALL the elves on Middle-earth at tthe time of the War and what they did. None of them run away, the main story just never went where their action took place.

[CJvR]

The main reason the elves vere leaving had nothing to do with Sauron or men but rather it was a result of the will of the Valar. During the entire second age there were powerful elven kingdoms in Middleearth. The great exodus didn't seem to start until the fall of Numenore, it was probably then that the Valar realized that it would never work having the immortal elves and mortal men coexisting after Melkor put fear of death into the hearts of men. IIRC Legolas himself remarks that once he heard the cries of seabirds he was gripped by the urge to go into the west - that has Valar manipulation written all over it. It was also nice to see that the last surviving of the Noldor rebel leaders was pardoned and allowed to go west, although she had to pass the test of the one ring first.

[septesix]

The main reason the elves vere leaving had nothing to do with Sauron or men but rather it was a result of the will of the Valar. During the entire second age there were powerful elven kingdoms in Middleearth. The great exodus didn't seem to start until the fall of Numenore, it was probably then that the Valar realized that it would never work having the immortal elves and mortal men coexisting after Melkor put fear of death into the hearts of men. IIRC Legolas himself remarks that once he heard the cries of seabirds he was gripped by the urge to go into the west - that has Valar manipulation written all over it. It was also nice to see that the last surviving of the Noldor rebel leaders was pardoned and allowed to go west, although she had to pass the test of the one ring first.

Sorry , wrong again. The great Exodus started when the Valars first found the Elves to be awaken. They believe that it's better if they provide these beings who are stuck in Middle-Earth forever a nice place to live, and so they start leading them across the land and sea to Valinor.

Later rebel Noldor came back to Middle-Earth and lead the war against Morgoth, when Morgoth was finally defeated, the Valar lift the ban against those rebel and a great majority of them choose to go back then. This was at the beginning of the 2nd age, when Numenore was newly founded.

Still, even with the choice of going to "heaven", some elves decide to stay and help the men of Middle-Earth, or just Middle-Earth. They are elves like Elrond and Cirdan. It's less clear why Galadrial didn't went back at once. During the next 6 thousands years of 2nd and 3r4d age, some elves were still trikling back to Valinor , but not many.

Finally at the end of the 3rd age, after the war of the ring, the elves decided that the time of Men has come, and they have to yield the world to them, and decided to pack up and leave..

[CJvR]

Sorry , wrong again. The great Exodus started when the Valars first found the Elves to be awaken. They believe that it's better if they provide these beings who are stuck in Middle-Earth forever a nice place to live, and so they start leading them across the land and sea to Valinor.

Yeah, but I never counted the original migration of the Elves, nor do I think it was originaly intended but rather a result of the Valar's desire to protect the elves from the dangers Melkor had unleached into the world. The Elves were never predestined to hang around in Valinor but it was the safest place for them.

Still, even with the choice of going to "heaven", some elves decide to stay and help the men of Middle-Earth, or just Middle-Earth. They are elves like Elrond and Cirdan. It's less clear why Galadrial didn't went back at once. During the next 6 thousands years of 2nd and 3r4d age, some elves were still trikling back to Valinor , but not many.

The Elves decided to stay for their own reasons, all their human allies went into isolationist exile on Numenor and would remain there for a long time. Galadriel remained mostly because she still wanted to rule.

Finally at the end of the 3rd age, after the war of the ring, the elves decided that the time of Men has come, and they have to yield the world to them, and decided to pack up and leave..

IIRC the elven kingdoms were emptied in less than a century after the fall of Barad Dur so most of the Elves remaining at the end of the third age probably did so out of a desire to go the distance with their ancient enemies.

[Johonebesus]

The main reason they left was because the world was moving on. Elves didn't like change. Their whole motivation throughout the third age was to preserve the world from change. The fourth age was the age of man and of change, and the elves were simply left behind. Most left because they just didn't have a place in Middle Earth anymore. Not all left, and those that remained were diminished, though exactly how is unclear. Early on Tolkien seemed to have the idea that elves literally shrank over the millennia to become modern fairies, but more probable is that they just became less present in the real world. There is a nice scene where Frodo sees Gandalf, Galadriel, and Fanghorn "talking," and to him they appear to be motionless statues, or even natural rocks. This suggests that such may be how we see elves today.

Legolas' desire was a remnant of the initial invitation of the Valar. All elves hear the call of the sea, and always did right from the time Ulmo called them to the West. There is no indication that the Valar made any great decision that the elves must come West after the Third Age.

To the original poster, don't confuse Jackson's Elrond with the original. Elrond did not show such disgust towards humanity in the novel. He just saw that the elves' time was up, and he just ruled a tiny remnant of the Noldor anyway. He didn’t have the manpower to send a mighty army, and what forces he had would be needed if Sauron won. The elves would certainly flee as fast as they could if Galadriel and Elrond perceived that Sauron had recovered the ring, and someone would need to defend the last refugees.

[Mayabird]

The main reason they left was because the world was moving on. Elves didn't like change. Their whole motivation throughout the third age was to preserve the world from change. The fourth age was the age of man and of change, and the elves were simply left behind.

Actually, it's more that elves CANNOT change. It's in The Silmarillion in the story "Of the Beginning of Days": "Therefore he willed that the hearts of Men should seek beyond the world and should find no rest therein; but they should have a virtue to shape their life, amid the powers and chances of the world, beyond the Music of Ainur, which is fate to all things else." (Boldface is my own addition).

The Music of Ainur was the creation of the world. Elves have a bound fate (though it is not yet known) that they cannot change, and they realize this. They can live forever, but will know that in the end there is only so much they can do, and they will be limited to that. Whereas, humans are unlimited in the things they can do; they indeed do leave elves behind as they change.

Elrond is actually half-elven. He had a brother Elros, and they were forced to decide whether they were elven or human. Elros (who is Aragorn's VERY distant ancestor) chose to be human. Why? Because then he would not be bound to the elven fate. He would die, true, but that's the price he would pay to be able to change.

[Mayabird]

Actually, it's more that elves CANNOT change. It's in The Silmarillion in the story "Of the Beginning of Days": "Therefore he willed that the hearts of Men should seek beyond the world and should find no rest therein; but they should have a virtue to shape their life, amid the powers and chances of the world, beyond the Music of Ainur, which is fate to all things else." (Boldface is my own addition).

D'oh, I meant my own emphasis. Could one of the moderators please fix that for me (and delete this post)?

[Drooling Iguana]

What made the Elves leave Middle Earth? Why didn't they stay to help men? I don't remember if there was any acceptable explanation in the books, I clearly remember thinking to myself that they were just a pack of cowards who had lost their nerve, with the exception of a few (Legolas).

It was the smell. They felt saturated by it...

Elrond is actually half-elven. He had a brother Elros, and they were forced to decide whether they were elven or human. Elros (who is Aragorn's VERY distant ancestor) chose to be human.

Does that mean that Aragorn married his cousin?

[Joe]

What made the Elves leave Middle Earth? Why didn't they stay to help men? I don't remember if there was any acceptable explanation in the books, I clearly remember thinking to myself that they were just a pack of cowards who had lost their nerve, with the exception of a few (Legolas).

It was the smell. They felt saturated by it...

Elrond is actually half-elven. He had a brother Elros, and they were forced to decide whether they were elven or human. Elros (who is Aragorn's VERY distant ancestor) chose to be human.

Does that mean that Aragorn married his cousin?

Yep. But just about as distant a cousin as you can get.

[SirNitram]

Well, the elves were pretty much facing extinction. That's a good motivator to find a place where you won't simply cease to be.

[CJvR]

Does that mean that Aragorn married his cousin?

Yes, although separated by about 6000 years.

[Darth Gojira]

"What, US go into battle? And get our hair all messy?!!"

[Stormbringer]

What made the Elves leave Middle Earth? Why didn't they stay to help men?

When an Elf got called back they didn't really have much choice about whether they wanted to go. As even Legolas said something to the effect of "Once the sea gets in your heart one can find no peace in Middle Earth."
With them it wasn't really a choice of leave or not, once they were called they had to.

As for why they didn't help men in the books, they were facing attacks too. Unlike in the movies, Sauron moved against Lothlorien from Dol Goldur and so that ended up tying up the Lorien Elves and the Woodland Elves protecting that front. They ended up fighting a fairly serious battle there as well as relieving the siege of Erebor by laying seige to the Mini-Tower. And Rivendell or the Grey Havens never had that many warriors so they were essentially a non-factor.

I don't remember if there was any acceptable explanation in the books, I clearly remember thinking to myself that they were just a pack of cowards who had lost their nerve, with the exception of a few (Legolas).

A few were a bit bitter but as it shows in the books, they had a fight on their hands and could spare the troops being away at the time. Not to mention they were far shorter handed when it came to soldier than ever Gondor was any way. The Last Alliance had bleed off the vast majority of their fighting troops.