In Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings, only two elven female characters are given names, but their place in Middle-earth is significant. The two female elves, Arwen and Galadriel, not only played key roles in the original novel, but also received more roles and development in later film adaptations and spin-offs.
Arwen is Elrond's daughter, and her love affair with the human hero Aragorn runs through the Lord of the Rings trilogy. At the end of "The Return of the King", Arwen willingly gave up his immortal life in order to unite with Aragorn and became the queen of the kingdom of Gondor. Arwen's name means "noble maiden" in the Elven word Sindarin, and the name aptly reflects her noble and elegant temperament.
Galadriel is the mistress of Lothlorian and a member of the White Council. She is in charge of Nanya, one of the three elven rings. As the Fellowship of the Ring passes through Lothlorion, Galadriel generously bestows them with precious gifts that will play a vital role in their subsequent adventures.
Not only that, but she also warned the expedition of impending danger in a prophetic way. Galadriel's name means "radiant crown" in Elven language, alluding to her extraordinary status and otherworldly beauty.
Although in the film trilogy directed by Peter ·, Arwen and Galadriel do not appear in the same frame, there is a photo of them in Lotslorian who has been circulated. Jackson eventually decided to cut the scene, which did not appear even in the extended version.
This decision actually makes sense, because in the original book, Galadriel lives in Lotslorien, while Arwen lives in Rivendell. The two elven kingdoms are blocked by the Misty Mountains, and it is not easy to communicate with each other.
An important romance
Although it is not explicitly stated in the film, in Tolkien's original novel, Arwen and Galadriel are actually related. Galadriel and her husband, Celeborn, have a daughter named Celebrien.
During the Second Age of Middle-earth, the family of three lived together in Eregian. However, as Sauron's influence grew in Eregian, he succeeded in sowing discord in his portrayal of Ananta (meaning "Lord of Gifts"), causing the local population to become hostile to Galadriel. Thus, around 1350 of the Second Age, Galadriel migrated with Calebrian to Lotslorion.
Celeborn refused to cross Moria, disgusted with the dwarves, and did not leave with them. He remained in Eregian until the area was destroyed by Sauron in 1697. Later, he traveled north with the other survivors and founded Rivendell under Elrond's leadership.
After the temporary defeat of Sauron in 1701 during the Second Age, Galadriel and Celebrian traveled to Rivendell to reunite with Celeborn. It was then that Elrond met Celebrien. Elrond fell in love at first sight, but it took him centuries to muster the courage to confess his feelings. They eventually married at the beginning of the Third Age, and in 241 the Third Age welcomed the birth of their daughter, Arwen.
This family history reveals the close blood relationship between Galadriel and Arwen: Galadriel was Arwen's maternal grandmother, Elrond's mother-in-law, and later Aragon's grandmother.
Even before Arwen married Aragon, she was already linked to several royal bloodlines: her father was lord of Rivendell, her maternal grandmother was the mistress of Lotslorion, and she was a descendant of the first kings of the three elven clans.
All have the beauty of the ancestors
Despite their close blood relationship, Arwen and Galadriel do not share much in common in appearance, either in Tolkien's novels or in Jackson's films. The most obvious difference is their hair color.
Arwen inherited his father's black hair, which is typical of the Noldor elves. Her appearance bears a striking resemblance to that of her ancestor Lucien, which is symbolic, as Lucien was Tolkien's first elf to unite with mortals, and seems to foreshadow the love story between Arwen and Aragorn.
In contrast, Galadriel's blonde hair is particularly striking. In the "History of Galadriel and Celeborn" section of Númenor and the Unfinished Tales of Middle-earth, Tolkien describes it as a mixture of "golden" and "starry silver".
Although Galadriel also belongs to the Noldor elven family, her blonde hair comes from her grandmother, a Vanya elf, and her silver hair is inherited from her mother, a Telleret elf. This gold and silver hair color is believed to contain the light of Valinor's two sacred trees, and the other elves believe that "the light of the sacred tree is contained in her hair".
Despite their different hair colors, Arwen and Galadriel have one thing in common, and that is that their beauty is outstanding even by elven standards.
In the chapter "Many Meetings" in The Lord of the Rings, when Frodo first meets Arwen, Tolkien describes it this way: "Frodo had never seen or imagined such a beautiful being.
In the section "Eldama and the Princes of Eldariya" in "Eldarma and Eldariya", Galadriel is described as "the most beautiful man in the Fenway family".
In The Lord of the Rings, Eomeer and Kimer also argue about who is the most beautiful creature in Middle-earth: Eomel thinks it's Arwen, while Kimer insists that it's Galadriel.
If Tolkien himself had been involved in this debate, he might have agreed with Eomeer. Because Tolkien was inspired by his wife, Edith, when he created the image of Lucien (and thus Arwen).
In the section "Singh and Merrian" in The Elven Diamond, the author describes Lucien as "the most beautiful creature of the past, present, and future."
It is also a very important role
Although Arwen and Galadriel didn't appear much in the Lord of the Rings books, their roles in various adaptations have been greatly expanded. In Jackson's film, Arwen is portrayed as a female warrior, a departure from Tolkien's original book. She replaces Glorfindel in the novel as the hero who saves Frodo from Nazgul.
In the cut sequence, there is even footage of Arwen participating in the Battle of the Valley of the Holy Helm. The Two Towers and Return of the King also add a scene where Arwen communicates with Aragon through a dream, as well as a conversation with Elrond about staying in Middle-earth.
Similarly, in The Two Towers, Galadriel and Elrond engage in a heart-to-heart conversation about Frodo's fate and the threats facing Middle-earth. Jackson also added Galadriel to the Hobbit trilogy, although she did not appear in the original novel.
In the "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" series produced by Amazon Prime Video, Galadriel was chosen as the main character, focusing on her life in the Second Age.
While Arwen may not appear in The Rings of Power, as she wasn't born until the Third Age, the production team may have her appear through flashbacks or previews.
After all, in The Lord of the Rings, some elves have the ability to foresee the future, and the first season has already hinted at the possibility of using Balantir (magic crystal ball) to see the future. Therefore, the younger version of Galadriel, played by Morfeld · Clark, may catch a glimpse of her future granddaughter at some point.
Overall, although the two elven women, Arwen and Galadriel, do not appear much in the original book, their presence plays a crucial role in the development of the entire story. Not only do they represent the wisdom and beauty of the elves, but they are also indispensable key figures in the history of Middle-earth.
Through various adaptations, we have been able to gain a deeper understanding of the inner world and growth process of these two characters, which makes Tolkien's Middle-earth even more colorful.