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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Feb 17 2016, 9:59pm
Post #1 of 17
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Thranduil's Queen (from Tolkien's legendarium)
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In your opinion, what's the deal with the wife of Thranduil in Tolkien's canon? Did she die? Was she alive and living in the Woodland Realm, but Tolkien just ignored her? Something else?
Bonus Question: Do you think that Legolas might have had any siblings (Y/N)?
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Elarie
Grey Havens
Feb 17 2016, 11:13pm
Post #2 of 17
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When reading the books I always just vaguely assumed that Thranduil's wife was there and just not mentioned. Since Tolkien didn't mention any particular story related to her, it seemed most likely that there was no particular story or unusual event and she was just somewhere in the background weaving or playing the harp or whatever elf queens do all day.
Siblings for Legolas? Hard to say; obviously he had a mom, so it's easy to assume she was around somewhere, but the sibling question could go either way. It would be fun though, if he did.
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Nieriel
Rivendell
Feb 17 2016, 11:37pm
Post #3 of 17
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because she isn't referred to and the fact that Legolas appears to be an only child. I also feel that she died a long time ago, as her death doesn't appear to cast a shadow on the hearts of either Thranduil or Legolas when we 'meet' them. Of course I'd like to think she is around somewhere and that Legolas has siblings, but I'm just not feeling that at all. In fact I have wondered at a king settling for one heir (this includes Thranduil's father) when it is entirely possible that the heir could be killed in battle, leaving no spare behind to take up the throne, and therefore bringing about the end of the direct blood line. Perhaps it is only mortal men who go for the 'heir and a spare' insurance policy?
(This post was edited by Nieriel on Feb 17 2016, 11:40pm)
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Feb 18 2016, 12:11am
Post #4 of 17
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Supporting material from the old Middle-earth Role Play (MERP) game from Iron Crown did postulate that Thranduil's queen, given the name Lady Arhendhiril, was still alive and dwelling in his halls at the time of the reign of King Bard in Dale.
"I was then formally presented to his queen and Legolas, Thranduil's son and heir. The Queen's beauty dazzled me; her hair cascaded about her like a river of silver in torrent. The lady's welcome carried like chimes or silver bells stirred by the wind. She stood as tall as Thranduil, who was taller than all others present. For Lady Arhendhiril was Sindarin, kin to the House of Thingol through the family of Elmo, his brother in Beleriand. The purity of the Sindarin strain in the Queen was reflected in her silver hair. Though abashed in her presence, I was engaged to speak of my journey as her maids scurried to prepare my lodgings." - from "Bancadan's Tale", Halls of the Elven-king
So far, The One Ring Roleplaying Game says nothing of Thranduil's queen, but the supplement The Heart of the Wild does suggest that the Elvenking has more than one son who may act as his seneschal when Thranduil is off hunting or on other business. In fact, Legolas might have remained in his father's halls acting as his steward during the Battle of Five Armies.
(This post was edited by Otaku-sempai on Feb 18 2016, 12:14am)
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Darkstone
Immortal
Feb 18 2016, 3:42am
Post #5 of 17
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Which is why all the fuss about the white jewels. It really wasn't the Dwarves who refused to return the jewels, but the ex-Mrs. Thranduil who considered them her rightful property after she gave him the best yens of her life.
(Note it also explains Thranduil's resentment of Dwarves.)
Bonus Question: Do you think that Legolas might have had any siblings (Y/N)?
No, but he had a few half-siblings, who he finally met after his friendship with Gimli convinced him that Dwarves (and by extension half-Dwarves) weren't so bad after all.
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sador
Half-elven
Feb 18 2016, 1:02pm
Post #7 of 17
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I do not say she died. I say he had lost her. //
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Darkstone
Immortal
Feb 18 2016, 1:50pm
Post #8 of 17
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"Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my cave is best!" /
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ange1e4e5
Gondor
Feb 18 2016, 1:59pm
Post #9 of 17
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Interesting but unlikely. According to The Customs of the Eldar from Morgoth's Ring, elves marry freely for love, extra-marital sex and adultery are unheard of. Remind me, were the white jewels in The Hobbit (book)?
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Feb 18 2016, 4:21pm
Post #10 of 17
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Remind me, were the white jewels in The Hobbit (book)?
Nope! They were not. They were inspired by several other things that Tolkien wrote about:
- The Nauglamír, the Necklace of the Dwarves that led to the death of King Thingol and the sack of Doriath. This was also the inspiration for the ancient conflict between the dwarves and the elf-king that is referred to in The Hobbit.
- The emeralds of Girion, recovered from Smaug's hoard and given to the Elvenking by Bard.
- The necklace of silver and pearls that Dain presents to Bilbo and the hobbit gifts in turn to the Elvenking.
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Darkstone
Immortal
Feb 18 2016, 4:53pm
Post #11 of 17
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Elves writing about Elvish customs
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I wouldn't wonder that Elves were virtuous, faithful, loyal, trustworthy, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent, at least according to the Elves. I'm sure that "Translations from the Khuzdul" told a much different story.
As for the jewels, there was a necklace of silver and pearls in the book:
“I beg of you,” said Bilbo stammering and standing on one foot, “to accept this gift!” and he brought out a necklace of silver and pearls that Dain had given him at their parting.
“In what way have I earned such a gift, O hobbit?” said the king.
“Well, er, I thought, don’t you know,” said Bilbo rather confused, “that, er, some little return should be made for your, er, hospitality. I mean even a burglar has his feelings. I have drunk much of your wine and eaten much of your bread.”
“I will take your gift, O Bilbo the Magnificent!” said the king gravely. “And I name you elf-friend and blessed. May your shadow never grow less (or stealing would be too easy)! Farewell!”
-The Return Journey
Jackson seems to have merged Thranduil and Bilbo's necklace from The Hobbit with Thingol and the Nauglamir from the Silmarillion:
It was a carcanet of gold, and set therein with gems uncounted from Valinor; but it had a power within it so that it rested lightly on its wearer as a strand of flax, and whosever neck it clasped it sat always with grace and loveliness.
-Of the Return of the Noldor
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Bracegirdle
Valinor
Feb 19 2016, 4:20pm
Post #12 of 17
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Because of her constant irritating and nagging persona Lobaglëa, the wife of Thranduil, was doomed to the deepest rooms in the Woodland Realm caves and died in T.A. 1250 of severe claustrophobia. This is one of the very few cases of the death of an immortal due to something other than an errant arrow in the eye, or being overrun by a stampeding oliphaunt, or some such. Lobaglëa now resides West of the Moon, East of the Sun.
Legolas had two elder (dig?) brothers Legofirst and Legolast, who were both of an accountable nature. Both were Dorwinion Wine skimming and cooking the books, and were tried by a peerless jury of Lakemen and summarily executed long before the War of the Ring thus cementing the long-lasting relationship between the Lakemen of Escargot and the Sindarin of Greenwood the Grape.
Legolas had a singular younger sister Breethil who was on the outs with her father who wouldn’t let her wear the latest Calvin Klein short-shorts. At the age of three-hundred and 27 she ran away to the Far East perhaps (as rumor has it) to join with some errant Blue People and was never seen nor heard from again.
Of course these unfortunate (or fortunate to some) occurrences come not into The Redbook of Westmarch as being of little to no consequence to the flow of the tale. Of this no more can be said. Of this no more should be said!
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Annael
Elvenhome
Feb 19 2016, 4:49pm
Post #13 of 17
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Given that most of Tolkien's male leaders have lost their wives somehow (if they ever had one), it's easy to assume Thranduil has also misplaced his. But he barely gives Arwen, the future Queen of Gondor, more than passing mention, so it could also be that he just didn't bother telling us about the Elven-Queen.
I'm perpetually amazed that the man who thought women students were a waste of time wrote the character of Eowyn.
(This post was edited by Annael on Feb 19 2016, 4:50pm)
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Feb 19 2016, 7:12pm
Post #14 of 17
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Is this a sign that you are destined to write the best-selling prequel to Bored of the Rings, There and Back and Nobody Cared, a Nobbit's Holiday?
(This post was edited by Otaku-sempai on Feb 19 2016, 7:22pm)
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Feb 19 2016, 7:16pm
Post #15 of 17
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I'm perpetually amazed that the man who thought women students were a waste of time wrote the character of Eowyn.
The prevailing feeling at the time was that many more women attended university more to look for potential mates than for an education. Or that most would still end up wedding and raising families, cutting short any career that might be launched.
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Bracegirdle
Valinor
Feb 20 2016, 12:01am
Post #17 of 17
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But rumour does have it that there may be a forthcoming exciting prequel to the prequel:
The Last Dalliance of Elfs and Mens, starring Glad-i-Did and Elendim; and of course The Big Nasty Sarcoma. 
*This rumour (or rumor, should you prefer) has not been verified by Stoops, Anyhoo, Giggle or FatCheck. 
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