Forever obsessed with the fact that even the in-universe annotation in the appendices talking about how Legolas brought Gimli along to Valinor with him is like “We don’t actually know how they managed this. By all accounts, it doesn’t make any sense”
Gimli: So you know I’m on board with this, obviously, but like. If the world is flat for you, and it’s NOT flat for me, and the boat is only supposed to be able to get there the flat way…
Legolas: ?
Gimli: What happens if we’re both on the boat?
Legolas: I don’t know, but we’re gonna find out
[Insert title card reading MYTHBUSTERS: ARDA EDITION]
For reference:
Appendix A:
“Gimli Gloin’s son is renowned, for he was one of the Nine Walkers that set out with the Ring; and he remained in the company of King Elessar throughout the War. He 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.
After the fall of Sauron, Gimli brought south a part of the Dwarf-folk of Erebor, and he became Lord of the Glittering Caves. He and his people did great works in Gondor and Rohan. For Minas Tirith they forged gates of mithril and steel to replace those broken by the Witch-king. Legolas his friend also brought south Elves out of Greenwood, and they dwelt in Ithilien, and it became once again the fairest country in all the westlands.
But when King Elessar gave up his life Legolas followed at last the desire of his heart and sailed over Sea.
Here follows one of the last notes in the Red Book
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. If this is true, then it is strange indeed: that a Dwarf should be willing to leave Middle-Earth for any love, or that the Eldar should receive him, or that the Lords of the West should permit it. But it is said that Gimli went also out of a desire to see again the beauty of Galadriel; and it may be that she, being mighty among the Eldar, obtained this grace for him. More cannot be said of this matter.”
Appendix B:
“1541 – In this year on March 1st came at last the Passing of King Elessar. It is said that the beds of Meriadoc and Peregrin were set beside the bed of the great king. Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Anduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf. And when that ship passed an end was come in Middle-Earth of the Fellowship of the Ring.”
Several Notes:
Firstly: Gimli was named Elf-friend because of the great love and friendship that grew between him and Legolas, ‘greater than any that has been between Elf and Dwarf’
Secondly: It is, indeed, considered absolutely baffling to everybody that Legolas could have successfully managed to smuggle a dwarf into elf heaven, and that Gimli would have been willing to go (that a dwarf would go ‘for any love’)
Thirdly: Best guess anyone has is that they maybe flattered Galadriel enough for her to successfully bully gods into letting them in
Fourthly: Legolas built the ship. Legolas. The landlocked forest elf who’s never sailed an ocean or seen the Undying Lands in his life, and neither have any of his people. Now, granted, there was about a hundred years between the Quest and them sailing, so probably, hopefully, there was enough time for Legolas to learn ship-building and navigation and all that, but still. Legolas learned how to build himself and Gimli a ship, from scratch, to sail across an unknown ocean to an elf heaven that mortals cannot reach in hopes of staying together
Fifthly: Gimli went along with this. Gimli son of Gloin got into Legolas’ homemade boat and sailed across an ocean neither of them knew on the hope that Legolas could somehow smuggle him into elf heaven against all precedent and history at the end of it. Like, either Gimli just had complete and utter faith in Legolas and in the elves he’d known who’d gone before them, OR Gimli considered it worth it to die lost on the ocean just to accompany Legolas as much of the way as he could
I love these two so much, because on the one hand I’m crying about the faith and friendship, and on the other hand I’m just reconsidering once again that, in Gimli’s old age, when pretty much all their other friends were dead or gone west, this pair of idiots decided to build a ship from scratch, sail an ocean, and smuggle a dwarf into elf heaven, because fuck it, what’s the worst that could happen? Gimli’s going to die eventually regardless. Might as well at least attempt the impossible on the way, you know?
They were resolutely ridiculously right up to their literal (un)dying day, and I adore them
Enjoying the image of galadriel successfully bullying gods to get gimli into elf heaven
I’m sorry but where is the nine hour masterpiece of THIS
To add to this: Gimli was a Lord of his own dwarf colony/city/whatever. And I don’t believe there is any suggestion that Gimli married or had children.
So presumably, a new Lord had to be appointed to his position, which probably required an explanation to the Dwarf King. All before playing FAFO with a questionably built boat, presumably steered by someone whose never traversed an ocean before, on an ocean that operates off two entirely different sets of physics rules (apparently?), while trying to smuggle your trespassing friend with you.
Can you imagine how that conversation went? Dependable, white haired, geriatric Gimli, one of the heroes of middle earth, whose silver tongue charmed Galadriel, and whose ability to think, charm, and plan resulted in the strengthening of three kingdoms economies and/or infrastructure(Erebor, Rohan, and Gondor) and the creation of an entirely new colony/city/whatever. And he has to explain to Valar knows how many dwarrows—possibly including the ruler of Erebor and (maybe) Durin the VII (assuming they’re not one in the same)—that he’s abdicating so that he and a wood elf (neither of whom, btw, are likely to have any nautical experience) can take said elf’s DIY boat across a sea where the answer to question ‘flat Earth or round Earth?’ Is ‘yes’, presumably without a map or any directions beyond ‘go straight and try not to drown, all in the hope that he can pull a B&E on elf heaven.
And that’s without taking into account this little gem from the Silmarillion: “[…] the Naugrim yet came ever and anon over the mountains and went in traffic about the lands; but they went seldom to the Falas, for they hated the sound of the sea and feared to look upon it.” Naugrim, of course, being dwarves
Bonus: Thranduil is still alive, presumably, on at least one side of the sea. Imagine him finding out about this plan. Before, after, it doesn’t matter. I’ve always desperately wanted to know—canonically—what Thranduil and Gloin ‘s reactions were to their sons inevitably showing up together in the each other’s homes to introduce their new BFF. But I’ve always imagined it ends with Thranduil crawling into the bottom of a wine barrel and the remainder of Thorin’s passed out in a tavern somewhere.
But then Legolas—his son, a leader in Ithilien, a prince, a hero—either explains this plan to his father beforehand, or shows up in Valinor and explains his plan after the fact. In either situation Thrandruil has to deal with child’s phenomenal lack of both common sense and self-preservation.
