Which race of middle-earth would you be and why? (Read First Post)

[Incredible Bulk]

@Isais: 43 would be humans (32 good, 11 evil) and then we have 53 elves, only 10 more than humans. Not that much of a difference.

I'm more surprised that some actually want to be nazguls, orcs, trolls, thankfully no goblins.

Duh! Your right I was only focus on good humans I completely forgot about the evil humans, that does change things, humans are humans good or bad. Good catch, I will rep you

[Almogaver]

A Hobbit of course! good food, nice beer, excellent weed, mild climate... I would rent a hole in Hobitton or Bywater.

[kingtigertank]

If only Sauron was an option. All powerful and virtually indestructible.

[Macilrille]

But it seems to me that Sauron has very little free will despite being the evil overlord. He seems very obsessed, not just with the Ring, but with taking over all Middle-earth and spreading evil and ruling it. Is being so obsessed attractive to you?

[Maiar93]

Well, he certainly lacks a certain perspective. Both parties do, actually. Sauron is obsessed with trying to control everything in Middle-Earth - he wants power and control over all people. The Free Peoples, except the Elves, are rather obsessed with what they have created, thus they will also probably die to the last man defending their works. Valiant, but rather stupid. The Elves do not care anymore - for the most part. Most want to leave ME behind alongside with their works and memories. The Elves are obsessed with escaping this time - they are perhaps too passive.

Now, there is not a single independent being on the world of ME. Nobody works in-between these two powers, and nobody has a fully free will in Middle-Earth. In short, fantasy is like 2D - Good versus Evil. And still it makes up for great stories.

[Mhaedros]

IMO the hobbits are the free-willed. They don't care what happens as long as noone disturbs their peace (there are ofc some who do like Frodo and his evil companions, but most are the drunks they should be)

[Ngugi]

Wel,l while I follow I wouldn't be so rash, Tolkien constantly puts emphasis on the choice of each person to bend to evil purposes and will or resist it, weither their own values and the 'good' they fight for isn't perfectly good (depending on their starting point but still better in Tolkiens moral universe than Morgoth's or Sauron's corruption) - much because he do not consider it possible to be fully such.

... I have not made any of the peoples on the 'right' side, Hobbits, Rohirrim, Men of Dale or of Gondor, any better than men have been or are, or can be. Mine is not an 'imaginary' world, but an imaginary historical moment on 'Middle-earth' -- which is our habitation.
Letters, 244

Edit: Concerning free will Tolkien worked with both, in which least undoubtly Men had choises, while we can tell as ainur and Elves and Dwarves made choises that they likely had somewhat their own free will within the framework of fate:

'I wish it need not have happened in my time,' said Frodo.
'So do I,' said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'
- FotR; The Shadow of the Past

[muller227]

Well, he certainly lacks a certain perspective. Both parties do, actually. Sauron is obsessed with trying to control everything in Middle-Earth - he wants power and control over all people. The Free Peoples, except the Elves, are rather obsessed with what they have created, thus they will also probably die to the last man defending their works. Valiant, but rather stupid. The Elves do not care anymore - for the most part. Most want to leave ME behind alongside with their works and memories. The Elves are obsessed with escaping this time - they are perhaps too passive.

Now, there is not a single independent being on the world of ME. Nobody works in-between these two powers, and nobody has a fully free will in Middle-Earth. In short, fantasy is like 2D - Good versus Evil. And still it makes up for great stories.

This 2D aspect takes place only, when an evil overlord is the antagonist. We see this sort of thing now and again in actual history without the benefit of divine certainty. Middle Earth is a confused place absent the great evil threat. Gondor's wars of conquest, civil war in Arnor and Gondor, Rohan's treatment of the Dunlanders. Rhovanion raiding Gondor, dwarves fight other dwarves we are told. The Elves do stay out of this type of thing with the exception of the Silmaril oath it seems, or Feanor's brief Kingship.

[Ngugi]

And Eöl and Maeglin, as well as the Eldars very human disconcern for what do not effect them in the world and the Avari (in general);

The 'Dark-elves', however, often were hostile, and even treacherous, in their dealings with the Sindar and Noldor; and if they fought, as they did when themselves assailed by the Orcs, they never took any open part in the War on the side of the Celbin [non-Avari elves]. They were, it seems, filled with an inherited bitterness against the Eldar, whom they regarded as deserters of their kin, and in Beleriand this feeling was increased by envy (especially of the Amanyar), and by resentment of their lordliness. The belief … that, at the least, they were weaker in resistance to the pressures or lies of Morgoth, if this grievance was concerned, may have been justified…

The first Avari that the Eldar met again in Beleriand seem to have claimed to be Tatyar, who acknowledged their kinship with the Exiles, though there is no record of their using the name Noldo in any recognizable Avarin form. They were actually unfriendly to the Noldor, and jealous of their more exalted kin, whom they accused of arrogance.

The first Elves that Men met in the world were Avari, some of whom were friendly to them, but the most avoided them or were hostile (according to the tales of Men). …

- HoME 11; Quendi and Eldar: Author's Note #9

[Incredible Bulk]

Won't one say that Sauron Is a slave himself? A slave to the ring? People can be slaves to riches and money, glory and power I would say he is a slave to the ring, it "controlled" him mush like Gollum was a slave to the ring. The ring had even though it was a thing not a person had power over them

[Agamemnon]

I dunno... Maybe Hobbit life would be nice. I look and act like Sam, maybe I could find a cute blonde girl and live peacefully smoking weed and gardening.

[Elitewolf]

A hobbit. Hobbits do nothing but sit around and eat stuff, sometimes smoke a pipe and very occasionally they will be badass.

[Alaeron]

Hm...I'd say it would be interesting to be any of them really. If I had to pick one, I'd choose Elves but only by a small margin. I'd have centuries to enjoy life, nature, hone my skills, learn about things, get over the horror of never being able to have a hair on my face, and all that stuff. Then you get to sail west.

Dwarves would be a close second. Eat, drink, fight, everyone has a beard, and live a long life too. But as I said, if I could "try" being any race, I'd even give orcs a go. Just to see how it is.

[Incredible Bulk]

Dwarves would be a close second. Eat, drink, fight, everyone has a beard, and live a long life too.

And they stronger than men, elves, hobbits and orcs, I would say they are rich too good business men. A fine choice. BTW how long do dwarves live?

[Mhaedros]

Between 150-200 as normal age I think. Might be totally wrong tho ^^

[Incredible Bulk]

Between 150-200 as normal age I think. Might be totally wrong tho ^^

I'll take that any time

[Macilrille]

If you look in Appendix B to LoTR, you will see that many of the Dwarven Kings are 200+ years at their death and Gimli regards himself as a mere stripling at the time of The Quest of Erebor when he is 62. He also leaves Middle-Earth at 262 (by my swift head-reckoning), presumably being an old and venerable dwarf at that time and that being why him and Legoilas choose to leave then. Dain is 252 (again my head-reckoning) when he falls battling Easterlings, standing over the body of his friend King Brand of Dale in 3019 and where Gandalf remarks how he could still swing his age with remarkable might despite his age.

So, for Dwarves of Durin's line it seems they often get over 250, but many seem to die thereabouts. But very many Dwarven Kings also fall in battle, so in theory they could get older.

I read somewhere that Dwarves can be 250- 400 years, but as I cannot find it in the Appendixes, so it is likely MERP pollution.

[Mhaedros]

Thanks Macirille. As you said Gimli was (about) 260 years when he went to Valinor with his old bro Legolas and he is of Durin's line, but not the royal side. He was probably very old for a dwarf at that age, even for one descending from Durin, so an average dwarf would probably live until 200'ish unless he was killed in battle.

[Macilrille]

Average life expectancy in Tolkien's England was probably 65- 70 with some (wealthy people) significantly older, so perhaps it would not be unsafe to say that Dwarves live thrice as long as Humans.


Just a sec... 120 was probably chosen as departure for a wholly different reason... Elessar died.

*Bangs head into desk...

[Incredible Bulk]

Like I said before I'll take a dwarve life anytime 250-260 years of age? Wow now that's a living, so you figure around 200 years they retire from military service nd spend the next 60 years drinking and having fun making money