LotR -- Book 2 - Chapter 08 - Farewell to Lórien

[HerenIstarion]

Arthur/Aragorn re: very astute, I daresay. I know you meant it, but just to put some plain wording around it - the whole sword/sheath affair also symbolizes union of male and female focused in Aragorn. Aragorn is already known to us as the medium for the past to be linked and flow into the future, with the Bilbo's verse (again, more to hobbit poetry than meets the eye) - he is the old which is not forgotten and shall be. He is the one to unite the bloodlines of free peoples (dwarves, as being a special case, excluded), and now he is seen as the pinpoint of harmony of the human race as a whole - conductor and wielder of both male and female parts of it. (Can't help remembering lot of articles labelling LoTR 'boyish' at this point, ). Should I add in this he is again hinted at as a symbol of Christ too - the Renewer and Reuniter etc?

she ‘sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, & leaves of gold there grew

It is wonderful how with Tolkien everything fits together perfectly. For one, he parallels Christian/Judaic idea of the Word, which is the prime cause and at the same time embodiment of [any] power. Besides, in ME, all power of words is channelled through Music - the whole Being stands on the rails defined by the primaeval Music, and almost all expressions of power come in song (even Gandalf at Moria door is not merely 'muttering' but rather 'incantating'). Galadriel is not an exeption, of course.

Living ‘gold’ - as perfect a symbol of the union of Elven & Dwarven natures as can be imagined

Truly so! But, besides, it seems to me that act itself is set to underline her self-humiliation as well - she may be still proud, but she is no longer arrogant. Gimli's plea itself seems like another test for her - she finds herself in the similar situation as with Feanor who asked for her hair, and who's request she rejected, but now she passes this minor test - she've learned how to be humble in all aspects, not in Ring-wielding matters only.