Human Innovations That Might Surprise/Puzzle the Elves

MithLuin said:
[Not to belabor the Melian conversation, but the reason Lúthien requests a spinning wheel from her mother at that time is because she is imprisoned and cannot fetch one herself. So, it's not like Melian is the only person who has a spinning wheel or anything - it's simply that Lúthien doesn't have one in her treehouse and needs to ask for one to be provided for her at this time.]
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The problem with spinning-wheels is that they cross the barrier to be real machines and - with both them and the preceeding spindle-wheels (which do not cross it yet) - is that both are at their core time-saving devices, which limit and impair direct artistic control of the spinner to various degrees (and the spinner's mobility). As such elves would use them only when really pressed for time, and they almost never are. And spindle-wheels (and through them their descendants the spinning-wheels) are derivates of sericulture originally, so why would elves develop them in the first place if they are not into sericulture? \The content for their existance is missing completely. Regarding Luthien -as a spinner has to adjust to a wheel- she usually would prefer to have her own that she does know brought to her.
 
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They do have words for wheels and carts and wains, they know these things and understand them.They just do not like them very much, that does not mean they NEVER use them!But these things are not very popular in their culture...

I actually like the idea of them using sleds and other things native americans used i stead of wheeled vehicles.I think we CAN on and off use a cart or a coach... just not too often.Elves also dislike saddles and bridles, they're a bit eccentric on such things.
 
Haerangil said:
They do have words for wheels and carts and wains, they know these things and understand them.They just do not like them very much, that does not mean they NEVER use them!But these things are not very popular in their culture...

I actually like the idea of them using sleds and other things native americans used i stead of wheeled vehicles.I think we CAN on and off use a cart or a coach... just not too often.Elves also dislike saddles and bridles, they're a bit eccentric on such things.
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To be honest, I've never found the existence of Elvish words for things to be compelling evidence that the Elves have or use such things. You can have words for things other cultures use, even if those words are borrowed.
 
Nicholas Palazzo said:
To be honest, I've never found the existence of Elvish words for things to be compelling evidence that the Elves have or use such things. You can have words for things other cultures use, even if those words are borrowed.
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Could it be that Melian was gifted her spinning-wheel by men or even dwarves in a kind of kingly gift-exchange? I could imagine dwarvish ladies using them quite early. It is just in its very core idea a very "un-elvish" thing to invent or use.
 
It is just evidence, but evidence it is.It doesn't say they use them, it doesn't say they like them.But i think it implies they have seen them, know them and have given some thoughts on them because... elvish is a very descriptive language.
 
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