| Mafindel | |
| Fictional Character | |
| "Coming Across" Fantasy set partly in OTL | |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct |
| Species: | Elf |
| Cause of Death: | Suicide by cliff-jumping |
Mafindel was exceptionally handsome, even among the high standards of the elves. When Lingol returned from his visit to the world beyond the Door and told of his pleasurable experience there, Mafindel lamented his turn at such a journey would not come for another 500 years, by which time everything in the human world would be different. Lingol consoled him by teaching him the love technique he had learned from the human Gaetan, so that Mafindel could have a piece of the world he was missing. Unbeknownst to them, Lingol gave Mafindel something else from the human world as well.[1]
Years later, Lingol, who had been suffering from a mysterious curse, encountered Mafindel again. Mafindel was suffering from the same ailment, but had deteriorated even worse. He was scrawny to the point of gauntness, his bowels were incontinent, and his mind experienced dementia. Had Lingol had the correct frame of reference, he would have said that Mafindel's infirmity resembled that of an aged human.[2]
Eventually it got to the point where Mafindel could bear it no longer. He went to the Green Mountains to end his life. Celcalad the wizard urged Mafindel to reconsider, protesting that a treatment for the curse might be developed in years to come. Mafindel refused this entreaty, and explained that life had become such a burden that to extend it would be nothing but eternal torment. Mafindel then walked to the edge of the cliff and jumped to the rocks below.[3] This was the first of many "Leavetaking" suicides among the elves.
Literary comment
The elf names in this story seem to be based on the Elvish languages created by JRR Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings and related works. In this case, Mafindel resembles Glorfindel.
References
| ||||||||||||||