tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post1719439471919475030..comments2024-03-29T08:26:06.759+00:00Comments on The Notion Club Papers - an Inklings blog: "I name you Elf-Friend - the blessing of Frodo by Gildor InglorionBruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-27045427682041128312016-06-30T03:08:34.739+01:002016-06-30T03:08:34.739+01:00Possibly off-the-wall thought, for which a quick s...Possibly off-the-wall thought, for which a quick search (e.g., of Bosworth and Toller online) gives no support: could 'Elfhelm' suggest/indicate 'born with a caul'?<br /><br />This elf-friend elf-blessing is really very interesting! The - addition? or, explication? - "and may the stars shine upon the end of your road!" seems no little part of the interest, e.g., given the Lady Galadriel's gift, which has such force in Shelob's lair! But what a complicated compressed history is there, with that stage of the Eärendil story - Eärendil as half-elven become sidereal! (Also, cf. the star-token in Smith of Wootton Major!)<br /><br />Having just been busy with the Taliessin through Logres guest-commentary series at The Oddest Inkling, all sorts of Charles Williams 'blessing' references to which I have never paid sufficient attention spring to mind, clamoring for comparison as well!<br /><br />David Llewellyn DoddsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-24720050333448740582014-01-14T09:57:07.567+00:002014-01-14T09:57:07.567+00:00re: Elfhelm
- the literal etymology is presumabl...re: Elfhelm <br /><br />- the literal etymology is presumably elf and helmet - but I wonder if it is a 'kenning', a metaphor for something. <br /><br />...Having thought of this notion, and looking up this possibility in a web search, I find the suggestion that Elfhelm might mean 'protected by elves' - <br /><br />http://d-k-e.euro.ru/elfsaga.htm<br /><br />- or, I would add, perhaps 'protected by enchantment, magic, dwimmercraft' <br /><br />- by analogy with a helm(et) protecting the head.<br /><br /><br />Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-68294384217097954902014-01-14T07:27:20.481+00:002014-01-14T07:27:20.481+00:00Elf-friend is an Englishing of the Old English Ael...<i>Elf-friend is an Englishing of the Old English Aelfwine, which was the second-chosen name of the human protagonist of the Lost Tales who sailed to Fairie and lived with the Elves, and brought back knowledge of their history; and Aelfwine-based names also occur in the main characters of Lost Road, while the emerging main character of the Notion Club Papers is Alwin (i.e. again elf-friend) Arundel Lowdham.</i><br /><br />And of course, the name Elfwine would crop up again in <i>Lord of the Rings</i>, in the person of the son of Éomer of Rohan and Lothíriel of Dol Amroth, she of the seeming Elven lineage.<br /><br />For that matter, I've always wondered what exactly the significance of Elfhelm's name was...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-63830638219600924502013-10-16T14:10:31.780+01:002013-10-16T14:10:31.780+01:00@Troels - The main evidence suggesting that Gildor...@Troels - The main evidence suggesting that Gildor made a difference, is that only afterwards is Frodo recognized as an Elf-Friend; and also that he immediately begins to have 'prophetic' dreams. <br /><br />Everything hinges on the fact of before and after. <br /><br />Of course absence of evidence (before the 'blessing') is NOT evidence of absence - but I'm assuming that this isn't the kind of thing Tolkien would have left-out by mistake. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-51559947356187129502013-10-16T13:23:42.948+01:002013-10-16T13:23:42.948+01:00I've thought a bit about this since first read...I've thought a bit about this since first reading the post, and the thing that I have wondered the most about is the causality. <br /><br />Is Gildor an active agent here, or does he merely reflect something pre-existing. Is Frodo already an Elf-friend when meeting the Elves (a good case could surely be made that this is the case), or does Gildor's words make him one (an equally good case can, in my opinion, be made that this the case)? <br /><br />As is hopefully clear, I do not claim to know the answer, and I even suspect that the answer may be unknowable. <br /><br />What would it change in the analysis if this is not an active blessing, but a statement of pre-existing fact? One possibility would be that it is a result of Frodo being <i>meant</i> to take the Ring to Mordor (as Elrond will later point out), which would put the ‘blessing’ down to providence. <br /><br />Other scenarios can surely be devised with different levels of spiritual meaning. Troelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07515711722551393026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-86653916136462672392013-10-11T05:20:37.098+01:002013-10-11T05:20:37.098+01:00@SJ - Yes, like that. Priesthood blessings are abs...@SJ - Yes, like that. Priesthood blessings are absolutely mainstream/ frequent in Mormonism, I understand - and there is a special one-off Patriarchal blessing, which is prophetic. In the Catholic tradition (Eastern and Western) also. <br /><br />I don't really have any personal experience of this exactly, although in the Church of England liturgy the priest blesses the whole congregation and if you are not taking Holy Communion then you may receive a blessing (with laying on of hands) at the altar rail. <br /><br />I would imagine that the effects of an effective blessing are most likely to be observable only to the one receiving it - I don't think these things are supposed to be a sign (like a spectacular public miracle) to impress other people.<br /><br />*<br /><br />What is interesting about Gildor's blessing in LotR is that he has the 'authority' to give it (which he clearly does, since the blessing is so clearly effective). <br /><br />This seems to open up a whole realm of metaphysical speculation concerning the relation of elves and men, and especially the powers of the high elves!Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-92118447420177343542013-10-10T23:30:13.695+01:002013-10-10T23:30:13.695+01:00@SJ - I think a blessing is equivalent to... a ble...<i> @SJ - I think a blessing is equivalent to... a blessing! </i><br /><br />You mean like <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%206:23%E2%80%9327&version=KJV" rel="nofollow">Aaron's blessing</a>? <br /><br /><i>Specifically a blessing by a priest, monk or even Saint. These are certainly intended to have a permanent, or at least lasting, effect.</i><br /><br />You're probably right. I guess I hadn't thought of this since the idea of "blessing" others in this way isn't really a significant part of modern western Protestantism (it would seem a lot like "magic"!). I can't say I've ever had experience of someone being "blessed" and it having any positive spiritual effects. Have you?Samson J.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-83279179825467841072013-10-10T20:20:59.348+01:002013-10-10T20:20:59.348+01:00@SJ - I think a blessing is equivalent to... a ble...@SJ - I think a blessing is equivalent to... a blessing! <br /><br />Specifically a blessing by a priest, monk or even Saint. These are certainly intended to have a permanent, or at least lasting, effect. <br /><br />The idea of a sacraments analogy has been made by Stratford Caldecott and Bradley K Birtzer in relation to Lembas. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-24912067566822025172013-10-10T19:07:55.471+01:002013-10-10T19:07:55.471+01:00Well, the obvious thing to say, if we take serious...Well, the obvious thing to say, if we take seriously Tolkien's remark about his work being applicable if not exactly allegorical, is that there's an echo here of the sacraments' bestowing of grace, from the Catholic perspective.Samson J.noreply@blogger.com