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Limpë

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Limpë was a magical elven drink used specifically by the Eldar according to an early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.[1]

History

Limpë could heal longing caused by Tinfang's music. Only queen Meril could give it. Drinking it was dangerous for a mortal Man, as Ilúvatar made his Children different, and drinking limpë would erase old desires but awake new ones. Sometimes, after teaching and examination of the heart, it was given to children from the Cottage of Lost Play, but giving it to an adult was different and the person would suffer. It gave youth, but the man had to die anyway.[2]

Because Noldoli had not had it yet during their flight from Valinor, the evil soon ensnared them.[3] Limpë was given to Elves by Tulkas during their great expedition to save enslaved Gnomes.[4]

Limpë was given, possibly by Eärendel, to a Man named Ing, the king of Leithian, who became immortal after drinking it.[4]

Eriol learnt about limpë from Vairë. When he went for it to Meril-i-Turinqi, she refused to give him it immediately, as first he had to learn more. She told him about the chaining of Melko[2] and the coming of the Elves.[5] Later Lindo explained that Eriol had to visit Gilfanon in his House of the Hundred Chimneys.[6] As the last condition, Gilfanon bid Eriol to write down all the tales that he had heard in Tol Eressëa. Then, six months after he had initially asked, Eriol drank limpë. He was forever young and married Naimi, an Elf, but finally he died in Tavrobel, homesick.[4]

Etymology

Limpë is a Quenya name meaning "wine, drink of the Valar",[7] being derived from the root LIP ("wine").[8]

In other versions

In an earlier version of Quenya, limpë variously meant "fairy-drink",[9] "elfwine",[10] and "drink of the fairies".[9][11] The name is derived from the root LIPI ("drip, drop").[9][11] Its Gnomish cognate was limp or limpelis.[11] However, later Gnomish forms were limfa[12] or limfelis.[13] It was called líp in Old English.[4][14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Index, entry "Limpë"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, IV: "The Chaining of Melko"
  3. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, VII: "The Flight of the Noldoli"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. II: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, VI: "The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales"
  5. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, V: "The Coming of the Elves and the Making of Kôr"
  6. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, VIII: "The Tale of the Sun and Moon"
  7. ↑ "Limpë" on eldamo.org
  8. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: The Etymologies, entry "LIP-")
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Parma Eldalamberon XII, pg. 54
  10. ↑ Parma Eldalamberon XVI, pg. 141
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I, pg. 258 (entry "Limpë")
  12. ↑ Parma Eldalamberon XV, pg. 7
  13. ↑ Parma Eldalamberon XI, pg. 54
  14. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. II: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, Index, entry "Limpë"