FFXIV 2nd expansion: Viera-like race still a possibility?

[zaviermhigo]

I feel like the verbs attributed to Tolkien are kinda hefty in this thread, the look of elves was completely taken from Scandinavian mythology , maybe not the early Viking oral stuff, but for sure the stuff in High German and later centuries, Nordic elves were tall, pretty, blonde etc. Tolkien drew on this, he also drew from they same mythology for dwarves, he did invent orcs though, there might be something he's inspired by but he really invented those. What he did invent as far as elves was that "immortal" struggle that plays a part in the novels, that the elves always have these odd jealousy of their moral cousins and vice versa. Elves were though of as whimsical, hidden, and mythical before, not really as "human" like Tolkien portrayed them as (ie having feelings, relationships etc) although in Scandinavian/Nordic myth elves did lay with men (female elf to male human) and create children. The statement Tolkien inspired modern mmo and rpg elves is totally true and I am in agreeance with that, although some did go straight to the sagas and not to Tolkien, they were just being hipsters

This is taken straight from wiki, don't know what their sources are (too lazy), but I also read similar info in books about Tolkien: The modern English word elf derives from the Old English word ælf (which has cognates in all other Germanic languages). Numerous types of elves appear in Germanic mythology, the West Germanic concept appears to have come to differ from the Scandinavian notion in the early Middle Ages, and Anglo-Saxon concept diverged even further, possibly under Celtic influence. Tolkien would make it clear in a letter that his Elves differ from those "of the better known lore", referring to Scandinavian mythology.

If you are really interested its kinda funny, cause Tolkien was inspired by the original sagas and written works by others on the myths, but now those same works he was inspired by in turn are inspired by Tolkien's commissioned artwork for the Hobbit and LoTR. Its an interesting thing, so I can see how one can eclipse the other till the people forget the earlier.

Honestly if you aren't really well read up in Nordic mythology , it can help a little from time to time in FF games and its way cooler than that Classical stuff.