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Fëa and hröa


In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, fëa and hröa are words for "soul" (or "spirit") and "body". The plural form of fëa is fëar (pronounced [ˈfɛ.ar]) and the plural form of hröa is hröar (pronounced [ˈrɔ.ar]). (The words are also spelt fea and hroa because the spellings ëa, öa, where they occur, are only meant to remind people used to English orthography that the two vowels should not be drawn together in speech as in English "sea" or "load")

The Children of Ilúvatar (Elves and Men) are described as existing as two parts: they have a "spirit" or "soul" called fëa, and a body or hröa which is made out of the matter of Arda (erma); for this reason hröar are Marred (or, using another expression by Tolkien himself, contain a "Melkor ingredient"), and this explains also why it was easier for Melkor and his servants to seduce Men rather than Elves, because mannish fëar have much less control of their hröar. According to the Elves, the fëa is powerless without the hröa, and likewise the hröa would die without the fëa.

The Elves' fate is to live as long as Arda exists; they are bound to the world and cannot leave it. Unlike Men, Elves do not die of disease or of old age. However, Elves may be slain or lose the will to live, for instance because of grief. When an Elf dies, the fëa leaves the hröa, which then "dies". The fëa is summoned to the Halls of Mandos, where it is judged; however as with death their free-will is not taken away, they could refuse the summons. If allowed by Mandos, the fëa may be re-embodied into a new body that is identical to the previous hröa. (In earlier versions of the legendarium it may also re-enter the incarnate world through child-birth.)


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