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Generally, immortality is the concept of living for an infinite period of time, presumably in perpetual health. However, in the context of Tolkien's legendarium, immortality can refer to multiple states of being.
Types of immortality[]
- Ainur immortality - indefinite lifespan, but subject to "death" by damage with self re-embodiment possible or their spirits returning to the Halls of Mandos.
- Elven immortality - indefinite lifespan, but subject to "death" by damage, illness, or sorrow sending their spirits to the Halls of Mandos with potential re-embodiment by the Valar.
Both the Ainur and Elves could be barred from being re-embodied or returning from the Halls of Mandos, such as the cases of Melkor and Fëanor respectively, but this event was exceedingly rare.
Extended mortality[]
While not technically immortality, magic can extend the life of creatures far beyond their normal mortal span. The only known ways this has occurred center around magic rings, more specifically the Rings of Power: the One Ring, the Seven, and the Nine. The Three rings of power may have also had life extension effects, but they were never demonstrated as they were always worn by Elves.
Orcs may have experienced some sort of life extension, but their normal life spans were never really described beyond possibly inheriting a type of immortality similar to Elves from which they may have originated.
The Undead experienced indefinite animation, but not full immortality as they were usually lacking perpetual health and full cognition.
Relevance[]
In the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, only beings of Arda such as the Ainur and Elves are immortal. The state of Orcs' lives is unknown. Men, Dwarves, Hobbits, and most other races cannot live forever and thus are subject to aging and natural death; however various members of those races have endured longer extended lifespans beyond usual constraints through multiple means.
In Arda, despite many having a desire for it, immortality is not desirable for those who are of mortal kind. Each race has a set span; to exceed this span brings agony for mortals. There are many examples of this: the kings of Númenor who became witless and agonized by attempting to cling to life as long as possible (as opposed to earlier kings who gave up their lives willingly); Gollum's transformation into a twisted and starved being after his life was stretched five times longer than natural, by the One Ring; Bilbo Baggins' comment on his 111th birthday about feeling "thin and stretched," like "butter being spread on too much bread," this also is an effect of the One Ring. The only time mortals have ever been accorded peace in immortality is when they are accounted of the Elves: this choice has been mostly restricted to the Peredhil, the Half-elves (the one known exception to this being Tuor, who was born a full-blooded Man but was given a choice to be accounted among the Eldar).
The Army of the Dead was cursed by Isildur with immortality in the form of undead spectres after they abandoned their oath in the War of the Last Alliance. They were doomed to never die until properly fulfilling their oath.
In the latter half of the Second Age, Sauron's corruption of the Númenórean King Ar-Pharazôn made Ar-Pharazôn believe that if he could invade and conquer the Blessed Land, he could become immortal. The vain attempt at this, in SA 3319, resulted in the destruction of Númenor by the Valar, and Ar-Pharazôn's imprisonment in the Caves of the Forgotten.
