were the valar unfair?

[afro-elf]

Originally posted by Artanis
Not to all Elves, but to the Eldar, that is all the Elves that set out on the great journey from Cuivienen, even if they forsook the march afterwards, and their descendants.

MM say this

After the War of Wrath Eonwe travelled through Middle-earth and he reissued the summons to all the Elves to pass over Sea to Aman.

Here he mentions ALL. It was taken from a thread about the Avari.

Can you site the source you give were it says only the Eldar.

[Artanis]

The Silmarillion, Akallabêth:

When therefore Morgoth had been thrust forth, they held council concerning the ages that should come after. The Eldar they summoned to return into the West, and those that hearkened to the summons dwelt in the Isle of Eressëa; and there is in that land a haven that is named Avallónë, for it is of all cities the nearest to Valinor, and the tower of Avallónë is the first sight that the mariner beholds when at last he draws nigh to the Undying Lands over the leagues of the Sea.

Then there is letter #151:

Gone was the 'mythological' time when Valinor (or Valimar), the Land of the Valar (gods if you will) existed physically in the Uttermost West, or the Eldaic (Elvish) immortal Isle of Eressëa; or the Great Isle of Westernesse (Númenor-Atlantis). After the Downfall of Númenor, and its destruction, all this was removed from the 'physical' world, and not reachable by material means. Only the Eldar (or High-Elves) could still sail thither, forsaking time and mortality, but never returning.

And finally letter #154:

But the promise made to the Eldar (the High Elves – not to other varieties, they had long before made their irrevocable choice, preferring Middle-earth to paradise) for their sufferings in the struggle with the prime Dark Lord had still to be fulfilled: that they should always be able to leave Middle-earth, if they wished, and pass over Sea to the True West, by the Straight Road, and so come to Eressëa – but so pass out of time and history, never to return.

[afro-elf]

Thanks.

[Ruinel]

If the choice was made for all your decendents, then you better think about the long term! It makes the choice all that much more important. They made their choice for themselves as well as their decendents. Not the best choice, not an informed choice, and not the choice I would have made. Were the Valar unfair to the decendents, maybe... yeah, I think so. But I believe exceptions were made. Legolas made the trip West and he was not a decendent of the Eldar but Moriquendi. However, he had served ME as a member of the Fellowship and did a great service for all of ME.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

He probably batted his eyelashes at Varda.

[Artanis]

Originally posted by Ruinel
Legolas made the trip West and he was not a decendent of the Eldar but Moriquendi.

As far as I know, Legolas was a Sinda and one of the Eldar. His grandfather Oropher journeyed from Beleriand with some of his people, and established his realm among the Silvan Elves in Greenwood. The Silvan Elves were themselves reckoned among the Teleri, and so they were also in origin Eldar.

There were exceptions, as you said, but Legolas was not among them.

[Ruinel]

Originally posted by Artanis
As far as I know, Legolas was a Sinda and one of the Eldar. His grandfather Oropher journeyed from Beleriand with some of his people, and established his realm among the Silvan Elves in Greenwood. The Silvan Elves were themselves reckoned among the Teleri, and so they were also in origin Eldar.

There were exceptions, as you said, but Legolas was not among them.

You know, I think I'm wrong on this one. For whatever reason, I always thought that only the Elves who actually finished the trip were considered Eldar. Now I look back in The Sil and it says that all those that started on the trip, not necessarily those that finished the trip. Only the Avari are not considered Eldar. Oropher didn't have to finish the trip to be considered Eldar. Hmmmm, weren't they called Eglath ("the Forgotten" or "Forsaken", can't recall which).