You're pondering tough questions here, Bodkin. I wonder if Tolkien had this all worked out or just did the first pass and was content to let other people worry about it. After all, he had this huge sweep of history, language, philosophy, religion, and culture he was trying to work out. There must have been some contraints of time!
Author Reply: I think it's one of the things I really like about Middle-earth - there are so many areas that spark complex thoughts. Signposted, but not explained. For example, on a more frivolous level - teeth. Now, how could the immortal elves survive with a mere two sets? Surely after a century or two their adult set would have been worn out! Cavities might not have been too much of a problem - they had a fairly healthy diet - but surely warriors would have lost teeth when fighting ... and dentally-challenged elves are hard to imagine. So, I conclude triumphantly, like sharks, they must replace missing or damaged teeth by growing more. End of entirely disconnected reply. |
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