I see, @GenderNihilismGirdle and I remember there was that singer Conchita he looks like a total babe with a sexy beard, too. I find him beautiful, and also the model you posted about, too. Still the picture of an elf in my mind has no beard, it is just the mental images of the fantasy races in my brain. If I had to explain the races to a total newcomer to d&d:
Elves-no beard, slender build, almond shaped eyes, one with-nature, good at spells and archery, long tipped ears, a bit prideful and haughty at times, freedom driven, artistic.
Dwarves-short, stocky, tough, heavy beard and body hair, brave, likes strong drink and mining, a bit crude and dour but trustworthy.
Gnomes-short, not as stocky as dwarves, large caricaturish nose, creative prankster, eccentric tendencies and obsessions.
Halfling-shorter than others, cute and childish looking, curly fuzzy hair, exceptional at sneaking and anything that requires agility, a bit lazy, likes home food and simple comforts, hairy large feet.
Half-elves:a perfect mix between human and elf, can support a beard and many do if they want to mix in with the humans. Humans are more tolerant to half-elves.
Half-orcs:strong, tough and mean, may support tusks, pig nose, and odd-colored skin and pupils.
Ofcourse, there are always exceptions and they are famous for it. (Drizzt THE chaotic good drow with lavender eyes!)
Considering Drow can have pale hair of any colour, not just pure white, it would've been great if Drizzt's hair and eyes were both lavender. R.A. Salvatore missed a great opportunity there!
@GenderNihilismGirdle That part bothered me particularly in the comics, where all drow have literally identical skin and hair colours. Such a missed opportunity! Though I personally prefer more natural colours, i.e. platinum blonde and ashen coloured skin or smoke coloured hair and desaturated, dark violet skin.
One can say about Viconia's colour palette what they want, but the pale blue skin and the blonde highlights in her hair make her at least unique.
Let's just have skinny Dwarves, 6 foot Halflings, attractive Half Orcs, and Gnomes with common sense. Need I go on Elves should not have beards, if they do they are Half Elves and this is perfectly acceptable.
Dorn IS pretty good looking for a half-orc. But considering how he has a human-only class, he's probably taken after his human half much more than his orcish. The cheat.
@Vitor As stated above, LotR actually has a canonical bearded elf. And then there is also Elrond's depiction in the 1977s animated Hobbit movie:
Nah... Judging just by the books they never tell if elves do have beards or not. So, we keep the depiction of Shakespearean elves-fairies, wich doesn't have. Also, the films got the appearance of Warhammer and TSR elves, wich doesn't have beards.
Nah... Judging just by the books they never tell if elves do have beards or not
Both Círdan and Mahtan (Fëanor's father-in-law) are in fact described as having beards, and they are both full-blooded elves.
In other places, it is explicitly mentioned though that elves are beardless; an inconsistency.
It might just be an oversight on Tolkien's part. It was pointed out to him while he was still alive, and he retconned a few things to make it make sense but it's overall a bit of a weak position.
Then again, fictional is fictional. Do what you will.
Not as far as I know, have to choose between his elven and human heritage and choose the elven side while his brother Elros choose humanity and became the first King of Numenor (Aragorn being the ultimate decendant of that line).
Whoever wants a beard and can grow one, should be allowed to get one and not let such feeble notions as "canon" stop him!! Elves, embrace your hairy fantasies! (wait, that sounded wrong...)
Well, last eve as I found myself under the celestially lit canopy of twilight shadows, reciting a particularly cunning verse with my blade, I contemplated upon the matter.
Why do the fair folk not have beards?
Is it the androgynous state of their being that prevents mature elves of any gender from growing a beard?
Perhaps there is some connection with the graceful deity Correllon Larethion who represents male and female genders as appropriate.
As the original communicator of the Eldar to this age of mortals, perhaps Tolkien imagined them as eternal, ageless adolescents, especially when compared to the light of the Valar?
Tolkien relied heavily on Scandinavian mythos for inspiration and there was much in ancient Norse culture which commented on beautiful, handsome and fair men, not covering or hiding their faces behind beards, as such a grown man who was clean shaven could not only be seen as womanly, but was also vain.
Perhaps it is a physical reminder to the mortals, that the fair folk are in fact spirits and not marked by time as the younger races are.
It could be as simple that the fair folk choose not to have beards, but whatever the reasons may be, the fact remains that the true Tel-Quessir do not grow beards!
@GenderNihilismGirdle That part bothered me particularly in the comics, where all drow have literally identical skin and hair colours. Such a missed opportunity! Though I personally prefer more natural colours, i.e. platinum blonde and ashen coloured skin or smoke coloured hair and desaturated, dark violet skin.
One can say about Viconia's colour palette what they want, but the pale blue skin and the blonde highlights in her hair make her at least unique.
I personally think the pale blue skin throws me way too much for a drow, I like 'em dark even if not pitch-black, and weirdly the opposite problem occurs with her hair, which seems too dark for me aside from the blonde highlights? I feel like if she'd has a very pale blonde hair throughout, or a paler shade overall with the blonde highlights or even white highlights, I'd have loved that, and if her skin had been a darker shade of blue I'd have been down with that too. The hair pale/skin dark combo is the drow essential, it's just not necessary to marry it to hair bone white/skin pitch black. They made her skin pale and her hair too dark aside from the highlights, it totally throws me every time I look at it.
Comments
Elves-no beard, slender build, almond shaped eyes, one with-nature, good at spells and archery, long tipped ears, a bit prideful and haughty at times, freedom driven, artistic.
Dwarves-short, stocky, tough, heavy beard and body hair, brave, likes strong drink and mining, a bit crude and dour but trustworthy.
Gnomes-short, not as stocky as dwarves, large caricaturish nose, creative prankster, eccentric tendencies and obsessions.
Halfling-shorter than others, cute and childish looking, curly fuzzy hair, exceptional at sneaking and anything that requires agility, a bit lazy, likes home food and simple comforts, hairy large feet.
Half-elves:a perfect mix between human and elf, can support a beard and many do if they want to mix in with the humans. Humans are more tolerant to half-elves.
Half-orcs:strong, tough and mean, may support tusks, pig nose, and odd-colored skin and pupils.
Ofcourse, there are always exceptions and they are famous for it. (Drizzt THE chaotic good drow with lavender eyes!)
One can say about Viconia's colour palette what they want, but the pale blue skin and the blonde highlights in her hair make her at least unique.
*cough* Jan *cough cough*
Boy, my throat hurts!
PS: That sounds wrong somehow ...
Also, Elrond is a half-elf.
In other places, it is explicitly mentioned though that elves are beardless; an inconsistency.
It might just be an oversight on Tolkien's part. It was pointed out to him while he was still alive, and he retconned a few things to make it make sense but it's overall a bit of a weak position.
Then again, fictional is fictional. Do what you will.
As far as I know it is never reconned in LotR.
Why do the fair folk not have beards?
Is it the androgynous state of their being that prevents mature elves of any gender from growing a beard?
Perhaps there is some connection with the graceful deity Correllon Larethion who represents male and female genders as appropriate.
As the original communicator of the Eldar to this age of mortals, perhaps Tolkien imagined them as eternal, ageless adolescents, especially when compared to the light of the Valar?
Tolkien relied heavily on Scandinavian mythos for inspiration and there was much in ancient Norse culture which commented on beautiful, handsome and fair men, not covering or hiding their faces behind beards, as such a grown man who was clean shaven could not only be seen as womanly, but was also vain.
Perhaps it is a physical reminder to the mortals, that the fair folk are in fact spirits and not marked by time as the younger races are.
It could be as simple that the fair folk choose not to have beards, but whatever the reasons may be, the fact remains that the true Tel-Quessir do not grow beards!
But on topic: LET VICONIA GROW A BEARD!!