Galadriel

[lindil]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit
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<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/nenya.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: Galadriel-must I fetch my axe?


I have to agree re: celeborn
I can't think of a wise word he uttered to the Company in Lothlorien [warning the party away from fangorn!]
but hey- everyone has bad days.

I would describe Galadriel's role as more subtle[but still powerful] than passive .
her strength is in Being more than doing.
And this literally infuses everyone and everything around her w/ light in
a similar but even more powerful and far - reaching way than Glorfindel does at the ford when he meets the 5 travelers.
Galadriel maintains the only place in ME about which is said 'upon this land lies no stain'. no mean feat in a fallen world.
She in many ways is a disciple I think of Melian the maia and follows her model closely.
Quite a few of her actions are extremely noteworthy and essentially unique
the fact that she can read Sauron's mind [ re: the elves ]doubtless was of no small value to the white council [even Saruman!]
I don't recall this ability attributed to Gandalf or Elrond -indeed to him the road South was under darkness.
Her sheilding of Eorl in his ride to save Gondor was crucial [unfinished tales]
Her giving of Lembas , the phial and the cloaks were indespensible to Frodo and sam[although some armor for Boromir would have been nice]
[these all proceeded in some way from her -even though Celeborn is given chiefgiftgiver honours.
She is a vision that Sam hearkens back to time and again in and to Mordor.ginig him hope and courage in a way no memory of Gandalf or Elrond does.
Her giving to Sam the mallorn seed and the soil of her garden is I think an extremely noble and non-ethnocentric act [as is her reception of gimli and granting of his wish - thus in effect healing a breach of Elves and Dwarves that had existed from the time the 2 races probably laid eyes on each other.
It was from the moment after her acceptance of Gimli that he pairs up w/ Legolas a comraderie that one can easily forsee extending to the newly founded Rohan and Gondorian Elf/ Dwarf communites of the 4 th age and undoubtedly had positive repercussions in Greenwood and the lonely Mountain all because she put the 3 age long feud aside and literally showed love to a dwarf.
She could merely have been polite and nice ,
but she clearly goes beyond this to a true opening of her heart to gimli.
Her earlier allowing of Aragorn into Lothlorien is also portrayed as a unique[ non-ethnocentric] event w/ a few parallels to Beren and Luthien although she willingly admits him and gives him the betrothal gift of the elessar[see customs of the eldar in Morgoth's ring]

She and glorfindel are the only Elven charecters[in lotr] to go beyond compassion to deep heartfelt love . The others all have a certain aloofness -even when there is kindness.

In short her effect upon middle-earth is similar to Fingolfin andLuthien of whom it is said that [at least 1 x each -they caused flowers to grow/spring to awaken where they had passed.
So I think in reality[if not title] Galadriel was the High -Queen of the oldest race of the Chidren of Iluvatar and had indeed learned all her lessons well-and planted or provided the seeds which would enrich the dominion of Men long after the elves themselves had faded or passed west.
can I put my axe away? <img src=smile.gif ALT="">



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