Why do elves trance?

[diaglo]

Looking at my "Best of Dragon, Vol 3", I see that Roger Moore wrote an article for Dragon #60 (April 1982) titled, "The Elven Point of View". In it he says:
Cited as a biblography for the article is Master of Middle-Earth, by Paul H. Kocher. So, I'd say there's a good chance that the elven sleep-trance came from Tolkien in some form. Oh, and it's obviously been part of AD&D since 1E, if not before.

What I always found interesting about elves is that they have spirits, not souls. This means they will be reincarnated after their death rather than go on to a permanent afterlife (this is mentioned in the same article). This seems to have been dropped from 3E, but I've made it something of a cornerstone of elven psychology on my world.

it seeped into 1edADnD via Dragon. but wasn't older than that. elves slept and had beards in OD&D.

 

[Piratecat]

It's just a typo. It was supposed to read "prance".

Don't tell anyone, but I think I love you.

 

[Scribble]

it seeped into 1edADnD via Dragon. but wasn't older than that. elves slept and had beards in OD&D.

Now they're metrosexuals. hehe

 

[berdoingg]

Cos they don't know that the Euphoric scene is sooo last year.

 

[Remathilis]

Remathilis, I hope you didn't have to type all that up just now! (But if you did, thanks a lot.)

So, the elven trance is presumably based on a flavor text from a 2e book of elves?

Are there any other litterary examples?

How do you all feel about the trance? Does it match your view of elves? Of all elves? Or should it be used to give elves of a particular setting a special flavor?

Actually, I still have Core-Rules 2.0 Expansion on my computer (cuz I'm still sentimental to it) and they had full HTML version of the Complete Book of Elves. Point, Copy, Click, Paste.

 

[diaglo]

Actually, I still have Core-Rules 2.0 Expansion on my computer (cuz I'm still sentimental to it) and they had full HTML version of the Complete Book of Elves. Point, Copy, Click, Paste.

ditto. and the Core-Rules pre-expansion. and FRIA. and the 250 Dragon Mag. and Campaign Cartographer. and...

but that's all at home.

 

[Gez]

Don't tell anyone, but I think I love you.

Promise, I won't. It'll be our secret!

 

[Klaus]

Why do elves trance?

'Cause they're tired of drum'n'bass...

 

[Scribble]

'Cause they're tired of drum'n'bass...

get back to the one small room lit with a strobe light in the back of the party jungle head.

 

[Robbert Raets]

Eh? It does what now?