Who Is Your Favorite Member of the White Council (with 1 exception)?
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I'm leaving Gandalf out of this because I figured he would run away with it. I'm not sure if a lot of these are technically on the Council but I wanted to include them anyways to give more options.
I think that you can make a good case for everyone listed, plus (of course) Gandalf. Celebrian, Elrond's wife, might have sat on the Council during the time that she remained in Middle-earth. Lindir is another possibility as is Galdor, who represented Cirdan at the Council of Elrond.
My guess is that Elrond's children--Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen--were not members of the White Council, or at least not full members.
Another possible member of the Council
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Another member of Elrond's household was Gildor Inglorion (not to be confused with Galdor of the Grey Havens), a Noldo of the House of Finrod. He was likely to have been another of the unspecified Elf-lords on the White Council.
One who may have been asked but probably refused the honor would have been Thranduil the Elvenking of Mirkwood.
Thranduil would have probably not been active in it but probably kept up with what was going on - the Council's chief issue was the rise of the Necromancer in Thranduil's father's abandoned fortress after all. Maybe he sent Legolas as a representative much like, as you said, how Cirdan sent Galdor?
(This post was edited by KingTurgon on Jan 24 2015, 11:17pm)
Thranduil would have probably not been active in it but probably kept up with what was going on - the Council's chief issue was the rise of the Necromancer in Thranduil's father's abandoned fortress after all. Maybe he sent Legolas as a representative much like, as you said, how Cirdan sent Galdor?
I don't think that Oropher constructed Dol Guldur even though the site was once the Wood-elves' capitol. The fortress was apparently built by servants of Sauron.
He was last seen wandering around not far from the Shire. How is he a member of Elrond's household? And even if he were, I'm not sure even all members of Elrond's crew would automatically be members of the White Council. That group seems rather more elite to me.
He was last seen wandering around not far from the Shire. How is he a member of Elrond's household? And even if he were, I'm not sure even all members of Elrond's crew would automatically be members of the White Council. That group seems rather more elite to me.
I was citing Robert Foster's entry for Gildor Inglorion from The Complete Guide to Middle-earth. Foster may have made an unsupported assumption, but I believe that his reasoning was based on Gildor being one of the Elves who accompanied Bilbo and Frodo and the other Ringbearers into the West.
Gildor does tell Frodo that he (at least) has kin in Rivendell. He also informs the hobbit that he has seen Biilbo twice in recent years: First nearby (probably when Bilbo departed from the Shire) and again far away (presumably in Rivendell).
If Gildor is not from Rivendell then I must guess that his halls are in or near the Grey Havens. As far as I can tell there are no other significant communities of High Elves in Eriador between the Gulf of Lhun and the Misty Mountains.
Foster makes several assumptions as well as several blatant errors. But in this case I think he is correct. Tyler in his ‘Tolkien Companion’ also agrees that Gildor dwelled in Rivendell.
Although Gildor & Co. are thought of as wandering Elves they surely had a home base and Rivendell is the logical choice. Gildor says to Frodo, “Some of our kinsfolk dwell still in peace in Rivendell.” He also mentions that he had seen Bilbo “far from here” (that would be Rivendell). No other Elven refuge is mentioned. And Gildor traveled with the Last Riding of the Keepers; it seems logical that they all came from Rivendell.
If Gidor’s non-wandering refuge was at the Grey Havens why would he be traveling west through the Shire at the Last Riding of the Keepers? He would simply ‘be there’ (as was Gandalf) when the Riders arrived.
Is Tolkien telling us that Gildor’s safe haven IS Rivendell. All the hints seem to point that way.
If Gidor’s non-wandering refuge was at the Grey Havens why would he be traveling west through the Shire at the Last Riding of the Keepers? He would simply ‘be there’ (as was Gandalf) when the Riders arrived.
Is Tolkien telling us that Gildor’s safe haven IS Rivendell. All the hints seem to point that way.