Oropher

[Biscuit]

Anyone got any thoughts on why Oropher is only in The Unfinished Tales and not in any of the other 'History of Middle Earth' books? Is it possible that he was in some way related to Thingol or maybe Celeborn?:confused:

[Michael Martinez]

I think that, at the time Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, he envisioned Celeborn as a Silvan Elf, and Celeborn's greeting to Legolas seems to imply some sort of relationship (since Celeborn says "too seldom do my kindred journey hither from the north", although he could have been speaking in a more tribal fashion.

As for why Thranduil's father is only encountered in Unfinished Tales, one must look at the sources. Oropher is only mentioned in a couple of fragmentary essays and an end-note to "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields". There is really no other place where he could have been mentioned (and still have contributed in some way to a proper storyline).