Galadriel's Ban

[William Cloud Hicklin]

As far as I know, the Valor could not (or did not) communicate with those in Middle Earth, so could not pardon her. So how, if she had been banned, could she then go back?

Ah- Tolkien explains that in a letter, although the context is that of Arwen and Frodo. At Sauron's fall Gandalf is essentially Manwe's Ambassador Plenipotentiary, with full authority to dispense, much like Eonwe at the end of the First Age. I don't think we need boggle at the notion that Gandalf the White was in some mystical way 'in contact' with the West.

[Elanor Gardener]

I didn't consider that. Is that how Arwen could send Frodo in her place? (I wondered how that could be allowed too!)

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Elanor Gardener

I didn't consider that. Is that how Arwen could send Frodo in her place? (I wondered how that could be allowed too!)

Not having the Letters and other resources at hand, I am taking this from memory, but...

Arwen, according to Tolkien, didn't send Frodo in her place, as if she had a ticket on the boat that she handed to him (more or less Tolkien's words!). The passage of any mortal into the West was something that had to be approved of by the Valar, and Gandalf, as was said, was their representative and acted on their behalf, with their approval, in sanctioning this idea. Galadriel's ban was initially that of all the Noldor who rebelled and left Aman in defiance of the Valar. At the end of the First Age, she felt that she had done nothing that needed pardon and refused to return; having done that, she believed her exile to be permanent (which was not necessarily so), and was allowed to return because of all she had done during her time in Middle-earth, especially her refusal to take the Ring. This permission would have been passed on to her through Gandalf.

[Galadriel55]

In the end of The Sil, when it talks about the Noldor being pardoned, it says something like "some wished to remain in ME, where they've done so much". Elrond remained, and GilGalad remained, and a whole bunch of Noldor remained as well, not because of pride, but because of love for ME. Galadriel is an exeption, because she's the only living leader of the Noldor. However, that doesn't mean that her reasons have to be different from everyone else (even though Tolkien says that she still had a ban and she was proud).