Elven Sight

Well obviously it was better than the sight of men, but how much better?

If the average man had 20/20 (just random here), would Elves have something like 20/10??

I never really understood the concept of the 20/20 thing, only that, that is perfect vision for humans. My son had his eyes examined and they told me his sight was 20/20+40. So does that mean that what you can see at 20 feet away, he can see at 40 feet away? I don't know. Elven sight was not even comparible to human sight I don't think. In the first place, they saw in both the physical world, and the spiritual world. They saw things in a whole different way. As far as seeing like men, what ever was perfect vision for men, they were better, and more perfect.

It's very, very, very, very good. Legolas was able to see an Eagle flying high when it was completely out of sight of Aragorn and Gimli. He was able to make out the number of Rohirric horsemen and how many horses were empty when Aragorn could only see a number of horses approaching. And he's not even a High Elf!

Obviously, that is a good quantitative example of how much better Elf eyesight is. I don't have enough familiarity with the opthalmic scales to put a number on that quantity, but it is definitely better than my eyes which are 20/20. That leads me to another question, however.


Is Elvish eyesight so much better because they are bound to the world in a way thet the Mortal races are not?

It may well be that their eyesight was so much better then humans because they were bound to the world. Iluvatar though, seems to have made them superior in every way. Was their vision superior in the dark? I seem to remember in The Fellowship of the Ring, where Haldir had a problem. I recall they used lamps when the Hobbits ascended the tree to join them.

[L@ur@y Elven Warrior]

Elves would have the best sight that anyone could have it's perfect.

[Seton,Lothlorien Guardian]

Lets get scientific!:v)

maybe Elves are descendants of a form of hawk/bird/animal
( like a dragon, snake, cat, ect.. )
which causes them to have 'better' vision.

Of course this is not true because the Gods made the Elves.

[Sister Golden Hair]

Of course this is not true because the Gods made the Elves.

Gods? Well, Eru made the Elves.

[Alquagarwaen]

I do not really know how far can the Elves see, but amke yourself an idea: The elves awaked before the sun and the moon creation,
so their only light for a lot of years were the stars (that are creation of Varda). And (as I see it) they were thinked to live in that conditions (at last for a short time), becouse his "birthdate" was decided by Eru since a begining (not like the people of gimli, that are a creation of Aulë.

[Arien the Maia]

Originally posted by Alquagarwaen
I do not really know how far can the Elves see, but amke yourself an idea: The elves awaked before the sun and the moon creation,
so their only light for a lot of years were the stars (that are creation of Varda). And (as I see it) they were thinked to live in that conditions (at last for a short time), becouse his "birthdate" was decided by Eru since a begining (not like the people of gimli, that are a creation of Aulë.

WEll the Elves did have a long time to adjust to the dark I've read that after a while of being in the dark, your eyes to get better at seeing in the dark....but look at Gollum...his eyes got huge!

[Noahamir]

Gollum's eyes got huge living in the dark, but how much of that is because of the mutating effect of the Ring of Power.

I think Elvish eyesight is better than Mans due to a several factors instead of just one reason.

1.) Better Design - Elves bodies were designed to last forever unless killed so had to be of higher quality than man with short lifespan.

2.) Night Vision - Living in Darkness before the Sun and Moon sharpened there Night Vision

3.) Magically Enhanced Vision - Some elves for a fact had Magical Foresight, not a stretch to think of Magical Farsight as well.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Noahamir
1.) Better Design - Elves bodies were designed to last forever unless killed so had to be of higher quality than man with short lifespan.

If elves get a bad wound and it heals into a scar does the scar eventually disapear highlander like? Do they regenerate bits like eyes or fingers? And if they dont wouldnt there be sort of a leprisy effect among elves since after thousands of years of going out there and doing things in such a dangerous world (and even doing normal things like cooking and making things) they would aquire blemishes and small injuries of all sorts.

[Wayfarer]

Elves heal quickly, and probobly do not scar. They do not regrow limbs though.

[BeardofPants]

Yeah, not unless Maedhros deliberately chose not to regrow his hand.

[Wayfarer]

You don''t mean to suggest he was an Apotemnophilic?

[Earniel]

Congrats Wayfarer, you've just made my dictionary cry.