All Shall Love Me and Despair: Galadriel's Importance to the Mythos of Middle Earth

One of the most important characters in the tales of Middle Earth is Galadriel. Her significance in the first book of The Lord of the Rings (LotR) trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, extends beyond her actual participation in the tale with the unexpectedly important gifts she bestows upon Legolas, Peregrin (Pippin) Took, Frodo Baggins, and the rest of the party.  Galadriel has far more importance to her people than her lord, Celeborn, in that she possesses one of the Elven rings of power.  She was one of the bearers of the three rings of power entrusted to the Elves, Nenya, Ring of Adamant.  Her power to govern the Elves was contained within this ring.  

 She is, however, not immune to the temptation of possessing the One Ring.  Galadriel faced a test of will when Frodo offers the Ring to her.  She spoke of the power and rule that would occur is she was to give into temptation and take the One Ring:

‘In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen.  And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night!  Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain!  Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth.  All shall love me and despair.’ … She stood before Frodo now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful.

Galadriel passed her test and feels as if she has fulfilled all she must do when she bestows gifts upon the Fellowship before she passes into the West.

However, Galadriel’s importance extends far beyond what we see in LotR. She was the only daughter and youngest child of Finarfin, prince of the Noldor, and Eärwen, cousin to Lúthien and born in Valinor. She was the only female to participate in the rebellion of the Noldor and flight from Valinor during the First Age. However, she did not participate in the Kinslaying incident at Alqualondë. In fact, Galadriel in one version of this tale found in The Unfinished Tales actively fought against the Noldorin princes who killed their fellow Elves, the Teleri. Despite this, she left Valinor without permission from the Valar and was forbidden to ever return. This is in part of why she stays so long in Middle Earth while the rest of her kin sailed to the Undying Lands during the events of LotR in the Third Age. Ultimately, it was her refusal of the One Ring that caused her banishment to be lifted.

During the Second Age, Galadriel received some Mallorn (mellyrn) seeds as a gift from Gil-galad which did not take root in his own kingdom. Under her power, these seeds sprouted in Lothlórien. It was during this time as well that the Rings of Power were forged. Unlike her male counterparts, Galadriel mistrusted Annatar who taught Celebrimbor and the other Noldor of Eregion the craft of the Rings. She was proven right as Annatar was Sauron in disguise who would eventually attack Eregion. It was during this attack that Celebrimbor bestowed Nenya on her. She would refuse to use this ring until the Third Age after Sauron had lost the One Ring. It was then that she would establish Lothlórien as a refuge.

Galadriel was also a member of the White Council. This collective of wizards (Istari) and Elves also included Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown, Gandalf the Grey, Elrond of Rivendell, and Círdan of the Grey Havens. Its main purpose was to counter the growing threat in Dol Goldur. Galadriel and the rest of the White Council forced Sauron, who had been posing as the Necromancer, out of Dol Goldur and into Mordor.

After the fall of Sauron with the destruction of the One Ring, Celeborn led a contingent from Lórien to capture Dol Goldur. Like her cousin Lúthien had done to Tol Sirion in the First Age, Galadriel felled the stronghold and “threw down its walls and laid bare its pits.” It was then that she would sail from the Grey Havens to the Undying Lands.

Galadriel’s story within the tales of Middle Earth is rich and deep. She held much importance among her people and was renowned for both her strength and beauty. Her kingdom of Lórien survived multiple attacks by the armies of Dol Goldur because of Galadriel’s power was too great to be overcome.