Why is it that all elves are female? I know why, it's because men (and boys [and men-children]) draw these pictures with one hand in their pocket. That pocket that has a hole in the bottom you know. But seriously think about how an elven population could sustain itself if it's only made of up women? Are elves a kind of fantasy race such as Amazons who only go to men when they want to reproduce, kill all their boy children and live in solitude? Or is it that gender roles are reversed in elven societies, so that elven women do all the fighting stuff (you know, archery is fighting when done against people and not animals, in which case it is hunting), and elf-men are take care of the home and children?
These scenarios seem unlikely at best. But according to contemporary pictorial evidence, all elves seem to be women.
Except Cary Elwes of course!
Back to business. That Elder Scrolls inspired (quod green glass sword) elvess (?, female elf) has many mistakes in her archery style, so probably she's just a poser with a bow, but without any knowledge of how to shoot with it.
1. Let's start with the bow as always. It's hoorrible, also as always. Sad. This bulky spiky thing would not actually work as a bow, so maybe she should just throw it at enemies instead of trying to shoot with it.
2. The string is not attached to the end of the bow limbs, as it should. The fistmele is also too great.
3. This is a reverse grip of the arrow. There is no point of doing this, and to my knowledge, no evidence of anyone ever doing it.
4. This is the place where the arrow should be nocked. About the center of the bowstring (technically usually one fist above the center, depending on bow type though), but this arrow is nowhere near the center. This arrow would hit the ground if shooting it is possible at all.
5. Back quiver. And on the wrong shoulder for a right handed person. Impossible to get the arrows from there.
6. The arrow has a huge arrowtip, which would be too heavy for an actualy arrow that is intended to be shot from a bow.
The truth behind elven repopulation: they're like those lizards that, when needed to propagate the species, will change gender at will.
ReplyDeleteIt's called parthenogenesis. It does not happen the way you described though, the lizards cannot change their sex. But in a dire situation when there are no males around, the females can develop an embryo inside an unfertilized egg shell, lay it, and it will grow into an adult. The offspring will be a clone of its mother. So (some) lizards can clone themselves!
DeleteThe problem with this is that it decreases the genetic variation, thus making the species more vulnerable to disease.
Parthenogenesis is more common in plants and invertebrate animals. It is not common in vertebrates, but some fish, amphibians, reptiles, and very rarely even birds can do it. Mammals cannot do it, and elves are mammals, otherwise they wouldn't have mammary glands (breasts), which these elves in the drawings certainly have!
It is interesting theory though, that I haven't heard before, so thanks for sharing it! Parthenogenesis only occurs in "lower life forms" if you allow me to use this outdated saying. Mammals are too highly developed in their reproductive style for that to be possible. It would explain why all (or most of) the elves are females, since parthenogenesis can only be done by females. It would need the elves to lay eggs though, which would be hilarious. ;)
Did not mean to post that twice - my apologies!!
ReplyDelete