Thranduil's Wife

[LKK]

I don't think we've had a poll on this board yet, have we? Okay, I admit this isn't the most original of polls. But it's the first one I've made anywhere, so bear with me. After you vote, why not leave a note saying which option you chose and why you chose it?

Edit: And perhaps you can explain to me where in M.E. "Spmeplace" is. Sheesh!

[Karri]

Spmeplace...hmmm, somewhere in southern Gondor, perhaps?

Terrific poll! I marked an answer, but really, I dunno. It seems like if she were still in M-e, Bilbo would have made note of her at the autumn feasts, but if she was dark-haired (which seems probable), perhaps she just didn't stand out to him. Hmm....it is a wonderful question to play with in fanfiction, isn't it?

[Carol]

I'm not sure either but I would have to quess my answer was due to all the fan-fic I've read and not the movies lol.

But I agree. Bilbo never mentioned her but then again there really wasn't any reason for him to then was there. Guess we'll never know.

[LKK]

I'm the person who voted for Ruling at the King's Side but I didn't really mean to vote that way. I clicked the wrong one and didn't realise it.

I meant to vote for one of the She's Gone options. The most common fanfic idea is that the queen died. I would have voted for Waiting in the Halls of Mandos if I hadn't screwed up my vote.

I think Bilbo would have noticed the queen at the feast if she had been there, dark hair or not. I expect she would have been near Thranduil and probably worn a crown of leaves as he did. And been as well bejewelled as the other ladies, if not more so. Maybe it's just the romantic in me, but I've always felt that royalty will be noticeable at feasts like that because that's part of what royalty do.

Spmeplace might be in southern Gondor. Good idea, Karri. Or maybe it's all the way down south in Harad. Lots of strange places in Harad, I hear.

[Nilmandra]

In some ways I am glad we know so little about the famly of the woodland king - gives us lots of excuses to write fanfiction! Legolas has so many interesting siblings and naneths! Unfortunately for naneths, they usually met terrible ends.

I would never do that.

Oops

*remembers she did*

*slinks away*

[Neuriel]

Oops! I didn't pick the right one I picked the first one when I wanted to pick the second one. Well I guess that is that so at least I told you what I wanted. This is one of the most puzziling questions in Middle Earth. No one really knows anything about Legolas' family. It is frustrating

Neuriel

[Gwenneth]

I didn't vote...but...I'll tell you what I think. As the others have pointed out, Bilbo did not notice the Queen, if she was there. I have often (I think always) had her die in my fics. One of these days, however, I am going to write it differently. I am going to really I am!

I was thinking of writing a story that is set during the Hobbit when Bilbo and the dwarves are in Mirkwood...only, instead of her being dead or something, she is pregnant! With a sibling for Legolas! Which might explain why Legolas isn't seen either!!!

(wAS HE? Im not too familiar with that section of the book....)

Sound like an interesting story???

And if anyone else wants to jump in and write a where was Thranduil's wife...please do!!! Maybe I should make it a challenge...without killing her, explain where Thranduil's wife might have been with Bilbo was in Mirkwood.)

(Was it called Mirkwood then? I have wondered that? When did it change from Greenwood the Great to Mirkwood?)

Sorry for being so ignorant.

[Karri]

That seems like a reasonable answer to the riddle. Now...

No, Legolas is not mentioned.

Yes, it is called Mirkwood at that point. The Greenwood begins to be known as Mirkwood around 1050 Third Age. So it has been Mirkwood for nearly 2000 years prior to the Hobbit.

Yes, the idea sounds interesting.

Yes, you should make it an official challenge and post it in Challenges.

The Hobbit is my favorite of the whole lot. It is much lighter in tone than LOTR, a less complex story, an easier read in general, and shorter than any one of the three of LOTR. You should read it sometime. ;D

[Gwenneth]

Here's a question. IF Legolas' mother was alive, do you think she'd be dark or light haired? I have been told that the majority of the wood-elves were dark-haired, unlike Thranduil and Legolas.

I don't know if that is true or not. I've even heard that Legolas is not blonde...what do you all think?

[LKK]

Tolkien said that all elves except those of a particular family line were dark-haired. But to make things complicated for us, he evidently forgot that he had given Thranduil golden hair in The Hobbit.

I don't think anyone has been able to link Thranduil to that family line with the golden hair, Galadriel's family. (I can never remember that family line name. I always have to look it up.)

Legolas's hair color is never specified anywhere. Whether you accept Tolkien's statement that all elves except Galadriel's kin are dark-haired or if you believe that Thranduil's son would also have light hair, you either give Legolas light or dark hair.

Here's another case where my scholar side and fanfic writer side split.

The scholar in me would give Thranduil's wife dark hair and Legolas dark hair because a dark haired parent and a blond haired parent will usually produce a dark haired child.

The fanfic writer in me will still give Thranduil's wife dark hair but will give Legolas blond hair to match his father's.

[Karri]

I think Legolas was golden-haired like his ada, but that is only a preference; he could easily have had dark hair, as well.

Wood-elves (elves as a whole actually) tended to be dark-haired, except the Vanyar -- which were fair-haired. I think, therefore, it is most likely that Legolas's nana was dark-haired. However, she could just as easily have been a Sindarin of the noble line and silver-haired (like Celeborn and Nimloth), or some sort of Vanyar-mix and been golden-haired like Thranduil, or even red-headed like Feanor. The elves had plenty of opportunity to mix and mingle during the long march to Beleriand, so though the Teleri (including the Sindar, Silvan, and Avari) were more likely to be dark-haired, there is always room for other hair colors within canon.

[LKK]

Karri said:

or even red-headed like Feanor.

I forgot about the red-heads. They were a fairly small percent of the elves, I think.

[Karri]

LKK said:

The scholar in me would give Thranduil's wife dark hair and Legolas dark hair because a dark haired parent and a blond haired parent will usually produce a dark haired child.

And yet genetics are a funny thing, and one can never be certain. Both of my parents have dark, nearly black hair, and yet two of my four sisters are blond. Only one of us inherited really dark brown hair, the other two have light-medium brown hair.

[LKK]

Oh yeah, genetics can be really odd!

My father was born blond and his hair turned dark as he aged. My brother was born black haired. At six months old, it started coming in blond and has been blond since.

My hair is slightly darker than my mom's brown. It's closer to black than her to her brown.

I was playing the percentages when I said that about the dark haired Legolas. Hair color is much more complex than that simple dominant / recessive gene theory, I know. So I probably shouldn't rely on that so heavily.

[Gwenneth]

I like this discussion. I recall reading essays somewhere arguing the hair point and they came to the conclusion that Legolas was likely dark-haired.

I too like to think of his as blonde like his father. I understand the dark hair theory, but still...I just ccan't picture it. I have never written a red-haired Elf before...I might have to do that someday...just cuse I want to!

Someone pointed out a quote of Frodo's when Legolas jumps out of the boat to shoot the Nazgul's mount...something that apparently people take as meaning Legolas could be dark-haired...but I can't FIND it...Can anyone find that quote???

If not I'll keep looking.