An interesting fact about elves: vegans or omnivores?
Added 2022-11-22 10:46:39 +0000 UTCMilva brings a goat she has shot to the camp of the Scoia'tael, and they are delighted with such a gift. So they were not going to just look at it, but will eat goat. Earlier, we learn that there are no more dwarves in the Scoia'tael brigades, that is, the goat was definitely intended for the sharp-eared guys. However, later we find out that elves do not have fangs, that is, in theory they should be herbivores or perhaps they used to eat only plants, but now they have changed their diet.
This contradiction was created by Sapkowski himself, perhaps by mistake, but I accept it and think that elves, like humans, can decide for themselves whether they eat meat or not. Let's say this is not their natural food, but nothing bad will happen if they suddenly taste, for example, roe deer.
What do you think about this?
Интересный факт о эльфах: веганы или всеядные?
Мильва приносит в лагерь скоя'таелей подстреленного ею козла и те обрадовались такому подарку. Стало быть они не смотреть на него собрались, а съесть. Ранее мы узнаем, что в бригадах скоя'таелей больше нет краснолюдов, то есть козел точно предназначался остроухим. Однако, потом мы узнаем, что у эльфов нет клыков, то есть по идее они должны быть травоядными или возможно раньше питались только растениями, но теперь поменяли свою диету.
Это противоречие создано самим Сапковским возможно по ошибке, но я принимаю его и думаю, что эльфы как и люди могут сами решать есть им мясо или нет. Допустим, это не их естественная пища, но и ничего страшного не случится, если они вдруг отведают к примеру косули.
А что вы думаете на этот счет?
Comments
I'm definitely no biologist, so that was really interesting to read @Majestät - thank you! I always thought, that they're omnivores just like humans, but simply evolved in a different way or maybe way further than humans to not have sharp canines anymore. We can just simply compare the evolution of canine teeth in humans and we see already, that the ones we have now are way smaller and less sharp, than our ancient ancestors had. So that was always my assumption and I never honestly thought that the elves are strictly vegetarian or vegan because they don't have canines and could be herbivores. I think that's more their personal (or societal?) preference. But for warriors e.g. it wouldn't really make much sense to not eat meat - the complete proteins, which meat / animal-based food contains are better for muscle development and strength than plant-based diets, that lack some necessary amino-acids. So at least for the elves like the Scoia'tael, the Red Riders, etc. I've always assumed that they do eat meat.
Seda Ilandere Kaden
2022-11-23 16:30:33 +0000 UTCThank you very much for your valuable comment! I fully agree with you. The differences between elves and humans are not significant and I maintain that even in the best of times, elves were not pure vegans. For example, now the Aen Elle live in a city where there are many rivers and I think they would be complete idiots not to fish from them.
Yagi Hikaru
2022-11-23 15:23:05 +0000 UTCOooh, biology is my speciality, so here are my two cents. Plenty of herbivorous animals have sharp canines. Camels and stallions for instance. Conversely, some omnivores lack canines entirely. Such as rats. Therefore, the lack of canines doesn't necessarily signify veganism. The elven species as a whole are never confirmed to be vegans/vegetarians in the books. Their flat dentition is a minor feature that's overblown by all the characters, especially when one considers their ability to produce fertile hybrids with humans. That means, biologically (unless magic is involved), elves have the same number of chromosomes as humans and the two species are closely related. Humans and elves have far, far more in common than they have differences. I think Sapkowski deliberately put this absurd canine conundrum in the books as a commentary on racism. To point out how we're always harping on our minor differences, instead of celebrating our commonalities, which could bring us together.
Majestät
2022-11-23 11:46:23 +0000 UTC
