My daughter has become a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings movie and is reading the trilogy. To keep up with her, I'm re-reading it. Last night as I was falling asleep, it occurred to me that pointed ears are a common visual cue for various beings, notably elves. But nowhere in the trilogy are their ears mentioned. Moreover, I can't recall any of the old tales where ears are mentioned regarding elves, fairies, ellefolk, sidhe, or other suchlike beings throughout the world. So, when did this cue start? I've only just started looking into this one, but I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.