As a fandom, I think we’ve accepted that Tolkien’s elves had very sensitive ears. Something that I’ve been thinking a lot about recently, seeing fanart of the elves and reading meta, is elves in earrings. Because it would be so painful for elves to get them, I think they’d be part of a warrior’s rite of passage, and the number of earrings an elf had would be a testament to their strength and valor and skill in battle. Less skilled warriors, or new ones, would have a rather pirate-y look because of the uneven number of earrings, or they would just have the one on one ear.
It would start with purely practical earrings: no-nonsense studs with no adornment. These elves mean business, and anything more elaborate might get in the way. But somewhere along the way, as the warriors gain power and status, and as the elven cultures develop their artistry in times of peace, the earrings become more elaborate. They become not only a sign of skill and strength, but a way to show wealth and display their artistry. Elven kings of old wear earrings that sparkle and shine like stars framing their faces, and sometimes they commission matching crown and earring sets. Smiths that craft earrings are in high demand, and their fine work is highly respected.
Of course, there is the odd elf or two that has warrior skills but refuses to wear earrings. Perhaps they believe in the sanctity of their Eru-given bodies, perhaps some are simply uninterested. Others, like Elrond, perhaps, simply find such displays of skill to be boastful and unwise. He does not want all of his friends, allies, or visitors to see his skill in combat every time they look at him, and he would much rather surprise an opponent with his capability than draw enemies with proud displays. Or, perhaps he has just seen too many earringed elves fall to foes, and knows the futility of such frivolity.
Glorfindel would be just riddled with earrings. Elves would ask him how many he wore, and he would laugh in his ringing voice and tell them to guess. It becomes part of his legend; when they retell his conquering of the Balrog, elves never forget to mention his earrings. With every retelling the number grows. Glorfindel, of course, does nothing to dispel the fantastic rumors. But when Eru brings him back to Arda with a new body, he leaves his earrings behind. His suffering and new purpose have sobered him some, and he wonders if Elrond may be right about not wearing them.
Maedhros, too, had ears studded with almost more earrings than could be counted. Feanor was proud to give his sons their first earrings, and helped them pierce their ears themselves. He continued the tradition as he led his sons to rebellion, and Maedhros was his firstborn with deeds to match his status. But that was before his captivity, before the tortures of Morgoth. Now his ears are scarred and misshapen, and he is too ashamed of himself and his father to have them pierced again. Now, he is the only Feanorian that does not wear earrings, though he, perhaps, deserves to wear them most of all.
