Lothlórien

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The name Lórien refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Lórien (disambiguation).
The name Lothlórien refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Lothlórien (disambiguation).
Lothlórien
Forest
J.R.R. Tolkien - The Forest of Lothlorien in Spring.jpg
"The Forest of Lothlorien in Spring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
General Information
Pronunciationloth-loor-ee-en
Other namesLórien, Lórinand, Lindórinand, Dwimordene, Laurelindórenan, Hidden Land, Golden Wood
LocationEast of Misty Mountains on both sides of the Celebrant[1]
TypeForest
DescriptionGolden wood with mallorn trees
RegionsNaith, Egladil
People and History
InhabitantsGaladhrim; Sindarin/Noldorin/Telerin leadership
EventsQuest of the Ring
Assaults on Lothlórien
GalleryImages of Lothlórien
"O Lórien! The Winter comes, the bare and leafless Day;
The leaves are falling in the stream, the River flows away.
O Lórien! Too long I have dwelt upon this Hither Shore
And in a fading crown have twined the golden elanor.
"
Galadriel's Song of Eldamar

Lothlórien was a kingdom of Silvan Elves on the eastern side of the Hithaeglir. It was considered one of the most beautiful and "elvish" places in Middle-earth during the Third Age, and had the only mallorn-trees east of the sea.

History[edit | edit source]

First settlers[edit | edit source]

The first inhabitants of the forested area later known as Lórien were a group of Nandor that refused to cross the Hithaeglir.[2] Lórien was probably one of their scattered settlements in the area. Later, however, as the power of the Longbeards of Moria grew, they relocated to the western side of the Anduin, across the Nimrodel. The land in which they dwelt (the forest east of the Hithaeglir, above Fangorn and below Mirkwood) became known in the Silvan tongue as Lórinand, or Laurelindórenan.

Sindarin dynasty[edit | edit source]

Following the destruction of Beleriand and the War of Wrath, most of the Noldorin exiles and remnants of the Sindar retreated to Lindon and many refused the invitation of The Valar. One of the unwilling was Amdír.[3] He, along with his son Amroth, established himself in Lórinand, where he would soon lead the princeless Silvan Elves.[4] The arrival of the Sinda Amdír affected the Nandor of Laurelindórenan. He took over as their King, while another Sinda, Oropher, became King of Greenwood the Great. Their language was replaced by Sindarin. [5]

Celeborn, a Sindarin elf, dwelt with his Noldorin wife Galadriel in Eregion. They made contact with the Galadhrim and before long they passed through Moria and arrived in the woods. Before the Fall of Eregion and the death of Celebrimbor, Nenya, one of the Three Rings of the Elves, was delivered to Galadriel.[6] Other survivors of Eregion, including many Noldor and Sindar, escaped into Khazad-dûm and were granted passage by their friends the Dwarves, coming eventually through the Misty Mountains to the woodland.[7]

As Sauron's power grew over the Westlands, King Amdír marshalled the Galadhrim to the War of the Last Alliance where many fell in the Dead Marshes along with their King.[5]

The survivors, which included Amdír's son Amroth, returned to Lórinand. Amroth was the new King, but he was tired of Middle-earth, and wished to go West and seek Valinor. When Moria fell to evil in T.A. 1981, many of the Galadhrim fled south. Amroth also departed with his beloved, Nimrodel, and they were never seen again.[8]

Lord and Lady[edit | edit source]

Galadriel by Angus McBride

After Amroth and Nimrodel had passed away, Celeborn and Galadriel took the title of Lord and Lady of Galadhrim.[6] With Nenya, the land was kept pure and alive, and evil was not permitted to penetrate it. They moved back to the western side of Anduin and built Caras Galadhon, the great centre of the woodland kingdom. There Galadriel planted the seeds of the mallorn trees that were given to her by Gil-galad when she lived in Lindon, where they couldn't grow.[9] It was because of the mellyrn that Lothlórien became known as the Golden Wood thenceforth.[10] Lothlórien was filled with light and life, and became beautiful, and by the power of the Elven Ring the trees did not die.

Under the Lord and Lady, Lothlórien prospered for more than a thousand years as time passed without decay under the golden boughs. Celeborn and Galadriel produced a daughter, Celebrían, who married Elrond, and their granddaughter Arwen Undómiel was considered the fairest of the elven race at that time.

In T.A. 3017, Aragorn passed by Lothlórien with the captured Gollum to deliver him to Mirkwood. Gandalf got word from Lothlórien on his way to the Shire, and he changed his course to go and meet them.[11]

War of the Ring[edit | edit source]

The Fellowship in Lothlorien by Anna Kulisz

But as the Third Age came to an end, troubles at last began to touch the Valley of Singing Gold. As the shadow of Sauron lengthened and the War of the Ring raged, the border-wardens came across the remnant of the Fellowship of the Ring, a group of travellers on a quest of immeasurable importance. Among the company were Aragorn, a prince of the Dúnedain and a friend of the Lady, as well as Legolas of Mirkwood. The only reservation the border-wardens had about them was the dwarf, Gimli.[12] The Fellowship were led blindfolded for a time, but at Galadriel's word their blindfolds were released and they were taken to Caras Galadhon on 17 January T.A. 3019.[13] The very night the Fellowship arrived, a band of Orcs crossed the Nimrodel. A regiment or so of the Galadhrim were sent out, and destroyed the Orcs.[12]

There the Elves learned of the death of Gandalf, and Galadriel knew what evil had been brought into the Golden Wood. She revealed her own ring to Frodo, and showed him her mirror.[14] Then the Fellowship was furnished with new supplies and sent off down Anduin, bearing the gifts of the Lord and Lady.[15]

Right when the Company left, Gwaihir brought Gandalf to the Golden Wood, who was recovering from his battle with Durin's Bane. He was healed, clothed and given a new staff before leaving for Fangorn.[16]

But the coming of The One Ring was only the beginning of their troubles that were the heralds of greater conflicts that were to occur. Sauron unleashed massive attacks on the Golden Wood.

On 11 March, forces from Dol Guldur swarmed into the forest in a full-scale assault. By the power of the Wood-elves and Galadriel’s ring, they were repulsed. The second wave came on 15 March, at the same time as the invasion of Mirkwood. Again, the enemies were forced out. The third and last attack was made seven days later, on 22 March. They caused much destruction on the wood's borders, but the valiant Galadhrim routed them utterly. And after the Shadow of Sauron was lifted, they stormed Dol Guldur and cleansed Mirkwood; Thranduil gave its southern part into the dominion of Lothlórien, and it was called East Lórien.[13]

On their way to Gondor, Elrond and Arwen came to Lothlórien on 20 May.[17]

Afterward[edit | edit source]

Only two-and-a-half years after the War of the Ring, Galadriel, the Lady of Lórien, took ship West to Valinor.

The eastern border of Lothlórien in the southern Eryn Lasgalen became East Lórien. It was founded after the cleansing of Dol Guldur during the War of the Ring, and Celeborn ruled the Galadhrim of Lothlórien. In the Fourth Age, he grew weary and left for Rivendell, leaving the wooded land of East Lórien populated by only a few wandering Silvan Elves.[18]

In Fo.A. 121, a grief-filled Arwen Undómiel travelled to Lothlórien, now fully abandoned, after Aragorn surrendered his life, surrendering her own life upon Cerin Amroth. "[T]here is her green grave, until the world is changed, and all the days of her life are utterly forgotten..."[19]

Geography[edit | edit source]

Lothlórien stood between the south-eastern end of the Misty Mountains and the great river Anduin. The river Celebrant ran through the wood from its source in the mountains to the west through to the Anduin to the east.

In its earlier days, the woods of Lothlórien extended south into Fangorn Forest. In these days there was no true border between the two territories, though after conversation between Treebeard and the King of the Golden Wood it was agreed that the inhabitants of either land could walk freely at their leisure across whatever borders there may be.[20] It is also possible that the woods of Lórien extended into the southern regions of Greenwood the Great, though there is only a small amount of evidence supporting this possibility.[21] By the Third Age, Lórien was separate from Fangorn in the south and Mirkwood in the east by many miles.

Locations[edit | edit source]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Lothlórien, said to mean "Lórien of the Blossom", is a compound of Sindarin loth + Quenya Lórien ("?Dream Land"). Treebeard translates the name as "Dreamflower".[22]

Other names[edit | edit source]

Lothlórien was often shortened to Lórien, or the Golden Wood (referring to the golden mallorn trees that grew in that land).[22][23] Other names recorded for the region were:

  • Laurelindórenan, Q. ("Valley of Singing Gold")
  • Lórinand, ?N. ("valley of gold")[24]
  • Laurenandë, Q. "Valley of gold"[24]
  • Glornan, S. "Valley of gold"[24]
  • Nan Laur, S. "Valley of gold"[24]
  • Lindórinand, ?N. "Vale of the Land of the Singers"[24]
  • Dwimordene, Old English for "haunted valley" in .[25]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In the drafts of The Lord of the Rings Tolkien was unsure whether time of the outside world "froze" while the Fellowship stayed in Lórien, changing his mind twice; according to the first scheme the Fellowship had left Lórien and passed Sarn Gebir already on 21 January. Eventually he decided that time passes normally, and had to adjust the dates and the routes of the characters, later changing their departure to 14 February and eventually 16 February (taking into account the full moon of 7 March).[26] In the published book, the characters instead have lost their subjective sense of time after leaving Lórien.

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

1988: J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth:

Lórien is one of the several battlegrounds in this game. The trees are just normal trees.

2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:

Lórien was portrayed as a golden wood filled with sunshine during the day and Caras Galadhon as a city of moonshine and stary blue lanterns at night.

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game):

After defeating the Balrog, the Fellowship enters Lothlórien. There are no missions; stepping towards a ladder triggers the Mirror of Galadriel-scene and continues the game.

2004: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth:

In the Good Campaign, Lothlórien (along with the Fellowship) is attacked by several waves of orcs and trolls. The area is full of treasures, which form the only income needed to make elven archers.
Map of Lothlórien from The Lord of the Rings Online.

2004: The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring:

Similar to The Battle for Middle-earth, a skirmish takes place after Fellowship's arrival in Lothlórien. Player's goal during the mission is to protect two mallorn trees from attacks for a certain period of time.

2006: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II:

Lothlórien makes appearance as a Battleground in both "Evil" campaign and skirmish model. The layout of the map drastically differs from the ones in the game-predecessor.

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Lothlórien is one of major regions of the game, added following the The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria expansion. It is inhabited by over a hundred of non-playable characters, who are involved in hundreds of various quests. The map shows the major landmarks of the area: The Mirrormere, rivers Anduin, Nimrodel and Celebrant, Cerin Amroth and Caras Galadhon.

2011: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North:

Lothlórien is not part of the regular story mode, but becomes available as a challenge mission once the player clears Chapter 1 (Fornost). The player may earn experience by defeating waves after waves of enemies that invade the Golden Wood.

2012: Lego The Lord of the Rings:

Lothlórien appears both as a playable are on the map and as part of the Bonus Level that depicts all of Middle-Earth in small scale. Modelled on the film trilogy, it includes several quests as well as the characters Galadriel, Celeborn, Haldir and Lothlórien Elf.

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age" [map]
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Appendix A: The Silvan Elves and their Speech"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Appendix B: The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Amroth and Nimrodel"
  5. 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Appendix B: The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves"
  6. 6.0 6.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn"
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Amroth and Nimrodel"
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "A Description of the Island of Númenor"
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn", note 5
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Council of Elrond"
  12. 12.0 12.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Lothlórien"
  13. 13.0 13.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years"
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Mirror of Galadriel"
  15. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Farewell to Lórien"
  16. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The White Rider"
  17. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years"
  18. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"
  19. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"
  20. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"
  21. 22.0 22.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, "Unfinished index for The Lord of the Rings", in Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. 300
  22. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 48
  23. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", note 5
  24. Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Dwimordene"
  25. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. xlvi, xlvii
Route of the Fellowship of the Ring
Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Parth Galen · Amon Hen · Eastemnet · Fangorn Forest · Rohan · Edoras · Hornburg · Isengard · Dunharrow · Paths of the Dead · Gondor · Hill of Erech · Lamedon · Linhir · Lebennin · Pelargir · Minas Tirith · Osgiliath · Cross-roads · Ithilien · Dagorlad · Black Gate · Field of Cormallen · Cair Andros · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard
Boromir
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Parth Galen · Amon Hen
Frodo and Sam
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Parth Galen · Amon Hen · Emyn Muil · Dead Marshes · Black Gate · Ithilien · Henneth Annûn · Cross-roads · Morgul Vale · Stairs of Cirith Ungol · Cirith Ungol · Shelob's Lair · Tower of Cirith Ungol · Mordor · Morgai · Plateau of Gorgoroth · Mount Doom · Field of Cormallen · Cair Andros · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard
Gandalf
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Celebdil† · Lothlórien · Fangorn Forest · Edoras · Hornburg · Isengard · Rohan · Anórien · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Osgiliath · Cross-roads · Ithilien · Dagorlad · Black Gate · Field of Cormallen · Cair Andros · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard
Merry
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Parth Galen · Amon Hen · Emyn Muil · Eastemnet · Fangorn Forest · Wellinghall · Derndingle · Isengard · Hornburg · Dunharrow · Drúadan Forest · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard
Pippin
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Amon Hen · Parth Galen · Emyn Muil · Eastemnet · Fangorn Forest · Wellinghall · Derndingle · Isengard · Rohan · Anórien · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Osgiliath · Cross-roads · Ithilien · Dagorlad · Black Gate · Field of Cormallen · Gondor · Cair Andros · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard