Would Arwen's children have been doomed to mortality even if she had married an elf?

Odola

Well-Known Member
In an older version of the Quenta Silmarillion, Manwë spoke this judgment to Eärendil:

To Eärendel I remit the ban, and the peril that he took upon himself out of love for the Two Kindreds shall not fall on him; neither shall it fall upon Elwing who entered into peril for love of Eärendel: save only in this: they shall not ever walk again among Elves or Men in the Outer Lands. Now all those who have the blood of mortal Men, in whatever part, great or small, are mortal, unless other doom be granted to them; but in this matter the power of doom is given to me.
The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, Quenta Silmarillion

This is proclaimed to Earendil at his arrival in Valinor (542 First Age) and if the "Now" that starts the sentence is meant literally, then this judgement does not necessary apply to Dior and his two sons as they were born and died (506 First Age) before the timepoint of this proclamation (nor any possible Avari/human hybrids born before that timepoint - but it would apply to their offsping conceived after the time of that proclamation).

But it does apply to all of Elrond's children - which accordingly were given the "other doom [...] granted to them" at their respective births (how - via Glorfindel?).

But unless also there is also "other doom [...] granted to" Elrond's grandchildren and their descendants each time anew each generation down - even if their respective "halfelven" parent choose to be an elf and had married an elf - the child is born mortal. Even if the drop of human blood is dilluted to however small amount, even if born in Aman. It seems it is not the choice of the parent that matters but the human blood in even miniscule amount.

This means the should Arwen or her brothers had chosen the fate of elves and had married elves, their children would still be per default mortal in spite of that.

The Tolkien Professor said once he does not consider it proper in the story that Elrond's sons were given a choice like Arwen had. But according to Manwë's ruling they have to, if "all those who have the blood of mortal Men, in whatever part, great or small, are mortal". Elrond's sons have a small amount of human blood and they would pass it on to their own children.

[But imagine a poor Avarin elf with a human great-grandparent (as humans awoke 1 Year First Age at the 1st Rising of the Sun, so possible as 500 years is long anough for the Avari to have mixed with them e.g. four generations before the proclamation of Manwë) s/he might not even know about given the wars and hardships the Avari went through. Now s/he decides to marry a normal pure-blood elf in the some centuries or millenia to come and for him/her completely out of nowhere their children turn out to be mortals - what a shock!]
 
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