In medieval and antique Europe, royalty and nobility in general was often expected to fight on the battlefield. It was only in early modern times when gunpowder and pike squares started making heavily armored knights and especially heavy cavalry obsolete that this fundamentally changed.
That said, LotR is indeed rather idealized, and it definitely follows ancient tropes of beings who are better than humans in every way and yet can and will breed with humans occasionally (thus Aragorn and Elrond).
I feel we really missed out, by getting Lorien elves instead of Dunedain rangers.
Ofc they wouldn’t have been in such a prominent battle, like Helms Deep.
Though, actually they could have been placed quite well.
I always disliked the army of the dead fighting at the Pelenor fields, in the movies, since it invalidates all the struggle of Minas Tirtith’ soldiers and Rohan‘s riders.
10 Comments
slazer2au@lemmy.world · 28 pts · 168d
playing the objective like a real gamer not to their KD ratio
OwOarchist@pawb.social · 11 pts · 168d
Hey, Legolas is a prince and hardly just some average elf. You shouldn't expect all the other elves to perform to the same standard.
q181c@sopuli.xyz · 18 pts · 168d
You can tell it's a work of fiction because most of the royalty in LOTR have some outstanding qualities and aren't all inbred.
rumschlumpel@feddit.org · 8 pts · 168d
In medieval and antique Europe, royalty and nobility in general was often expected to fight on the battlefield. It was only in early modern times when gunpowder and pike squares started making heavily armored knights and especially heavy cavalry obsolete that this fundamentally changed.
That said, LotR is indeed rather idealized, and it definitely follows ancient tropes of beings who are better than humans in every way and yet can and will breed with humans occasionally (thus Aragorn and Elrond).
ryan2one3@mstdn.ca · 7 pts · 168d
@PugJesus Where'd they get 500 elves from? I don't remember that. Lol
ceiphas@feddit.org · 4 pts · 168d
Iirc, it was legolas and 2 other elves that joined after the battle (elronds sons)
The other archers were humans
CptHacke@piefed.social · 9 pts · 168d
No, Legolas was the only elf at the Battle of Helm's Deep.
ceiphas@feddit.org · 2 pts · 168d
Thats what is said, the other two joined AFTER the battle
wissenisstmacht@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 168d
True, though your comment was a bit cryptic.
I feel we really missed out, by getting Lorien elves instead of Dunedain rangers. Ofc they wouldn’t have been in such a prominent battle, like Helms Deep.
Though, actually they could have been placed quite well. I always disliked the army of the dead fighting at the Pelenor fields, in the movies, since it invalidates all the struggle of Minas Tirtith’ soldiers and Rohan‘s riders.
ceiphas@feddit.org · 2 pts · 168d
It's way better in the books