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joec_34
Rivendell
Sep 25 2014, 2:31am
Post #1 of 10
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Imgur, Feanor, & Galadriel
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http://imgur.com/gallery/eyk6t
So the linked post on imgur claims that Galadriel's hair inspired Feanor to create the Silmarils, and that she refused his request for three of her hairs. I don't recall that at all; is there any truth in it? If so, when do we learn that? The only muse that I recall is the light of the two trees.
"Happy painting and God bless, my friend." - Bob Ross
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Nerven
Rivendell
Sep 25 2014, 12:18pm
Post #2 of 10
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"The Shibboleth of Fëanor," also published in HoME 12)
Galadriel was the greatest of the Noldor, except Fëanor maybe, though she was wiser than he, and her wisdom increased with the long years. Her mother-name was Nerwen ("man-maiden"), and she grew to be tall beyond the measure even of the women of the Noldor; she was strong of body, mind, and will, a match for both the loremasters and the athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth. Even among the Eldar she was accounted beautiful, and her hair was held a marvel unmatched. It was golden like the hair of her father and of her foremother Indis, but richer and more radiant, for its gold was touched by some memory of the starlike silver of her mother; and the Eldar said that the light of the Two Trees, Laurelin and Telperion, had been snared in her tresses. Many thought that this saying first gave to Fëanor the thought of imprisoning and blending the light of the Trees that later took shape in his hands as the Silmarils. For Fëanor beheld the hair of Galadriel with wonder and delight. He begged three times for a tress, but Galadriel would not give him even one hair. These two kinsfolk, the greatest of the Eldar of Valinor, were unfriends for ever.
I always find that passage fascinating
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joec_34
Rivendell
Sep 25 2014, 12:54pm
Post #3 of 10
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That's wonderful; thank you for informing me. Well, the passage that you cited seems to be much less assertive with regards to how much Galadriel's hair inspired Feanor--since it cites others' speculation as the source. Even so, I think it safe to say that my friends over at imgur were right.
On another note--does this passage imply that Galadriel was the second greatest Elf in Valinor, second only to Feanor? What about Finwe, Olwe, Fingolfin, Finarfin? The reason I even ask, is because of how little she's mentioned in The Silmarillion's account of the first age. Her greatness is perhaps most evident in her great presence through the second age and third age. Quite interesting.
Yet another note: I find it fun to think about Galadriel being Elrond's mother-in-law. I wonder if that relationship had any of the stereotypical dymanics? (That is, stereotypical for modern humans)
"Happy painting and God bless, my friend." - Bob Ross
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Elthir
Grey Havens
Sep 25 2014, 2:00pm
Post #4 of 10
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Yes the passage from The Shibboleth of Feanor seems to now be taken as 'fact' even though Tolkien himself never finished this text nor published it. I'm not exactly sure where I stand on it yet, but...
... it's interesting that Tolkien seems to have revised Galadriel's hair colour in his later years. In The Lord of the Rings her hair is said to be 'deep gold' while Celeborn's hair is silver, and is compared to gold again when Gimli asks for his gift. In the early 1950s when Tolkien added Galadriel to the Silmarillion tradition (which existed before she did), her hair was lit with gold as though it had caught the radiance of Laurelin -- the golden tree of course but no mention of any silver, or the silver tree.
Actually I can't recall any reference to her hair being shot with silver until we get to the later 1960s or early 1970s. Does the image of 'deep gold' fit well with being golden but also 'shot with silver' [a late letter], or touched by some memory of silver [Shibboleth of Feanor]?
Ahem. Ahh, well in any case...
In the Silmarillion tradition Feanor '... was filled with a new thought; or it may be that some shadow of foreknowledge came to him of the doom that drew near; and he pondered how the light of the Trees, the glory of the Blessed Realm, might be preserved imperishable.'
And that's the idea Christopher Tolkien chose for the published Silmarillion, which appears to have hailed from the early 1950s in certain details, and... unless I've missed some reference somewhere... had nothing to do with Galadriel, in part I would guess, as her hair was...
... 'merely' golden at the time [in an external sense of 'at the time' anyway]. Well awesomely golden... but golden 
(This post was edited by Elthir on Sep 25 2014, 2:04pm)
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Nerven
Rivendell
Sep 25 2014, 2:04pm
Post #5 of 10
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why Galadriel is mentioned so rarely in the Silm is because Tolkien relativly late in his life made his mind up regarding Galadriels stature and greatness, Tolkien not even wrote the Silm it was his son, he only used notices.
In a letter written on 4th August 1973, almost exactly a month before he died, Tolkien wrote: "Galadriel was unstained': she had committed no evil deeds. She was an enemy of Feanor. She did not reach Middle-earth with the other Noldor, but independently. Her reasons for desiring to go to Middle-earth were legitimate, and she would have been permitted to depart, but for the misfortune that before she set out the revolt of Feanor broke out, and she became involved in the desperate measures of Manwe, and the ban on all emigration" (Letters #353, p.431).
At one point she is even called Feanors equal, even if unlike endowments, so the other ones might be older and are kings but I think the "greatnes thing" is spiritual related.
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Elthir
Grey Havens
Sep 25 2014, 2:13pm
Post #6 of 10
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Galadriel's stature arguably increased yes (externally speaking again)... and not that you aren't aware, but her role as a leader of the Rebellion was already 'set in stone' (published by JRRT himself) in The Road Goes Ever On... a fact which I'm not even sure Tolkien remembered when he wrote this late letter to Lord Halsbury.
Not that you said otherwise. I'm just noting it for the thread
More and more I'm beginning to think Tolkien, in his later years, often wrote from memory, which was not that great in his later years actually (even by his own admission). Did he even remember 'deep gold'?
I tend to doubt it.
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joec_34
Rivendell
Sep 25 2014, 2:33pm
Post #7 of 10
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In this case our info is that "many thought" her hair to be the inspiration. I tend toward your interpretation that other factors probably had greater influence. Perhaps these rumors are not totally unfounded though; it seems likely that her hair being likened to a capturing of the trees' light could've been one of many contributing factors in Feanor's great idea for the Silmarils.
Whether or not they are true, the rumors provide greater significance to Galadriel's gift.
"Happy painting and God bless, my friend." - Bob Ross
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Elthir
Grey Havens
Sep 25 2014, 3:06pm
Post #8 of 10
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Whether or not they are true, the rumors provide greater significance to Galadriel's gift.
And that, I guess, is part of why I'll never convince anyone that Galadriel never really denied Feanor her hair -- because he never asked for any of her hair in the first place, because although a marvel it wasn't really shot with silver, and so it was never really a rumour among the Eldar that her hair had snared the light of both trees -- that is, because people like the detail due to its connection with Gimli.
Not that I'm trying to convince anyone, really. I like the detail too...
... but it's maybe interesting how 'like' seemingly helps a private idea from an unfinished 'draft' text become more easily accepted as fact in an internal sense (beyond simply that 'Tolkien wrote it' for example). Not that 'shot with silver' necessarily 'contradicts' the deep gold description in The Lord of the Rings, but the new story does arguably alter the visual image of Galadriel -- even in some small measure -- for some, and for some an image that one might have held to be 'true' for many years.
Anyway, just saying'... something 
In any case trying to disentangle 'the story' into its external evolution.
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joec_34
Rivendell
Sep 25 2014, 5:47pm
Post #9 of 10
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Good point--she is equated with Feanor, and even surpassing him in wisdom. I read your post so quickly the first time through that I missed that! "Galadriel was the greatest of the Noldor, except Fëanor maybe." That seems pretty straight forward. Thanks again for the great reference!
(Sorry about all the exclamation points; I'm rather excited.)
"Happy painting and God bless, my friend." - Bob Ross
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danmax67
The Shire
Oct 21 2014, 7:52pm
Post #10 of 10
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These two kinsfolk, the greatest of the Eldar of Valinor, were unfriends for ever.
So he unfriended her? I didn't know the Elves had Facebook.
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