May 25, 2002

Galadriel
Turgon

In the movie, and indeed, in the book, we have only brief encounters with Galadriel. We should not lose sight of her huge importance however. First, she wears one of the great Elven rings. She is a Noldorin Elf of great age. Of all the characters we meet in the books, only Bombadil, Treebeard, and possibly Celeborn have been in Middle Earth longer. Galadriel lived with the Noldor in the light of the Two Trees for ages uncounted before the Noldor returned to Middle Earth in exile at the beginning of the First Age. She glows with an inner light because she had seen the light of the Two Trees, captured in the three Silmarils wrought by her "cousin" the great Feanor. She refused the pardon of the Valar at the end of the First Age, and remained in Middle Earth with Celeborn of Doriath, questing for great realms of their own to rule. Now..after many thousands of years in Middle Earth, the answer to all her dreams stands before her in her garden. The Ruling Ring itself, and the ringbearer offering it to her freely. Here is her chance to validate thousands of years of waiting, and grievous loss, by taking up the One Ring and fulfilling her self imposed destiny. Amazingly, it takes her but seconds to forsake thousands of years of desire by refusing the Ring. She says, " I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel. Suddenly realizing the changing of her priorities must have been a bitter lesson for Galadriel considering all of the suffering and loss she was witness to and victim of over the three ages. It would be interesting to ask her if given the chance would she do it all again.