#EDIT: it's 5.25 am and i still havent slept and i should have just checked the grammar on this long ago lol

[armenelols]

So I just wanted to talk about the first time we see Elrond in LotR, in the chapter Many Meetings (which I just reread and my mind is exploding with thoughts, thus here I am writing this). He was, of course, mentioned a few times before that, and he did make an appearance in The Hobbit, but for someone who didn't read any other Tolkien books before, this was their first impression of him. And since Elrond is my number one Tolkien character, of course I take every opportunity to ramble about him and am already worried about the length of the post I'll possibly make about him after rereading the Council of Elrond. Sue me.

To start with:

"There they hastily kindled fire; for Glorfindel knew that a flood would come down, if the Riders tried to cross, and then he would have to deal with any that were left on this side of the river."

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"'Who made the flood?' asked Frodo.

'Elrond commanded it,' answered Gandalf. 'The river of this valley is under his power and it will rise in anger when he has great need to bar the Ford."

- Fellowship of the Ring, Many Meetings

I love how this chapter just straight up tells us that Elrond casually goes around causing floods every time someone unwelcome tries to get to Rivendell. What were the two sieges of Imladris like? Did Sauron try to get into the valley, only to return back on the shore completely wet and spitting water? What about Angmar's armies in the Third Age? Were they just standing near the river for 50 years because every time they tried to cross it, they would drown?

Adding to that, in The Hobbit, Gandalf, the dwarves and Bilbo had some trouble getting into the valley because they kept going in circles (despite the fact that Gandalf was in the valley many times before) - they didn't get there until after the elves from the valley lead them there. I think some illusions were keeping them out, but I am not entirely sure, I would have to reread it.

What am I trying to say? That the siege back in the Second Age was probably just Sauron and his army getting repeatedly drenched and drowned or going in circles and getting lost. Adds a whole new perspective to Sauron's drowning during the Fall of Númenor. Every time he gets involved with the sons of Eärendil or their descendants, it ends with someone drowning. No wonder he tried to get rid of them so hard.

Also, I would like to remind everyone that Gandalf fully supports Elrond's floods and makes them into horse shapes because this is Gandalf we are talking about, of course he does

But I strayed off the topic entirely so returning to Elrond in this chapter and leaving Sauron back in Mordor.

Another of the things we immediately hear about Elrond is that he healed Frodo - that he tended to him for four nights and three days, to be exact. Yeah, this mightly lord of the valley who can just casually summon floods to get rid of ringwraiths, spend several days healing Frodo. Even Gandalf wasn't sure if Frodo could be healed. He could, simply because Elrond still had hope and tried his best.

Adding to this, we are given a nice description of him and told that Arwen is his copy but female, and she is also Lúthien 2.0, making Elrond male Lúthien is appearance. It's not important when talking about Elrond's personality but I still felt the need to point out that his beauty is on the level of I-can-just-start-dancing-and-singing-and-the-creator-of-all-evil-would-be-enchanted-by-me Yeah. Go Elrond.

Returning back to his personality, I would like to talk about it a little differently this time around - and that is in comparison to Elrond in LotR movies.

Personally, I have nothing against Hugo Weaving - I like him as an actor in the little I've seen him in, and he does a good job with what he is given. However, the script straight up turns Elrond into a different person - a person without any hope, an overprotective father, constantly frowning, unhappy. That is just - not book Elrond? At all?

The first dialogue with Elrond in this book is between him and Bilbo. Bilbo without fear teases him about telling him to wake up and Elrond is smiling and laughing the entire time they talk. This is the second time we actually meet him, the first time being the feast where we are given his description, and he is smiling the entire time. This is the first time we actually hear him speak and meet him close up and he is smiling and being 100% friendly with Bilbo.

And here I am, just wondering how exactly did the scriptwriters of the movies read this and proceeded to write him as a brooding elven father with zero hope in, well, anything.

The first impression we get of Elrond in LotR is him being kind, friendly, smiling, wise, caring and powerful, and I love every second of it. All of this despite the fact of how much he had lost in his life - even in this chapter, it is said that Celebrían suffered torment in the dens of the orcs (while mentioning Elladan and Elrohir). Why am I writing all this? Partly because he deserves more love and partly because every time any book mentions him, my head is exploding with thoughts. You are welcome.