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{ TOLKIEN LIVES }
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God bless Tolkien.
And let’s not forget the fact that both Legolas and Gimli were not only raised under the ruling cultural doctrine of “dwarves/elves are irredeemable dicks we’re so much better GO TEAM”, they were alive during the events of the Hobbit so it’s not just that their dads hate each other, the resentment was probably pretty close to home for both of them as well. No doubt that Legolas was personally outraged by this scruffy group of dwarves thoughtlessly wreaking havoc in his home and harassing his people’s garden parties, and Gimli despised the elves for being so stiff-necked and prissy and taking his father (and various and sundry other relations) prisoner for no legitimate reason. I mean, this is some real classic blood feud-starting, you-have-dishonored-my-family-therefore-I-will-despise-you-forever stuff we’ve got going on.
The dwarf/elf animosity is fucking personal for these two, well beyond the cultural norm.
And then you have this scene. After all that these two have been through together, after going from Rivendell to Edoras to Minas Tirith to the Black Gate and all those places in between we see all of those childhood lessons, all of that doctrine and built up animosity melt away. We are left with a Dwarf and an Elf with the most reason to despise each other out of any others in Middle Earth, standing shoulder to shoulder at what could possibly be their final battle, calling each other “friend”.
(which is to say nothing of the significance of being called “Elf-Friend” in the first place, but that’s another story entirely)
(and don’t even get me started on Gimli defending Galadriel to Eomer, because that was a fucking gorgeous scene and should have been in the movie because it was perfect)
Fuck’s sake, there is so much that Tolkein is teaching in LOTR, but I think his most important theme, and one that resounds here, is to think for yourself and always question what people tell you, because you never really know the truth (of people, of places, of anything) until you seek it out for yourself.
(Source: arkenstoners)
My Favorite Fictional Characters (General) / In no Particular Order
Legolas Greenleaf / The Lord of the Rings / 1954
“He was tall as a young tree, lithe, immensely strong, able swiftly to draw a great war-bow and shoot down a Nazgûl, endowed with the tremendous vitality of Elvish bodies, so hard and resistant to hurt that he went only in light shoes over rock or through snow, the most tireless of all the Fellowship.”
lotr meme: 3/7 BRO/OTPs
“I never thought I’d die fighting side by side with an elf.”
“What about side by side with a friend?”
“Aye. I could do that.”
(Source: elijahwood)
