His aim is practically infallible. And no, this characteristic does not only derive from his nature as an elf.
 |
| Image Credit: New Line Cinema |
Legolas Thranduilion, or Legolas Greenleaf, is certainly one of the most beloved characters in The Lord of the Rings, also thanks to the interpretation of the charming Orlando Bloom in the film saga. Son of King Thranduil, the elf is one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring and is known for being an excellent archer, something he also demonstrates in the playful "competitions" with the dwarf Gimli, in which the two challenge each other to pierce the greatest number of orcs. There are several reasons why Legolas is considered one of the most skilled archers in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The first is, quite simply, his nature: the character is an elf, and in folklore, these magical creatures have always been associated with woods and forests, places where the favorite weapon for hunting was precisely the bow. Tolkien was personally fascinated by this instrument.
In fact, he had a strong admiration for the Native American peoples, and in a 1939 essay entitled On Fairy-Stories, he expressed the desire to learn to shoot with a bow. As an elf, Legolas has very developed sight and hearing, as well as a connection with nature that allows him to act in harmony with the world around him. His age also plays in his favor: Tolkien never explicitly reveals the character's date of birth, but for the film version it was calculated that Legolas is 2931 years old, placing his birth in 87 of the Third Age. This therefore provides him with all the experience necessary to develop his skill with the bow.
But many do not know that a much sadder and darker reason led him to become an infallible warrior. The character belongs in fact to the people of the Sindar, who at the beginning of the Second Age, under the leadership of Oropher, arrived in the forest known as the Great Greenwood. But, following the return of Sauron, on this place, which originally constituted the largest forest in all of Middle-earth, dark shadows slowly fell. Due to the influence of the dark lord, already in the middle of the Third Age, the forest was infested with orcs, goblins, wolves, and other evil creatures. The darkness fell more and more, to the point that the original name was abandoned, and the place became known as Mirkwood or Dark Woods.
In short, Legolas and his companions learned to shoot with the bow in complete darkness, to defend their home from Sauron's influence and bring light back to the places of the Wooded Realm. Unsurprisingly, hunting orcs in the sunlight is a walk in the park for our elf. Legolas' ability to get a perfect bullseye even in the dark of night is highlighted in a scene from the novel, which was not transposed into the films of The Lord of the Rings. While the members of the Company are crossing the river Anduin by boat, they notice that a Nazgul is preparing to attack them. Legolas then draws the bow given to him by Galadriel and shoots an arrow in the absolute darkness, without seeing the enemy face to face, nevertheless hitting him squarely.
Source: CBR
0 Comments