How old is Legolas?

[Daghos]

I've been wondering about that for a while now. I couldn't seem to find a birth date on the appendix. I know he's at least over 500 years old (Book 3, chapter 6, p.497 of the one volume edition movie cover).

Daghos

[chrome_rocknave]

Well, I dont know an exact age, but I know that he's no youngster :D

[WarriorMay]

Elves don't show any sign of aging so it's pretty hard to tell how old one is.

I know where there is some cool information on elves if you would like to visit it.

http://www.realmofthering.com/news_06.html

[JeffF.]

...at the beginning of the Third Age so he is about 3000 years old.

[Aredhel]

I read the official movie guide, and it said that Legolas is 2,931 years old.

[Daghos]

thanks for the info, is the official movie guide the only mention of his age? Is that where it is stated that he was born at the beginning of the third age? What about his father, Thingol, where might I read up more about him?

[Aredhel]

I don't know about Thranduil, but I would like to know more about Legolas's family.

[Tar-Elenion]

This is something I posted on another forum in responce to a similar question some time ago:
We can draw some conclusions from various sources. Legolas is the oldest of the Fellowship (save Gandalf). He refers to the others as children. He says that he has seen trees grow from seed to death. This indicates a great age. However he is not mentioned when Oropher and Thranduil come to Greenwood or go to the Last Alliance. So he is likely a Third Age Elf. I think he shows a certain respect or deference to the Twins so he is probably younger than they are (Elladan and Elrohir were born in TA 130). In my opinion he was probably born after Thranduil founded his stronghold in the North of Mirkwood (ca.1000 3rd Age). So sometime between 1000 and 1600 3rd Age is not unlikely (though even later is possible).

[legendz28]

while we're on this, how exactly are elves born anyway? If they never age does that mean they just appear out of thin air cause I don't think an elf female could give birth to a 6 foot elf very easily (they are pretty tall).b

[JeffF.]

Remember that Bilbo's/Frodo's Mithril Mail shirt was originally made for an elf princeling (as stated in the hobbit).

[Cian]

There's some info on Elf children in Morgoth's Ring, and some of it's somewhere in here :)

[e.Blackstar]

while we're on this, how exactly are elves born anyway? If they never age does that mean they just appear out of thin air cause I don't think an elf female could give birth to a 6 foot elf very easily (they are pretty tall).b


Well they aren't born fully formed silly. :)

But what I'm curious about...do elves grow up the same way as humans and then just stay adult forever or do they not come of age until, like 1000 or something? :confused: :o

[Ithrynluin]

This is a passage from a text titled "Laws and Customs among the Eldar" found in The History of Middle-earth X: Morgoth's Ring. I recommend reading it in full, as it is a rather interesting text.

The Eldar grew in bodily form slower than Men, but in mind more swiftly. They learned to speak before they were one year old; and in the same time they learned to walk and to dance, for their wills came soon to the mastery of their bodies. Nonetheless there was less difference between the two Kindreds, Elves and Men, in early youth; and a man who watched elf-children at play might well have believed that they were the children of Men, of some fair and happy people. For in their early days elf-children delighted still in the world about them, and the fire of their spirit had not consumed them, and the burden of memory was still light upon them.
This same watcher might indeed have wondered at the small limbs and stature of these children, judging their age by their skill in words and grace in motion. For at the end of the third year mortal children began to outstrip the Elves, hastening on to a full stature while the Elves lingered in the first spring of childhood. Children of Men might reach their full height while Eldar of the same age were still in body like to mortals of no more than seven years. Not until the fiftieth year did the Eldar attain the stature and shape in which their lives would afterwards endure, and for some a hundred years would pass before
they were full-grown.

[Alatar]

Well I think that as he was not in the tale of years, he was a first age elf. His grandfarther was a kinsman of Thingol and he came out of the sinking. If anyone can give me a quote, not from the official movie guide though...

[Shireman D]

Does his great age mean that he would have been at his father's court when the dwarves were held there? Might personal interest be a part of his reason for following up the story of the One Ring?

[Alatar]

i think he was there, as there were sevral feasts, so it is likely that the kings son would show up.

[Inderjit S]

Well I think that as he was not in the tale of years, he was a first age elf. His grandfarther was a kinsman of Thingol and he came out of the sinking. If anyone can give me a quote, not from the official movie guide though

I really doubt he was a First Age Elf-he was not nearly ancient enough as that! I think he was, as many members have pointed out, a Third Age Elf, born sometime after the Sons of Elrond.