[identity profile] jasmasson.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] ship_manifesto

 Title: Of Ears and Beards, A Legolas/Gimli Slash Essay

Author: Jas Masson

Email: jasmasson@yahoo.com

 Elves and dwarves.  They just don't get along.  Except for the UST.  And the games.  And the sailing into the sunset together...

 

 Icon courtesy of [livejournal.com profile] __kali__  

1. Introduction

 

This is a Strange FriendshipTreebeard, The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter X

 

In Fair Middle Earth, where we set our scene, the enmity between Elves and Dwarves is legend.  The Montagues and Capulets have nothing on them. 

 

The origins of their dispute are lost in antiquity:

“It was not the fault of the Dwarves that the friendship waned,” said Gimli.

 

“I have not heard that it was the fault of the Elves,” said Legolas.

 

“I have heard both,” said Gandalf. (The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter IV)

 

and this distrust and dislike between elves and dwarves is the setting in which our two protagonists meet.  Legolas is a wood-elf of indeterminate (but old) age, and Gimli is a dwarf.

 

Not only is there general dislike between elves and dwarves, but there is personal history between the two families.  Legolas’s father Thranduil treated Gimli’s father Gloin somewhat, ah, shabbily in The Hobbit.

 

Elves and dwarves are as disparate in appearance and temperament as it is possible to be.  Elves are calm and graceful, dwarves aggressive and stout.  Elves delight in forests and flora, dwarves in caves and rocks.  Elves are tall and beautiful, dwarves are short and... not beautiful.

 

So there are a myriad of reasons why Legolas and Gimli should not be friends let alone soulmates; racial prejudice, family history, likes and dislikes, temperament and appearance.  And yet they become the closest of companions.  A quote in Entertainment Weekly (2004):

 

"As the Fellowship's most agile warrior, Bloom brings a stoic bravery to his elven bowman. And his thawing relationship with John Rhys-Davies' Gimli gives Arwen and Aragorn a run for Most Touching Couple."  (Courtesy of [livejournal.com profile] yav_14  )

 

The relationship is there in spite of their differences and it is a beautifully slow and genuine relationship in both the pages of the book and the scenes of the film.  If love can blossom, and it does, between these most unlikely two, then surely romance exists! 

 

For this essay’s purposes I will use both the Jackson films and the books as canon.  There is nothing in the movies that is contradictory to the books for this relationship, although it is expressed in a more contemporary manner.  The one difference is the most superficial – Legolas of the books has dark hair, but I must confess that on this, Orlando Bloom and Peter Jackson have completely persuaded me!

 

2. Rocky Beginnings

 

“Never trust an Elf” (Gimli, The Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Version)

 

The start is less than promising.  Open hostility in the movie and distrust in the books.  The differences between them are plain to see, the enmity between elves and dwarves is stressed, particularly when entering Lothlorien, where the company are obliged to be blindfolded because of the Elves’ distrust of Gimli (The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter VI).  However, these differences, in actual fact do not last long.

 

Instead of hostility and distrust, the relationship moves more into a competition.  A game of one-upmanship. 

 

Gimli is pleased at the opportunity to show off Moria to Legolas:

 

“And now, Master Elf you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves” (The Fellowship of the Ring, movie version)

 

In The Two Towers, in both film and book, they have a competition as to who can kill the most orcs, (won by Gimli), a competition continued in the films to The Return of the King.

 

Gimli is evidently sensitive to Legolas’s opinion.  In The Two Towers, Aragorn ‘tosses’ Gimli into a hoard of orcs, but only after Gimli makes him promise, “Don’t tell the Elf.”

 

In the extended edition of Return of the King, they also indulge in that most primitive of masculine competitions, a drinking game (won by Legolas).

 

And yet, while the edge to their relationship is in evidence, so is the humor and respect.

 

3. Growing Respect

 

“You comfort me” (Gimli to Legolas, The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter V and Legolas to Gimli, The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter VII)

 

That the competition between them has no malice, and is rooted in affection, is clearly evident.

 

In The Two Towers movie, a fan favorite scene occurs at Helm’s Deep, while waiting for the battle, Gimli (a little on the short side) cannot see the approaching army, and Legolas asks:

”Shall I describe it to you... Or would you like me to find you a box?” (Legolas to Gimli, The Two Towers, Movie version)

 

Gimli laughs at this instead of taking offence.  From The Two Towers onwards, there are many examples of their budding relationship.

 

They ride together where possible and comfort the other’s fears.  They worry over the other’s well being and there are countless examples of where they consider themselves as one.  They become LegolasandGimli:

 

“Where you go, I will go” (Gimli to Legolas, The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter V)

 

“You speak for me, Gimli” (Legolas, The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter VIII)

 

“I will gladly go with you, if Legolas, my comrade, may ride beside us.” (Gimli to Eomer, The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter VI)

 

“Legolas and I...” (The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter X)

 

In the extended version of Return of the King, Gimli nudges Legolas to shoot Saruman, and Legolas goes instantly to obey.

 

“I for one!” cried Legolas.  “And Gimli with him!” said the dwarf.  (The Return of the King, Book Five, Chapter II)

 

And in the same chapter Gimli is only persuaded into the Halls of the Dead because Legolas goes; because “An Elf will go underground when a dwarf dare not.  Oh.  I’d never hear the end of it.”  (Movie version.)

 

Their concern and caring for each other is much in evidence:

 

“Where is Gimli?” (Legolas to Aragorn, at Helm’s Deep, The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter VII)

 

 

“I would cut off your head, beard and all, Master Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground,” said Eomer.

 

“He stands not alone,” said Legolas, bending his bow and fitting an arrow with hands that moved quicker than sight.  “You would die before your stroke fell.” (The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter II and movie version)

 

And while their differences remain, they are prepared to overcome them for each other:

 

“[I] would pay pure gold for a brief glance [of the Glittering Caves]!” [said Gimli]

 

“And I would give gold to be excused,” said Legolas; “And double to be let out if I strayed in!”...  “Let us make this bargain – if we both return safe out of the perils that await us, we will journey for a while together.  You shall visit Fangorn with me, and then I will come with you to see Helm’s Deep.”

 

“That would not be the way of return that I should choose,” said Gimli. “But I will endure Fangorn, if I have your promise to come back to the caves and share their wonder with me.”  (The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter VIII). 

 

This promise is fulfilled in The Return of the King, Book Six, Chapter VI.  To be with each other they are prepared to put all other differences aside.

 

4. Eternal Love

 

“You must not go to the Havens, Legolas.  There will always be some folk, big or little and even a few wise dwarves like Gimli, who need you.” (Merry to Legolas, The Return of the King, Book Five, Chapter IX)

 

The pact they make to visit Fangorn and Helm’s Deep together is only the start of their journey.  Together they move South while Aragorn lives and then:

 

“[Gimli] was named Elf-friend because of the great love that grew between him and Legolas, son of King Thranduil, and because of his reverence for the Lady Galadriel...when King Elessar (Aragorn) gave up his life Legolas followed the last desire of his heart and sailed over the sea.  We have heard tell that Legolas took Gimli Gloin’s son with him because of their great friendship, greater than any that has been between Elf and Dwarf.”  (Appendix A, III Durin’s Folk)

 

Legolas and Gimli are the eternal couple. 122 years after the fall of Sauron they are still together and sail off to the Grey Havens, and theirs is chronologically the last action of the book (Appendix B).

 

LegolasandGimli are Tolkien’s OTP; so unlike in all the trivial, unimportant ways, and yet intrinsically and inescapably bound together in friendship and love.

 

5. Fanon

 

So.  You’ve seen just some of the canon evidence that LegolasandGimli are meant to be.  But why slash them?

 

Well, a brief survey so L/G fans provokes a number of responses.  I suppose, however, before this, I should deal with the visuals.  This is no ‘ship where pictures of the characters will make your argument for you.  They do look a little odd together as Tolkien admits:

 

Together the Elf and Dwarf entered Minas Tirith, and folk that saw them pass marvelled to see such companions; for Legolas was fair of face beyond the measure of men, and he sang an elven-song in a clear voice as he walked in the morning, but Gimli stalked behind him, stroking his beard and staring about him. (The Return of the King, Book Five, Chapter IX)

 

Some fans may have kinks for very physically different lovers.  Some fans may enjoy the insecurity and angst opportunity such differences may cause, usually in Gimli, but not always.  After all, beautiful though he may be, Legolas is not a ‘short hairy woman’ (Return of the King Extended Edition) which is a dwarf’s usual taste.

 

Many fans, however, simply enjoy exploring a relationship strong enough to survive such differences. 

 

Many fanfics focus on the movement from hostility to love, many on how they overcome their differences, and the complexity of the relationship make Legolas and Gimli excellent slash fodder.

 

To get you started, the main Legolas/Gimli site is Axe and Bow:

 

http://axebow.hakaze.com/fic.htm

 

This contains the long list of Legolas and Gimli fics from which you can take your pick, but is not often updated.

 

For a steady stream of L/G, the Axe and Bow yahoogroup is, however, active. Sarah has just finished the excellent 38 chapter ‘Return to Mirkwood’.

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Axe_Bow/

 

Also updated, at varying frequency, is the Legolas/Gimli page of The Library of Moria, the main LoTR slash archive:

 

http://www.libraryofmoria.com/legolasgimli/index.html

 

where there is a frequently updated WIP, For Continuing Strange, by Annie Harris.  Nicely done if a little clichéd in character.

 

On these archives, here are some prime stories.  Some are favorites of mine and some others recs to try and ensure they are not all one type of fic:

 

http://axebow.hakaze.com/fic/fic-honesty-alien1.htm

http://axebow.hakaze.com/fic/fic-honesty-tantalus.htm

 

http://axebow.hakaze.com/fic/fic-marie-dove.htm

 

http://axebow.hakaze.com/fic/fic-moirai-journey.htm

 

http://axebow.hakaze.com/fic/fic-oakenshield-dreaming.htm

 

http://www.libraryofmoria.com/legolasgimli/chamberofthedancingrainbows.txt

 

http://www.libraryofmoria.com/legolasgimli/grace.txt

 

http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter_view.cfm?STID=433&SPOrdinal=1

 

http://www.libraryofmoria.com/legolasgimli/littlethings.txt

 

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1385363/1/

 

I cannot not rec this trilogy, as it is my favorite.  However, you will note I only attach two links, as the third part is a long time in coming.  It is well worth reading anyway, and perhaps some additional begging will speed the process along:

 

http://axebow.hakaze.com/fic/fic-ladyhawk-starlight.htm

http://axebow.hakaze.com/fic/fic-ladyhawk-clouds.htm

Date: 2005-01-18 09:03 pm (UTC)
wisdomeagle: (spoilers)
From: [personal profile] wisdomeagle
YAY! OTP.

I mean, really, there's nothing else to say. They are the OTP. Theirloveissocanon. And they ride off into the sunset together. *squee*

Oh, one of my OTPs!

Date: 2005-01-18 09:05 pm (UTC)
fleurrochard: A black and white picture of a little girl playing air-guitar and singing (ancient love)
From: [personal profile] fleurrochard
Nice essay - I liked all the quotes!

The one difference is the most superficial – Legolas of the books has dark hair, but I must confess that on this, Orlando Bloom and Peter Jackson have completely persuaded me!

As far as I know, it is never stated in the book which colour Legolas' hair has. Most elves have dark hair, so it is likely that he has dark hair, but since his father is blond, he could very well have blond hair, too.

Re: Oh, one of my OTPs!

From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2005-01-19 06:23 pm (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2005-01-18 09:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mistressrenet.livejournal.com
Their friendship, I think, is supposed to mirror the friendship of Ruth and Naomi, which has been read as a lesbian relationship before: "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge." --Ruth I

Very nice. Very canon, those two.

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Date: 2005-01-18 09:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paratti.livejournal.com
Great essay, and I love those two.

Date: 2005-01-18 09:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cygna-hime.livejournal.com
Squee! Best couple ever! *dies of the love* You brought up everything I would have thought of, and then some. Go you! Also, mad quote love. You just know Tolkien loved them too.

However, repeat after me:
The one-n canon,
On the screen;
The two-n cannon,
War machine.

Thank you.

Date: 2005-01-18 09:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] annakas.livejournal.com
*purrrr*
Finally a L/G essay. I adored it.

Hmm and Legolas does indeed have a dark hair in in the book. It is mentioned in one sentence in the book. Don't remember exactly where but vaguely something tells me it was in The Fellowship of the Ring par of the book where their tried to cross the mountain. But I am not 100% sure if it was there.

My absolute favourite L/G story is Nimue's "When You Are With Me" the prequel pre-slash/friendship story "Unravelling the Tale" is pretty damn good too.

Though "Cold Comfort" (simply love the unique theme the author has chosen) and it's sequel "Fire from the Embers" by ... can't remember who wrote them is a very good L/G stories too.

*goes into her dream world to think about more G/L goodness)

annakas

Date: 2005-01-18 10:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cienna.livejournal.com
Nimue's story is my absolute favorite L/G story, too! I wasn't even that into the pairing until I read it. And I agree that there's definitely a reference to Legolas' hair being dark somewhere in the books. I might have to dig them out again now.

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From: [identity profile] ladykorana.livejournal.com - Date: 2005-01-19 06:52 pm (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2005-01-18 10:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] carodee.livejournal.com
I first read the trilogy when I was ten years old and I assumed the ending meant Legolas and Gimli were married. They've been my Tolkien OTP ever since. True love overcoming racial enmity! :-)

Very nice essay. I'm delighted to have the recs, since I don't read much LoTR fanfic.

The hair issue.

Date: 2005-01-18 10:42 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
A fine essay that offers much supporting evidence of the remarkable bond between our Elf and Dwarf. There is always more to be said (and stories to be written) and I hope this stirs up some inspiration.

Legolas' hair colour, however, is never mentioned in the books. Ever. There are arguments both ways, but the Elf is never described to us in any great detail. Imagine him as you will, he's as you'd like him to be... which is another creative plus for those of us who like to encourage Legolas and Gimli to behave more intimately.

(And thank you, Annakas, for the compliments!)
Nimue

Date: 2005-01-18 11:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gardendoor.livejournal.com
Splendid, splendid essay, and a wonderful blending of book and movie canon to form a balanced whole accessible to fans of either or both. But hey, I was sold on Gimli/Legolas from the beignning... ;)

Date: 2005-01-18 11:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sir-hellsing.livejournal.com
That's my favorite slash pairing in Tolkien! Nice essay!

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Date: 2005-01-19 12:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] iamspecial.livejournal.com
Ah, not a shipper myself, but truly a very cute pairing, and your essay made me smile several times.

Date: 2005-01-19 12:49 am (UTC)
ladysorka: (OTP)
From: [personal profile] ladysorka
Legolas and Gimli are my eternal LotR OTP - so much so that I simly can't read the text without seeing it. I, in fact, completely avoid most of LotR fandom now-a-days (I was relatively active pre-film), purely because I simply can't read Legolas with anyone but Gimli.

To me, Legolas/Gimli is as canon as Arwen/Aragorn, or Faramir/Eowyn. I simply can't wrap my mind around an interpretation in which it isn't there.

So, yes.

(Also, a quick reminder - there is only one 'n' in canon. 'Cannon' is something you shoot big balls of lead out of off.)

Date: 2005-01-19 12:52 am (UTC)
ladysorka: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ladysorka
out of, even.

Date: 2005-01-19 01:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] labingi.livejournal.com
Great, detailed look at their relationship! It's interesting when you see the movie dialogue next to the book dialogue how clearly the difference in "diction" comes through. But I agree that the relationship has much the same parameters in both the books and movies.

I'm glad you mentioned the background in The Hobbit. Legolas could very easily have been at the Battle of Five Armies himself, which would make his background with Gimli's family even stickier.

Date: 2005-01-19 02:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fleshlycherry.livejournal.com
Great essay! I always had the happy little fantasy that sailing to the Grey Havens together was really just a euphemism for moving to Canada and getting married.

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From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2005-01-20 05:27 am (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2005-01-19 04:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] uffishthought.livejournal.com
What a wonderful essay! I used to be a somewhat active reader of Legolas and Gimli, but somehow the only story I can call to mind right now is one that involved Gimli's scandalous piercings, so I'm thinking of going back and poking around again.

Hoorah!

Date: 2005-01-19 10:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] emma-in-oz.livejournal.com
Thank you for this fabulous essay. For me this is the definitive relationship of LotR. It's a wonderful, canon-based, prejudice busting friendship. Gimli Elf Lover indeed. What else could it mean?

Date: 2005-01-19 04:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] yav-14.livejournal.com
Bravo! Wonderful essay. Thank you so much for writing it.

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Date: 2005-01-19 09:03 pm (UTC)
ext_14908: (Legolas and Gimli ride Arod)
From: [identity profile] venusinchains.livejournal.com
Ah, my favorite fantasy pairing. I love subtext - but these two are out and out text. Thank you for writing this essay!

I have to agree with [livejournal.com profile] ladykorana though. The 'Legolas has DARK hair' argument is pure book fanon. Tolkien mentions Thranduil's Golden hair quite plainly, but never mentions one thing about Legolas' mother; so Legolas' own hair color is left to the reader's imagination (and readers tend to latch onto that one sentence already mentioned, which describes him in silhouette - meaning his whole head would appear dark).

Now I'm wondering if Gimli's mother was ever mentioned.... *strains brain* I'm thinking not...

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"pretty"

From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2005-01-24 04:56 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: "pretty"

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Date: 2005-01-20 04:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] heartofslash.livejournal.com
Interesting essay. You seem to have hit on the most common points.

There is absolutely no mention of Legolas's hair colour in the book, I'll agree with several posters on that issue. And I'm not sure where you get the idea that Dwarves are categorically "not beautiful", but if you're judging by Hollywood standards, I suppose they aren't.

There was a misquote though. In "The Return of the King" (Extended Edition), Gimli makes a somewhat lewd comment about "little, hairy women". The quote "small hairy women" comes from the slash fanfic Small Hairy Women (http://www.livejournal.com/users/heartofslash/14250.html#cutid1), not the movie. I changed the quote because I wasn't fond of the way JRD said "little", and since Legolas was going to repeat the phrase so often in the fic, I preferred a word that would look and sound particularly delectable coming from his mouth. The fic is rated a mild R.

A lovely essay!

Date: 2005-01-28 06:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bellebonnesage.livejournal.com
A lovely essay about my favorite couple, thank you very much! (especially for the many recommendations -- there's always a chance I missed something).

Someone else caught the echo of Ruth and Naomi in Gimli's "Where you go, I will go" but there is another interesting echo in the relationship as a whole. Late Eighteenth and Nineteenth century English (and American -- see Melville) literature contains a number of intense ... friendships between men of different races (Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday are probably the best known still today). It's very likely that Professor Tolkien knew of this tradition, but I have no idea how to determine what he thought about it.

Of course I can't think of a single reference this morning, but I know that academics (mostly English Lit. folks) in LBGT Studies have written about this love-between-men-of-different-races phenomenon.

Date: 2005-02-12 05:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] grlnamedlucifer.livejournal.com
Lovely essay! Legolas/Gimli was my OTP before I even knew what slash was and I was *shocked* to find out that other people didn't think it was canon! I mean come on! They sail into the sunset together! What more do you need?

=^_^=

Date: 2006-03-02 05:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bardicfeline.livejournal.com
Heee...I remember when I read the Ring Trilogy for the first time...and even then, I thought the friendship between Legolas and Gimli was, frankly, one of the cutest things I had ever seen. I'm not sure I was thinking "couple" at the time, but now I'm conviced that it's practically canon. ^_^ So this essay made me giggle like the insane fangirl all the way through, and actually prompted me to start digging around for L/G stories that I remembered enjoying.

I honestly would recommend the author Thundera Tiger. She does not, alas, write slash, at least not that I have found...but she has written some of my favorites L/G friendship fics, so I say she is still worth checking out. Here's a link to a list of her fics, if anyone is interested:
http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/story_sort.cfm?STAuthorID=27&CSCharID=0&STCategoryID=0&STGenreID=0

Back to the main point: Beautiful essay, and bravo for backing it all up with strictly canon evidence. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to see that there are folks out there who love these two as much as I do. Thank you for making my day!

Date: 2008-08-19 06:17 pm (UTC)
artemis10002000: Don't drink water... fish have sex in it (Default)
From: [personal profile] artemis10002000
A wonderful essay about this lovely couple!

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