Chronological error (the Elessar)

[Gorthaur the Cruel]

In the Unfinished Tales (and that's probably why it's 'unfinsihed'), especially with Gandalf coming to ME giving Galadriel the Elassar, why would Galadriel grieve over the decay of ME when she already has Nenya at this time (granted the Istari came when the first shadows of Mirkwood were felt)?

[narfforc]

Tolkien was uncertain whether there were one or two jewels named The Elessar. The first was made by Enerdhil, jewel-smith of Gondolin for Idril who gave it to her son Earendil, thus Aragorn insisting that Bilbo includes a green stone in his song at Rivendell, the second was made for Galadriel by Celebrimbor. He hesitated as to whether the jewel which came to Aragorn was the first one or the second, or whether they were the same jewel. The story of Gandalf bringing it from Yavanna is one version, and the other descends from Galadriel to Celebrian and on to Aragorn from Arwen (as a bridal gift, see Laws and Customs Among The Eldar.Wielding the Elessar all things grew fair about Galadriel, until the coming of the Shadow in the Forest. Galadriel gave the Elessar to Celebrian because its power was deemed to be lesser than Nenya, which she received from Celebrimbor later.


As a note, Peter Jackson gets this absolutely wrong. The White jewel Aragorn wears is the one that is supposed to be given to Frodo by Arwen, Aragorn should have a green jewel.

[Galin]

I asked this same question in another forum recently Gorthaur -- there's certainly nothing wrong with the way you put it; and this is how I put it:

In the first tale it is Gandalf who brings the Elessar to Galadriel 'who dwelt now under the trees of Greenwood'. Galadriel sighs and says 'I grieve in Middle-earth, for leaves fall and flowers fade; and my heart yearns, remembering trees and grass that do not die. I would have these in my home'.

According to Appendix B the Istari appear in Middle-earth in the Third Age and the Three Rings are hidden in Second Age 1693. Did not Galadriel possess Nenya long before Gandalf arrived? In the second version where she goes to Celebrimbor and basically says the same thing to him (as she had said to Gandalf), this is before she received Nenya, and in this tale it is noted that she basically felt she needed the Elessar no more after receiving her ring.

In reference to Galadriel receiving Nenya in the Second Age, in note nine to The History of Galadriel and Celeborn, CJRT comments that she cannot have made use of its powers until a much later time, after the loss of the Ruling Ring. But again she is here seemingly talking to Gandalf roughly one thousand or more years after Isildur took the One.

That said, I think I am maybe missing something obvious. I realize this text could have been revised or even rejected by JRRT himself, but I was wondering if anyone else had some thoughts in any case, or could enlighten me.

And now we wait

[Galin]

A further confusion is that Tolkien appears to have altered the jewel-smith of Gondolin from Enerdhil to Celebrimbor -- but when he later makes Celebrimbor Feanorian (published in the revised edition), does that mean readers are 'meant' to read the Elessar text as once again referring to Enerdhil?

With respect to the first version of the two competing Elessar tales, Hammond and Scull (Reader's Guide) also note that, in comparison to what was already published: '... the tale seems to suggest that there was a breach of trust, in that Galadriel did not keep the Elessar for the one destined to receive it' because in The Lord of the Rings Galadriel said that she had given the stone to her daughter. In the second version Tolkien explicitly refers to Galadriel giving the stone to her daughter, so it doesn't seem like he had forgotten this from Lord of the Rings. I suppose Galadriel still could be said to have 'handed it on when the time came', as technically the jewel had come to her once again to give to Aragorn (if we look at Gandalf's statement more as a prediction), though even so, she handed it on before Elessar came to receive it.

In any case, maybe the following note solves the question by revising the initial idea, that being that there were two versions and: '... which is true only those Wise could say who now are gone.'

'The Elessar was made in Gondolin by Celebrimbor, and so came to Idril and so to Earendil. But that passed away. But the second Elessar was made also by Celebrimbor in Eregion at the request of the Lady Galadriel (whom he loved), and it was not under the One, being made before Sauron rose again.'

In other words, perhaps this is a rejection of the concept of two internally competing stories, thus eliminating the 'Gandalf version' altogether, as the first stone did not return in the Third Age (Tolkien possibly realizing that Galadriel should have Nenya by this time, and would not need the stone). This note seems to say more certainly that the first Elessar passed away, and so the jewel made by Celebrimbor is 'the second Elessar' -- although I must admit, I thought this note simply read as it does due to extreme compression; and it's still a guess that is does represent a rejection of the Gandalf version in any event.

I suppose it's possible that Tolkien originally meant that the Gandalf tale be found problematic by the reader, and so readers would be able to pick one tale above the other even without the help of the Wise; but this seems a bit doubtful to me.

Thoughts?