Os elfos de Tolkien sabem nadar?

Eu só consigo encontrar uma referência para um Elfo nadando, de Contos Inacabados :

When Nimrodel fled from Lórien it is said that seeking for the sea she became lost in the White Mountains, until at last (by what road or pass is not told) she came to a river that reminded her of her own stream in Lórien. Her heart was lightened, and she sat by a mere, seeing the stars reflected in its dim waters, and listening to the waterfalls by which the river went again on its journey down to the sea. There she fell into a deep sleep of weariness and so long she slept that she did not come down into Belfalas until Amroth's ship had been blown out to sea, and he was lost trying to swim back to Belfalas. This legend was well known in the Dor-en-Ernil (the Land of the Prince), and no doubt the name was given in memory of it.

^{Unfinished Tales Part II: "The Second Age" Chapter IV: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"}

Em geral, os elfos da Terra-média eram muito apaixonados pelo mar, mas não por causa de qualquer afinidade natural com a água; para eles, o mar representava o caminho para Elvenhome, o paraíso deles. Seu amor era principalmente espiritual.

A principal exceção são os Teleri, os grandes marinheiros élficos, que tinham uma strong afinidade com o mar:

But the Teleri remained still in Middle-earth, for they dwelt in East Beleriand far from the sea, and they heard not the summons of Ulmo until too late; and many searched still for Elwë their lord, and without him they were unwilling to depart. But when they learned that Ingwë and Finwë and their peoples were gone, then many of the Teleri pressed on to the shores of Beleriand, and dwelt thereafter near the Mouths of Sirion, in longing for their friends that had departed; and they took Olwë, Elwë’s brother, to be their king. Long they remained by the coasts of the western sea, and Ossë and Uinen came to them and befriended them; and Ossë instructed them, sitting upon a rock near to the margin of the land, and of him they learned all manner of sea-lore and sea-music. Thus it came to be that the Teleri, who were from the beginning lovers of water, and the fairest singers of all the Elves, were after enamoured of the seas, and their songs were filled with the sound of waves upon the shore.

^{The Silmarillion III Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 5: "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"}

Eu não encontrei nenhuma referência a eles nadando, mas parece provável que eles fizeram.

'The Oarni give to Eärendel a wonderful shining silver coat that wets not. They love Eärendel, in Ossë's despite, and teach him the lore of boat-building and of swimming, as he plays with them about the shores of Sirion.'

[...]

Eärendel was smaller than most men but nimble-footed and a swift swimmer (but Voronwë could not swim).

^{History of Middle-earth II The Book of Lost Tales Part 2 Chapter 5: "The Tale of Eärendel"}

Eu principalmente leio aqui quando entediado ou quando simplesmente não tenho mais nada para fazer (como agora). Mas uma coisa que eu notei é que Jason Baker tem respostas deliciosamente completas e ele certamente leu mais do HoME do que eu (eu li alguns deles, mas não cheguei perto de todos eles) e mais dos outros também (eu não leu todos os Contos Inacabados, por exemplo).

É por isso que estou bastante surpreso com a falta de uma referência a um elfo que nadou: em O Retorno da Sombra; a origem de quem finalmente se tornaria Isildur era um elfo. Isso não é dos meus livros, mas de uma cópia digital que uso enquanto estou no computador (porque mantenho livros na biblioteca relevante e todos os meus livros de fantasia estão em outra sala da casa). Com isso em mente:

'It fell from the hand of an elf as he swam across a river; and it betrayed him, for he was flying from pursuit in the old wars, and he became visible to his enemies, and the goblins slew him.' But a fish took the ring and was filled with madness, and swam upstream, leaping over rocks and up waterfalls until it cast itself on a bank and spat out the ring and died.'

Para colocar em perspectiva quando isso foi previsto, é quando Gollum ainda era Dígol (assim escrito; mais tarde, é claro, Sméagol mataria Déagol pelo Anel), que Christopher observa como:

Old English dígol, déagol, etc. 'secret, hidden'

Mas veio após o tempo em que Dígol foi considerado (foi eliminado no ato de escrever de fato) algum tipo distante de duende. Eu não posso dizer qual versão do rascunho é essa, mas aí está: outra vez é sugerido um elfo nadado.

Os elfos amam a água. Eles surgiram perto de um corpo de água

By the starlit mere of Cuiviénen, Waters of Awakening, they rose from the sleep of Ilúvatar; [Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor; Silmarillion]

e há assentamentos perto de corpos de água, como os Portos Cinzentos ou Alqualondë. Os Teleri eram excelentes em construir navios.

Long they remained by the coasts of the western sea, and Ossë and Uinen came to them and befriended them; and Ossë instructed them, sitting upon a rock near to the margin of the land, and of him they learned all manner of sea-lore and sea-music. Thus it came to be that the Teleri, who were from the beginning lovers of water, and the fairest singers of all the Elves, were after enarmoured of the seas, and their songs were filled with the sound of waves upon the shore. [Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië; Silmarillion]

Legolas diz para seus companheiros quando ele vê Gulls:

Then I stood still, forgetting war in Middle-earth; for their wailing voices spoke to me of the Sea. The Sea! Alas! I have not yet beheld it. But deep in the hearts of all my kindred lies the sea-longing, which it is perilous to stir. Alas! for the gulls. No peace shall I have again under beech or under elm. [RotK, The Last Debate]