Why do people in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hate elves?

in the first episode Lord of the rings: Ring of powerthe show presents a cultural clash between the men of Southland and the elves who watch over them. However I stopped working for Morgoth. For humans, that war was hundreds of years ago.

It’s a fascinating contrast, and speaks to the true heterogeneity of daily human cohabitation with elves in a way Tolkien never really brought it to light. Fast forward to and we’re seeing crowds rage against elves for the most mundane of reasons.

[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 4.]

In the early days of “The Great Wave,” ring of power Visiting the bustling Place Noumenor, a Guild Artisan (one of the men beaten in the previous episode) dabbles in the time-honored tradition of crowd-raising.

“Elf workers, do your trade!” he prophesies, based on the presence of one elf and one (already imprisoned) human ally. “Workers who don’t sleep, don’t get tired, don’t age!” The presence of Galadriel and Halbrand in Numenor appears to be a slippery slope to a total takeover of Numenor… economy? By low-wage workers in Chitose?

His words drive the audience into a disparaging chant of “I like elves!” against one’s own queen, until silenced by equally brief speeches about opposing positions and the sudden appearance of a drink. There was so much to the righteous that the gods gave them an entire blessed island.

Needless to say, this is a terrible idea. Racism should not have a safe harbor in human society. I do not advocate hating elves or anyone.

But if you’re going to hate elves, there’s a much more obvious, current, and logical reason than “they take your job”.

I really hate elves

Photo: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video

The fantastic details of Tolkien’s elves have been the subject of much debate lately.As a Tolkien expert on Polygon, I keep waiting for someone to ask me about the elephant in the room: why are the elves Got it so much better than Tolkien’s legendary men?

If you’re a Middle-earth male (or female male, commonly known as — checknote — female), here are some facts:

• Elves are physically more adept than you in basically every way
• The gods have created a special paradise for elves you are not allowed to visit
• Elves are immortal and you must die. Like, soon!

It’s important to remember that elves aren’t just beautiful, graceful humans.

elves are vulcans

Image: Paramount Television

A direct line can be drawn from Tolkien’s elves, through plenty of nerdiness and Age of Aquarius thinking, to “nervous, lofty outsiders.” Star TrekA racial metaphor of emotionally detached pointy ears with mystical supernatural powers.

There is a lot of prejudice against Vulcans/humans in the early days Star TrekSpock’s human heritage has been the focus of childhood bullying by Vulcan’s classmates, who believe he is unworthy of Vulcan’s standards. Inflection point of prejudicebut from humans — not because they think the Vulcans will take their jobs.

Vulcan/Human prejudices are manifested in characters whose Vulcan mannerisms are so unfamiliar that they are interpreted as attack or contempt. Who thinks humans and Vulcans can’t find a common cause? And Vulcans who feel the same way towards humans.

This is exactly the rift between humans and elves, a cultural clash that leads to a lack of trust.

why conduct Are humans so bad in Middle-earth?

Tolkien never presented human mortality as a negative in his work. It was part of the unspoken intention of the creator of the universe that mankind died and what happened to their souls afterward should be known only to him and the gods of the afterlife. For a die-hard Catholic, it would be a big step to present human errorability as a blessing to the Creator rather than a punishment for sin.

Indeed, elves benefit a lot. But the trade-off of being an elf is that humble people have no free will, especially when compared to humans. An elf—all elves—is haunted by a divine yearning for Valinor, which eventually overshadows all other desires in his life. And the physical stamina they possess is balanced by their emotional endurance.Tolkien’s works are full of tales of elves who can’t forget their traumatic experiences and still can’t die. . Think of it that way, a God-made paradise where nothing bad happens is not a bonus, but rather a necessity.

Image: Prime Video

Modern fantasy readers may be familiar with settings like Dungeons & Dragons, the works of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, and even Marvel and DC Comics…of Ego. But the gods of Middle-earth are something else altogether.Nobody is here Lord of the Ring I never go to church, I never see a priest. The concept of prayer is not discussed at all.

The gods of Middle-earth do not ask or demand worship. that is, even if they don’t come often. Humans believe that their work is a blessing, not that the gods exist, and even if the gods don’t say what it is, there is something for them beyond the living struggles of Middle-earth. You must have the faith that

Elves, however, do not require faith in a god. They can always feel the workings of the Divine within them. And for stories written by deeply rooted Catholics, it may be the most alien to them.

A man who despises Elves for having a clear and tangible blessing and has only faith is a man who despises the gods. Silmarilion, Exactly Where is the show’s Númenor plotline going? Take it away by force.

is not the story.economic instability,” but about anger at the creators who made elves and humans so different. And that’s exactly where the “elves take your job” belief can’t be stopped. go to heaven?