Tolkien's Floral Fixation

[Pitchwife]

I knew I could count on you, Galin, to clear up the linguistic question. Got to say though I have a purely subjective preference for the translation "enchantress", reminiscent of the feats of 'elven magic' and beguiling Lúthien performed with her hair and, very important to me, agentive in meaning, whereas "daughter of flowers" presents her as beautiful and close to nature, but nothing more - kinda lame IMO. But who am I to argue with The Man Himself?

Pervinca - oh shame on me, I had verily forgotten the fallen king with this crown of small white stars and yellow stonecrop! Thanks for reminding me. Also for the quote about Ithilien's "dishevelled dryad loveliness", one of my favourite phrases of descriptive prose in Tolkien; so evocative, isn't it?

Originally Posted by Pervinca Took

Ithilien's fauna has all the colours of the rainbow, I think, and the Shire's certainly has ... it seems to be mainly the flowers not of our world (or Age of the world) that are white or gold (although niphredil is as near as damn it a snowdrop).

This kind of fits an idea that has come to my mind, namely that white flowers may mark thresholds to the Otherworld - whether niphredil in Lórien, a simulacrum of the Undying Lands where time passes differently to the outside world, or simbelmyne on the grave mounds in Rohan and Elendil's tomb on Halifirien, bordering on the sphere of the Dead, or the Morgul flowers in the vale where the keep of the undead Wraiths guards the entrance to Mordor. Any other instances of white flowers in strange places?

Your explanation from "sanctification through suffering" works for me, too. I had never considered that Frodo might have seen Gandalf's sacrifice as a model to be followed, but it sure makes sense. Gandalf being clad in white after his resurrection in the same place where niphedil and elanor grow may also tie into this.

Mithadan, I believe you're referring to the Tree of Amalion, a beautiful rendering of which can be viewed here. I think there's a connection to Niggle's Tree, especially with the Mountains in the far background on this version.

While we're on the subject of trees (a stretch, I know, but Flora encompasses all plant life, doesn't it?), A Description of Númenor in UT has a passage about "the evergreen and fragrant trees" growing around the bay of Eldanna, brought from the West by the visiting Eldar:

Originally Posted by A Description of Númenor

They were the greatest delight of Númenor, and they were remembered in many songs long after they had perished for ever, for few ever flowered east of the Land of Gift: oiolairë and lairelossë, nessamelda, vardarianna, taniquelassë, and yavannamirë with its globed and scarlet fruits.

A few lines further down it names "the mighty golden tree malinornë" (that's a mallorn to you and me), and on the next page "the laurinquë in which the people delighted for its flowers, for it had no other use". Names that paint the beauty of the trees they signify with the harmony of vowels and consonants. Tolkien is to my knowledge pretty unique among fantasy authors in that he not only gave so much attention to flowers and trees but invented his own botanic nomenclature for them.

[Bêthberry]

Sorry for the tardy reply, Pitch. Glad to see that Galin has pitched in.

I was tracking down where I had read that Luthien was 'daughter of flower's. It is in the article on Luthien in Tolkien Gateway, which unfortunately does not have a reference. However, the articles there on both loth and luth refer to the Tolkien reference Galin cites, from Parma Aldalamberon XVII.

HoMe II also provides another interesting context. Luthien, Man of Luthany is the name given to Aelfwine by the Elves, where Luthany is used for England. At this early date, only Tinuviel is used for Melian's daughter. (I think--it's been a few years since I read II.)

My naming of Rosie Cotton was not meant to imply that 'Cotton' was a floral name. My reference was to her first name, as the context suggested, and I used her full name only to grace her with her full identification.

[Faramir Jones]

A lovely passage I've always liked, since reading it in 'Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin' in Unfinished Tales, is Voronwë's description to Tuor of Nan-tathren, where he delayed in his mission to the Bay of Balar. In particular, I've always loved his description of the flowers there:

In that land Narog joins Sirion, and they haste no more, but flow broad and quiet through living meads; and all about the shining river are flaglilies like a blossoming forest; and the grass is filled with flowers, like gems, like bells, like flames of red and gold, like a waste of many-coloured stars in a firmament of green. (Emphasis mine)

[Guinevere]

Great topic, Faramir! For me, the references and descriptions of flowers, herbs, trees and other plants add greatly to my enjoyment of Tolkien's books and to the feeling of Middle Earth being real. This is of course because I myself am fond of flowers and plants and like to be able to name them. Since English isn't my mothertongue, I had to look up many many names, and learnt a lot that way!

Another symbolic use of a white flower is Aragorn's comparison of Eowyn to
"a white flower standing straight and proud, shapely as a lily, and yet knew that it was hard, as if wrought by elf-wrights out of steel. Or was it, maybe, a frost that had turned its sap to ice, and so it stood, bitter-sweet, still fair to see, but stricken, soon to fall and die?"

[Faramir Jones]

Originally Posted by Guinevere

Another symbolic use of a white flower is Aragorn's comparison of Eowyn to "a white flower standing straight and proud, shapely as a lily, and yet knew that it was hard, as if wrought by elf-wrights out of steel. Or was it, maybe, a frost that had turned its sap to ice, and so it stood, bitter-sweet, still fair to see, but stricken, soon to fall and die?"

That's another good one, Guinevere! I've always liked the symbolism in that comparison since I first read that passage in LotR. It made me, at the time, think of a recently cut flower that looked fine, but which was soon to die.

[Orphalesion]

What about Urwen/Lailaith whom Turin describes to Finduilas as "a yellow flower in the green grass of spring" before contrasting Finduilas herself as a "golden tree".

I also did not know that Tolkien changed the meaning of Luthien to "daughter of flowers" however I am glad I do now. The meaning "enchantress" has always struck me as rather odd as a name of an Elf. A name given to her by mortals, perhaps, but not by her parents.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I loved this thread so much that I couldn't bare it dying. I had nothing to say until now, since I'm visiting the boyfriend and my books are all 500 miles away.

I remember a post on tumblr talking about how Tolkien would always stop and gaze at the flowers and trees on his walk. This annoyed those around him because he stopped for too long! It got me thinking about the botanical gardens in Oxford that Tolkien liked to go to so much. When Lauri and I were in Britain, we went there and made a point to sit under Tolkien's favourite tree. I can see that his love of nature in all forms has impacted his works. I was never one to really know the names of flowers, not from disinterest of course, but I did learn some new names of plants from LotR. I now smile every time I see a camellia plant in the store and was delighted to discover that the scientific name for the tea plant is Camellia sinensis. It always reminds me of hobbits. I also have a fondness for lobelia plants now because of Lobelia Sackville-Baggins.

Oh, I think I've rambled a bit on this post. I guess what I was trying to get at was that I am inspired by Tolkien's love of all things botanical and the descriptions of landscapes and flowers were what really drew me into the books as a whole.