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Galadriel

Galadrielsf


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Gender
Female
Parents
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Celebrían (N) = non-canon


Galadriel (S. "maiden crowned with a radiant garland") was a noble lady of the Noldor, one of the most famous and powerful among the Eldar.

History[]

Elder Days[]

Born in the Undying Lands to Finarfin and Earwen of Alqualonde. She was strong willed, and competitive. The Elda enjoyed athletic games as well as mental exercise, and Galadriel proved again and again that she was the equal of any of the Noldo Lords in both depth of thought and athletic ability and even trained under Tulkas himself at his tower of Bronze at Valimar (N). She departed Tirion in Aman with her brothers to fight in the war against Morgoth; her mother remained, while her father gave up and came back to rule the Noldor of Valinor after opposing the First Kinslaying at Alqualondë. Galadriel opposed the Kinslaying, and even took actively part in the battle on side of the Falmari but that did not deter her from coming to Middle-earth and continuing to rebel against the Valar.Galadriel left for Middle-earth and was among the leaders of the Noldor on their perilous trip through the Helcaraxë (although a diverging tale stats she and Her Husband Celeborn left Aman on their own ship which Celeborn had built).

Galadriel came to live in the realm of Doriath, which was ruled by her maternal great-uncle, King Thingol as one of the very few Noldor tolerated within that realm. She was a dear friend and companion of Queen Melian the Maia, and would not speak of the cause of the Noldor coming to Middle-earth, but the shrewd Maia guessed closer and closer each time she asked Galadriel to tell her more of the story.Galadriel became Melians pupil and learned much of her magic and wisdom. She also most likely met Celeborn the Wise during this time (though some legends say they had already met before at Alqualonde), a kinsman of Thingol, and they fell in love with one another. Celeborn gave her the name Galadriel, a Sindarization of Altáriel, and they married one another after Galadriel had declined the advances of her relative Celebrimbor. She lost all of her brothers in the various wars of Beleriand but did not actively take part in these, first because as a guest of Thingol she was banned to do anything but defending Doriath against direct outer threats, second because she did not want to fight alongside the Sons of Feänor whom she hated although she briefly left Doriath to join her brother Finrod Felagund at Nargothrond.After Thingol's death Galadriel and Celeborn went to the mouths of Sirion and later with the refugees to the Island of Balar although they chose not to stay and went into southern Ossiriand and Eriador planning to raise armies among the Wood-elves and Wild Men, so they were to far away to hear from Eönwë's and the host of the wests arrival in time and such were unable to join in the War of Wrath.

Second Age[]

After the destruction of Beleriand, Galadriel at first dwelled in Lindon, and was banned to return to Valinor for having been one of the chief leaders of the rebellion against the Valar; she however also was enamored with the wide lands of Middle-earth, and did not wish to return but desired a realm of her own there to rule. So it was for many ages of the world that Galadriel remained in Middle-earth, and the land was bettered by her presence. She was the only original leader of the Noldor exiles to live in Middle-earth beyond the First Age.

At the beginning of the Second Age, her husband Celeborn was made Lord of Harlindon under her great-nephew, the High King Gil-galad. Although Galadriel had been mellowed somewhat, she was still very proud to remain in Middle-earth. She deeply grieved her brother Finrod, and along with her husband Celeborn established a realm at Nenuial with many of the Noldorin exiles, former Green-Elves of Ossiriand and wild elves of northern Eriador gathering around their leadership.According to some accounts at the time she was a was a vassal of high-King Gil-Galad and briefly even commanded parts of the Northern Armies.It was also handed down in some legends that she ventured into southern Forodwaith in order to vanquish remnant survivors of Angband. (N)

In S.A. 300, Galadriel and Celeborn had a daughter named Celebrían. Some centuries later, about S.A.750 both gave up their rulership over the Nandor of Nenuial and departed with most of her noldoric retinue for Eregion to live with other Noldor who had gathered there around the leadership of Celebrimbor.Galadriel, Celebrimbor and Celeborn were the rulers of Eregion until, inspired by the whispers of Annatar, Celebrimbor led a peaceful uprising of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain and became the de-facto new and sole rulers.While Celeborn decided to stay in Eregion and oppose Celebrimbor and Annatar in his own way Galadriel went through Moria and joined Amdír Malgalad who had set up a small sinda-led Kingdom among the native Nandor of later Lothlórien.After Sauron's capture of Eregion and the Númenorean expedition against his armies in Eriador, Galadriel and her daughter Celebrian again passed Moria and went to Eriador in search for Celeborn whom they found alive in Imladris where both joined him briefly to live together for a time.Later she and Celeborn both went south to Belfalas where they co-led the founding of the Falathrim colony of Edhellond.

Third Age[]

In the Beginning of the Third Age Galadriel and Celeborn travelled to Rhovanion where they briefly stayed with Celeborns Kinsmen Amroth and Thranduil in Lorinand and the Great Greenwood until they returned to Eriador to live in Rivendell again, where their daughter Celebrian married Elrond Half-elven.After the Death of King Amroth both return to Lorinand to rule after him as Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim.Twice Celeborn and Galadriel co-led attacks on Dol Guldur, first in T.A.2941 when the white council finally drove out the Necromancer, the second time in the War of the Ring when the Galadhrim repelled Sauron's attacks of Lothlórien and drove the enemy back into Mirkwood where they laid siege to Dol Guldur and finally over came and razed it to the ground.During the travels of the Fellowship she refused Frodo's offer to take the one Ring and accepted her Fate and the waning of the Elves presence in Endor. Because of her deeds against Sauron, and most especially her refusal to accept the One Ring when it was freely offered, the Ban was lifted and she sailed into the Uttermost West with the other Ringbearers.Her husband decided to stay in Middle-earth for some time and lived in Rivendell again until in the later fourth Age he finally decided to leave for the immortal lands to live with his wife and daughter again.

Appearance[]

Galadriel grew taller than woman’s wont (6'4"), comparable in height to her brothers. She had deep gold braided hair with silver glints, and an especially beautiful, deeper voice than most Elf-women.

Names[]

  • Alatariel
  • Artanis (father-name)
  • Galadhriel (Nickname)
  • The Lady of Lórien
  • Lady of Light
  • The Lady of the Galadhrim
  • The Lady of the Wood
  • Nerwen (mother-name)

Items[]

References[]

  • The Lord of the Rings
  • The Silmarillion
  • Unfinished Tales
  • The History of Middle-earth
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
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