How do Characters in Tolkien's Middle-earth look like

This page was created on 1997-05-16. But I started collecting this data long before :-)

Genetics of Middle-earth

It's interesting to notice how accurate Tolkien was about the Laws of Genetics when creating his characters. For example, we never see any couple with a recessive trait having a son or daughter with a dominant trait...

In the list below I try present the page references for the description. Since I have books from several editions (from four countries and two languages), these pages must serve just to give an idea

Hair Colour

Golden Haired

Vana (Bolt, pag 76), Goldberry (_FotR_, pag 159), House of Hador (incl Hurin), House of Haleth, House of Ingwe (incl Indis), Finarfin, Galadriel (gold and silver mixed), Finrod Felagund, Morwen's mother (from Hithlum), Rian's mother (from Hithlum), Forweg (_UT_), Hurin (maybe red? cf._UT_), Idril Celebrindal, Tar-Aldarion, Almarian (Tar-Aldarion's mother), Almariel (girl in HoMe V, p.59), Fili and Kili (the beard), Eorlingas (_RotK_ p.429), Eowyn, Glorfindel, Thranduil (_The Hobbit_)

White Haired

Earwen (Finarfin's wife = Olwe's daughter = Galadriel's mother, _UT_), Celeborn (silver long and bright), Olwe, Balin, Gandalf

Silver-Haired

Elwe/Thingol, Cirdan

Dark-Haired

Tom Bombadil (brown), Elrond, Melian, most elves, House of Beor, Morwen, Rian, Turin, Luthien, Arwen, Maeglin (black), Aredhel, Erendis (Tar-Aldarion's wife), probably Tar-Meneldur, Boromir, Dunlendings (incl Freca, _RotK_ 429), Faramir, Mablung and Damrod (rangers of Ithilien), Aragorn (patched with grey), Fëanor (raven dark)

Red-Haired

Maedhros, some of Nerdanel's family, Amrod and Amras (Home XII, page 353)

Blue-Haired

Dwalin

Deductions from Genetics

Celebrian (light haired), Earendil (light haired), Elwing (dark haired)

Eye Colour

Blue-eyed

Manwe, Tom Bombadil, House of Hador, House of Haleth, Earendil, Olwe, Littleheart son of Voronwe

Sea-grey-eyed

Voronwe, Eowyn

Grey-eyed

Elrond, House of Beor, Arwen, Boromir, Hirgon (knight of Gondor), Faramir, Mablung and Damrod (rangers of Ithilien), Aragorn

Light-Grey-eyed

Erendis

Star-like-eyed

Thingol, Cirdan? ("keen as stars", end of RotK)

Dark-eyed

Gandalf, Maeglin

Yellow

Sauron? (Frodo's vision in the Mirror of Galadriel)

Height

Gandalf is shorter than Elrond and Glorfindel(p299), though he is broad sholdered and stands straight.

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