"The Mirror of Galadriel" - Ben's Thoughts

I don't know if I've ever really known what to make of these Lothlórien chapters. In some ways, they're foundational for what comes after, with respect to the dynamic of the members of the Fellowship and the choices Aragorn has to make (and is conveniently excused from making) later in LOTR. But in other ways, they're extremely confusing. Galadriel is just such an enigmatic character, so distant and remote compared to our narrators the Hobbits, that her appearances feel almost disturbing.

Within Tolkien's mythos, Galadriel is probably the oldest Elf in Middle-earth (except for Círdan). She was born in Valinor and came to Middle-earth before the First Age of the Sun, with Feänor and the hosts of the Noldor. She is the daughter of Finarfin, who was the brother of Feänor and later the High King of the Elves. Although she was overshadowed by the shenanigans of the sons of Feänor in The Silmarillion, she was a major figure in the wars of the Second and Third Ages. In these chapters, she completely overshadows her soft-spoken husband Celeborn, who is typically described as a "kinsman of Thingol of Doriath" (which makes him a Sindarin Elf, and thus not really the equal of Galadriel's Noldorin heritage and power). Interestingly, Galadriel says that she passed over the mountains, likely meaning the Blue Mountains of Beleriand, before the fall of Nargothrond or Gondolin. Checking my sources, it seems that Tolkien has Galadriel and Celeborn espousing the belief that the War of the Jewels, fought against Sauron's former master Morgoth, was hopeless and thus they did not participate in the War of Wrath in which the Valar finally destroyed Morgoth's power in the North (and the entirety of Beleriand in the process). I think that says something about Galadriel's pragmatism. She is not one for clinging to false hope.

But the big question in my mind is why does Tolkien have the Company pass through Lórien before sending them down the Great River and to the confrontation between Frodo and Boromir that by this point is obviously coming up quickly? Did he just want to show off another Elvish kingdom? One of the most important moments in this chapter is when Galadriel mentally tests each member of the Company, and here more seeds are planted in Boromir's mind that will eventually lead to the breaking of the Fellowship. Does Galadriel's test push Boromir over the edge? It's interesting to speculate about whether Boromir would still be driven to do what he does even without Galadriel prompting him a little bit, with ideas about the salvation of Gondor. Galadriel's not all roses and moonbeams; I can easily interpret Aragorn's rebuttal of Boromir's distrust (that no evil is in Lórien except that which a person brings with them) to mean that Galadriel's magic magnifies and eventually exposes the evil within a person. Perhaps that is what happened here. I'm sure I'll talk more about Boromir and his motivations in the final chapter of "Fellowship." In any event, the test is very disturbing to most members of the Company.

On the other hand, Galadriel is a wonderful voice for understanding between the Elves and Gimli. When Celeborn expresses his wish that Gimli should have been refused entrance into Lórien had he known about the evil that the Dwarves had awoken in the mountains, Galadriel gently reproves him and reminds him about the beauty possessed and admired by the Dwarves. I dislike the word "tolerance," so I don't think that's what Galadriel is communicating here, but she is certainly able to place herself in the shoes of the Dwarves and understands what makes them tick. I also love the line about Gimli's dawning comprehension of the better path that Galadriel is offering, which is certainly the catalyst for Gimli and Legolas' future friendship: "…it seemed to him that he looked suddenly into the heart of an enemy and saw there love and understanding. Wonder came into his face, and then he smiled in answer." Gimli is surprised by the offer of reconciliation but then immediately accepts it.

The magic of the Elves and specifically Galadriel's power over the land and people of Lórien, is what permeates this chapter. Sam's comment about how "there's Elves and Elves" is quite on the nose -- Galadriel is quite a different sort of Elf from, say, Haldir or even Legolas, who have never known anything but Middle-earth and have no sense of connection to Valinor beyond a vague longing for the Sea (which rises in Legolas as the books progress). I'll talk more about Galadriel's connection to Valinor in the next chapter, where it really comes to the forefront, but she is set apart from the rank-and-file Elf of Lórien very distinctly. Frodo can feel the power pulsing through Lórien, generated by Galadriel and her Ring of Power; Sam not so much.

Finally, the titular "Mirror" of the chapter. What is this strange magical object, that presents visions of past, present, and future, scenes desired by those that look into the Mirror but also scenes unbidden and unrequested by either Galadriel or the person looking? As with so many things with Tolkien's magic, the Mirror resembles ancient magic tropes like scrying, but is so completely unexplained as to be wholly opaque.

I find it fascinating that Galadriel was looking forward to and anticipating the "test" placed before her by Frodo. She makes it sound like she was eagerly hoping it would be given to her. Why? Likely, deep down, Galadriel finds the promise of absolute power alluring. Who among us would not? Who among us doesn't smile a little bit at the thought of being absolutely loved and absolutely feared by everyone? But I think Galadriel wants to be presented with this test because she wants to prove to herself that she can pass it. That she is content -- or if not content, than accepting of the fact -- that she will "diminish, pass into the West, and remain Galadriel."

Part of Galadriel's acceptance goes back to that pragmatism that I mentioned earlier. The Elves -- or at least the Wise (like true elitists, they seem to keep a lot back from regular shmoes like Haldir) -- are very aware that the ages of Elvish dominance are over. In Tolkien's legendarium, the "Music" of Illúvitar (the god-figure) gives a season to everything and everything in its season. The Elves had their time, and it is passing, and the Age of Men is nearing. With that comes the lessening of Galadriel's power; even at this point, it does not extend past the borders of Lórien itself (similar to Tolkien's concept that these powerful beings are about to designate the boundaries of their power, but are all but powerless outside those borders, a la Tom Bombadil outside the Old Forest or Sauron both magnifying and confining his power with the Ring).

And second, Tolkien has made (most of) his Elves inherently good. Galadriel, as exhibited by the compassion she shows to Gimli in this chapter, believes in acting for the greater good. She knows that the destruction of Sauron will free Men from his oppression. It's interesting that in this chapter, Frodo and Galadriel both wish for things that would result in great harm: Frodo that Galadriel would take the Ring, and Galadriel that the Ring had never been found (which would have resulted in Sauron's unchecked expansion). But ultimately they both understand what they must do to benefit the greater good. In Galadriel's case, she knows that the destruction of the Ring will hasten the waning of the Elves' power; they placed so much of their power (or so we are told; I've never really understood the how or why of this) into the creation of the Three Rings, and with the destruction of the One Ring, the Master Ring, comes the destruction of the power of all the other rings as well. But despite that fact, she chooses to support the Quest instead of clinging to her slowly fading power in Middle-earth.

Isn't this a lesson that so many of us could benefit from? I'm certainly guilty of clinging to the past from time to time at the expense of the present.