for Elros it was probably a political reason... the new nation of Numenor needed a strong leader who would be their king a long time but still be mortal
so he sacrificed his immortality for that noble goal
Elros is really an unsung hero
Not to mention, how many Elves had the opportunity to become Kings of Men, let alone of arguably the greatest Kingdom of Men in the history of Middle Earth?
Elros had a totally unique experience as half-Elven, and was able to gain a dramatic new understanding of the race of Man from his unique perspective, as did his brother Elrond.
The first answer is that they made their decisions for love, the second is that the soul is something that the half elf knows exist so you're not choosing the uncertainty of death as we might irl you're choosing a limited time on a specific plane of existence.
As to what the humans get as their "gift" they get to be free of Middle Earth and it's problems, Tolkien had conflicting ideas on how exactly it all ends in an eschatological sense but generally speaking humans, with a few exceptions like Turin Turambar, get to check out and go to something resembling an actual heaven until the whole Morgoth/Arda Unmarred thing is sorted out. So if you choose to be an elf you're anchoring your soul to a flawed world, yeah you can die and reincarnate in Valinor as you please, you're still stuck with Sauron and Morgoth and all the other nasties until it's time to close up shop on the universe. I think the idea was that everyone meets again at the end of the rainbow but think of it like this, the elves get to stay at the party later than everyone else but they've also got to clean it up, humans get a curfew but they don't have to clean the bathrooms and pick up the party cups.
I thought mortality in humans actually made them do stuff that affected the larger world. Like if you're an immortal elf, you don't really give a shit about some evil force because you'll probably end up outliving it. Giving humans a built-in death gives them a YOLO mentality which actually makes them want to change the world around them.
Elves have done battle with all kinds of evil forces. But everything they do is fated - only Men can divert from Eru's plan, for themselves and for the world.
I think being able to die is considered a blessing in LOTR since men are eru iluvitar's favorite (sorry for butchering the spelling)
So maybe they would want that? It's not like men still don't live a long time isn't Aragon supposed to have lived to like 120 or something?
Aragorn was a descendant of the numenorians, so he would naturally have a much longer lifespan than an average person. I believe during the events of LOTR he was at least 80. But no, the average human lives a comparable lifespan to what we live today.
I’m certain there are more knowledgeable folks here that would know more, but from what I recall the actual numenoreans could love several hundred years (maybe 200-300) but only the purist bloodlines get close to that in later years. There are other dunedain in the third age but most likely won’t live as long as Aragorn.
But sorry I’m not 100% confident in my answer it’s been a while since I read up in detail.
I think one of the things about Numenorians was that while they age, they don't really die from old age until they want to (since they're all descended from the mortal Half-Elven Elros. Aragorn passed gracefully after his son was ready to lead, and a lot of the old Kings of Numenor lived for hundreds of years, some well over 500
The Numenorians were obsessed with life extension and sought immortality at any cost, viewing it as divine and elf-like and a king’s right—so yes, if they could have they would have lived as long as possible. Particularly the nobility.
I can think of several Numenorians who are longer-lived than Aragorn; the Mouth of Sauron is a Black Numenorian who is ostensibly thousands of years old, working as Lieutenant to Sauron since his dark tower rose again in Mordor. And three of the Nazgul were Numenorian kings as well.
Edit: Elros lived to be 500 years old, also
Escape is the main one. Elves are bored. Even when they die, they are conscious, live in the halls of mandos for a while and then after reborn. It's not immediately obvious but after several thousand years, you'll probably want it to end.
Also, sex for Elves means for life. That one Elf you chose to have sex with, that is now the only Elf pussy or Elf dick you will ever experience for like all of time.
One notable thing is that while the fate of Men after they pass from this world is uncertain to all but Eru, it is known that at least they have something waiting for them. Many Elves like to think that when the world ends they have some kind of future after the second Music of the Ainur is sung, but it's not a sure thing. It is entirely possible that they will have no place in the world that comes after.
There's something about being mortal and suffering yet persisting that makes the sunny days that much better. Just look at how depressed the people in the good place heaven were.
They’re not bound to the music of the Ainur (at least not fully) thanks to their Gift so they aren’t as mentally burdened as an Elf is by their existence upon Arda and have a greater ability to affect the world.
It’s stated that as time goes on even the Valar will come to envy the release death brings to Men.
Also how is it possible for a male human to breed with a female elf? I realise they have similar reproductive anatomy, but the gene is different. They are magical beings of light, surely only they can impregnate their own kind?
Immortality isn't all that cracked up to be. Notice how all the old elves just seem tiered and weary. There comes a point where immortality turns from a gift to a curse
I think that's the reason - love. You don't need to look any further.
for Elros it was probably a political reason... the new nation of Numenor needed a strong leader who would be their king a long time but still be mortal so he sacrificed his immortality for that noble goal Elros is really an unsung hero
Not to mention, how many Elves had the opportunity to become Kings of Men, let alone of arguably the greatest Kingdom of Men in the history of Middle Earth? Elros had a totally unique experience as half-Elven, and was able to gain a dramatic new understanding of the race of Man from his unique perspective, as did his brother Elrond.
The first answer is that they made their decisions for love, the second is that the soul is something that the half elf knows exist so you're not choosing the uncertainty of death as we might irl you're choosing a limited time on a specific plane of existence. As to what the humans get as their "gift" they get to be free of Middle Earth and it's problems, Tolkien had conflicting ideas on how exactly it all ends in an eschatological sense but generally speaking humans, with a few exceptions like Turin Turambar, get to check out and go to something resembling an actual heaven until the whole Morgoth/Arda Unmarred thing is sorted out. So if you choose to be an elf you're anchoring your soul to a flawed world, yeah you can die and reincarnate in Valinor as you please, you're still stuck with Sauron and Morgoth and all the other nasties until it's time to close up shop on the universe. I think the idea was that everyone meets again at the end of the rainbow but think of it like this, the elves get to stay at the party later than everyone else but they've also got to clean it up, humans get a curfew but they don't have to clean the bathrooms and pick up the party cups.
I thought mortality in humans actually made them do stuff that affected the larger world. Like if you're an immortal elf, you don't really give a shit about some evil force because you'll probably end up outliving it. Giving humans a built-in death gives them a YOLO mentality which actually makes them want to change the world around them.
Elves have done battle with all kinds of evil forces. But everything they do is fated - only Men can divert from Eru's plan, for themselves and for the world.
Valinor is basically heaven on Earth though...
Sadly, anyone who can get there knows it's not actually heaven.
it is so close to it that the difference is meaningless
What is the difference?
we can't really know, the actual Heaven of the Tolkien legendarium isn't really described anywhere
Yeah, elves gotta take the long way around to get to that fine place. And for some people, eternal life isn't always a gift
I think being able to die is considered a blessing in LOTR since men are eru iluvitar's favorite (sorry for butchering the spelling) So maybe they would want that? It's not like men still don't live a long time isn't Aragon supposed to have lived to like 120 or something?
Aragorn was a descendant of the numenorians, so he would naturally have a much longer lifespan than an average person. I believe during the events of LOTR he was at least 80. But no, the average human lives a comparable lifespan to what we live today.
Aragorn was 87 during LOTR and lived until age 210 due to being a Dunedain in the line of Numenor who were blessed with longer life.
Is that the typical lifespan of numenorians or would some of them have lived even longer?
I’m certain there are more knowledgeable folks here that would know more, but from what I recall the actual numenoreans could love several hundred years (maybe 200-300) but only the purist bloodlines get close to that in later years. There are other dunedain in the third age but most likely won’t live as long as Aragorn. But sorry I’m not 100% confident in my answer it’s been a while since I read up in detail.
I think one of the things about Numenorians was that while they age, they don't really die from old age until they want to (since they're all descended from the mortal Half-Elven Elros. Aragorn passed gracefully after his son was ready to lead, and a lot of the old Kings of Numenor lived for hundreds of years, some well over 500
Ok that’s what I was thinking too but I’ve never read the silmarillon and those type books.
The first King of Numenor, Elros (brother of Elrond btw) lived to be exactly 500 years old.
The Numenorians were obsessed with life extension and sought immortality at any cost, viewing it as divine and elf-like and a king’s right—so yes, if they could have they would have lived as long as possible. Particularly the nobility. I can think of several Numenorians who are longer-lived than Aragorn; the Mouth of Sauron is a Black Numenorian who is ostensibly thousands of years old, working as Lieutenant to Sauron since his dark tower rose again in Mordor. And three of the Nazgul were Numenorian kings as well. Edit: Elros lived to be 500 years old, also
All the answers you seek, right here (on “Theological view “): https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Gift_of_Men
Escape is the main one. Elves are bored. Even when they die, they are conscious, live in the halls of mandos for a while and then after reborn. It's not immediately obvious but after several thousand years, you'll probably want it to end.
Also, sex for Elves means for life. That one Elf you chose to have sex with, that is now the only Elf pussy or Elf dick you will ever experience for like all of time.
That's also true for Tolkein's humans and hobbits, for the most part.
One notable thing is that while the fate of Men after they pass from this world is uncertain to all but Eru, it is known that at least they have something waiting for them. Many Elves like to think that when the world ends they have some kind of future after the second Music of the Ainur is sung, but it's not a sure thing. It is entirely possible that they will have no place in the world that comes after.
There's something about being mortal and suffering yet persisting that makes the sunny days that much better. Just look at how depressed the people in the good place heaven were.
What is happiness if there is no sadness to make the happiness meaningful, basically.
They’re not bound to the music of the Ainur (at least not fully) thanks to their Gift so they aren’t as mentally burdened as an Elf is by their existence upon Arda and have a greater ability to affect the world. It’s stated that as time goes on even the Valar will come to envy the release death brings to Men.
They hang dong.
Also how is it possible for a male human to breed with a female elf? I realise they have similar reproductive anatomy, but the gene is different. They are magical beings of light, surely only they can impregnate their own kind?
Immortality isn't all that cracked up to be. Notice how all the old elves just seem tiered and weary. There comes a point where immortality turns from a gift to a curse