How Old is Elric of Melniboné?

Cafe Society
1

I was playing Akinator and it asked if the character was over 40 years old. I forget if Melnibonéans are long lived like Dwarves.

What was Elric’s age at the start of the books. What about at the end?

I don’t have the books anymore to look it up and my Google-Fu is weak today.

Thanks if you can help with this important matter!

2

I don’t think it was ever mentioned. I could be wrong though, it’s been decades. I just assumed they were similar to humans, maybe slightly longer lived.

I devoured those books as a teen.

ETA: I would answer under 40 for the question.

3

I’m not sure how old Elric was, sorry. But to assist with your google-fu, browse here:

(Now I’m going to try to find some Hawkwind “Chronicles Of The Black Sword” on itunes…)

4

Elric was 428th emperor of Melniboné, and the empire is said to have existed for 10,000 years. If we take that number as factual, then we get an average reign of 23.4 years per emperor. One could argue that that number is probably skewed downward due to numerous assassinations and deaths in battle and such, but it seems to lend credence to the idea that Melibonéans aren’t particularly more long-lived than humans are unless there’s sorcery involved.

I don’t recall Elric’s age ever being stated in the books, but IIRC, the saga takes place over a span of at least twenty years, so if Elric was under 40 at the beginning, he was probably over 40 by the end.

5

He was relatively young, IIRC. Several times it was mentioned that he was “young and headstrong,” or the like. So I’d say under 40.

6

I thought he was supposed to be immortal, hence his rather gloomy outlook?

7

From the top of my head, I don’t Moorcock ever really gives any ages.
But nowhere does he mention Melniboneans having long lives like elves or dwarfs have in many other writings.
(At least in their own world. Elric is in a dream world for a thousand years and seems to not age (much) there)

So if you keep that extended world out of it I think they age like regular humans.
In the first book, where he becomes emperor he still seems pretty young,
yet he was old enough to have received training in arts and combat.
I’d say he’s in his early-to-mid twenties there.

The rest of the stories up until the end of Stormbringer seem to take place over a decade or two.
I think at some point it is mentioned that his former countrymen have fallen on hard times “since the events several years ago”
So by the end of the books he would be between 40 and 50.

Various images seem to verify this.

His gloomy outlook is because as ‘eternal champion’ he is doomed to live the same life (fight for balance) over and over in various lives, but Elric himself is not immortal.

8

Thanks for the answers!

bobot, it is always a good time to whip out the Hawkwind. Especially at parties. Nothing destroys a party faster than playing Hawkwind’s Sonic Attack (written by Moorcock) :cool: :