In book canon, is there any reason to believe Legolas actually would have met Aragorn or Arwen before the Council?'

Aragorn, decidedly yes. He was the one who delivered Gollum to Thranduil's house in Mirkwood, expecting teh green elves to keep him properly. That they fucked up in keeping him, and he escaped, is what Legolas is traveling to Rivendell to report. So, the'd probably met then, even if they hadn't in the previous 86 years.

So what's this I hear about Legolas' father having kept Gimli's father imprisoned at some point?

Hobbit business. Thranduil captured all the dwarves in The Hobbit, and they would be there still but for Bilbo and his magical-invisibility-ring. He stuff each dwarf into a barrel and floated them down the river to Dale, where they got out of the barrels and went off to annoy Smaug the Dragon.

It was a whole big (funny) thing, because dwarves don't take kindly to being in a barrel in a river. And it's why, when Bilbo is making up names for himself to Smaug, he calls himself Barrel-rider.

[Which means, ironically, that Gimli has the Ring to thank for his existance, since without it, Bilbo wouldn't have been able to get the dwarves out of prison.]

So, Gimli was conceived after The Hobbit, which make him younger than Bilbo? Huh. I don't know why, but I had always thought of Gimli, though young for a dwarf, still pretty old compared to the hobbits.

Legolas -- we don't know when he was born but I'm guessing after the elves come back from Valinor

I have not myself read the specific notes and passages where this is talked about, but a friend more versed than I did once explain to me that Legolas is slightly less than three thousand years old.

Thranduil (Legolas' dad) was at the battle of the Last Alliance (along with Elrond), but Legolas was not, as he had not been born yet. He was born some time in the next thousand years, and is 2000 and change.

More to the point, Neither Legolas nor Thranduil headed to Valinor. Although they have a permanent invitation, they'd never taken it up. (Unlike Galadriel who went, got in a snit, and came back again.) I got the general impression that a lot of the time, the "lesser" elves were just as happy to stay out of the Noldor's way, and be left alone.

Neither Legolas nor Thranduil headed to Valinor. Although they have a permanent invitation, they'd never taken it up. (Unlike Galadriel who went, got in a snit, and came back again.)

Huh. This thread is better than the Silmawhatsion.

Calli, you have no idea how much Tolkien nerds love to show off. Or you do, if you'll recall how we fell all over ourselves to explain canon to Allyson last fall.

I believe the Dark Lord came to be called Bob in that frenzy. It was a thing.

we fell all over ourselves to explain canon to Allyson last fall.

That was where "Get in the damn boat, Fodo" came from, right?

you have no idea how much Tolkien nerds love to show off. Or you do,

During a lull at work last summer I went back and read every post in the TT thread. I was able to astonish and amaze my friends with the tidbits I picked up. So here's a resounding Thank You!!! to all Tolkien nerds, past and present. Y'all made me look smart.

If only there'd been an "Organic Chemistry: Life and Timing According to ME" thread back in college (or an internet, for that matter). It could have changed my whole career path.

This is edifying. Thank you.

Tests her luck.

So who are the Noldor, and what are the different races of Elves? Which of them speak Quenya and which Sindarin?

Actually, I believe in the Silmarillion, Morgoth names Sauron "Bob" originally. "Bob the Schmuck" or something. I can't remember.

And there was the whole epic saga of Who Drank the Last of the Valar's Coffee and Didn't Fill Up the Pot Or Chip In To The Coffee Fund And, By the Way, I Specifically Laid Claim to The Cinammon Donut and It's Not Here, Now Why Is That Bob?

It's buried in there, but you can find it.