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09-09-2007, 07:47 PM | #1 |
Animated Skeleton
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Galadriel's Hair.
Hey, I *think* I remember reading something about how in her younger years Galadriel refused to cut her hair to (I think) be fashioned into a jewel. Am I correct? Who asked such a bold request? Where is it found?
I can't remember. Help me please! |
09-10-2007, 12:15 AM | #2 | |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
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...her hair held a marvel unmatched. It was golden like the hair of her father & of her foremother Indis, but richer & more radiant, for its gold was touched by some memory of the starlike silver of her mother; & the Eldar said that the light of the Two Trees, Laurelin & Telperion, had been snared in her tresses. Many thought that this saying first gave to Feanor the thought of imprisoning & blending the light of the Two Trees that later took shape in his hands as the Silmarils. For Feanor beheld the hair of Galadriel with wonder & delight. He begged three times for a tress, but Galadriel would not give him even one hair. Actually, I started a thread on Hair in M-e a while back http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=12132 |
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09-10-2007, 09:19 AM | #3 |
Animated Skeleton
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Thank you! Erm, what book is that in? I moved and I don't have all my books with me, unfortunately, or else I would have looked it up myself.
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09-10-2007, 09:21 AM | #4 |
A Voice That Gainsayeth
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In that far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 7,431
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It's in the Unfinished Tales.
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"Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories |
09-10-2007, 09:30 AM | #5 |
Animated Skeleton
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Aha, and that's one of the books that I had to unfortunately leave behind when I moved out of the house.
Thanks! I don't blame Galadriel for not giving her hair to Feanor... he was a jerk. |
09-11-2007, 08:21 AM | #6 |
Wight
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 101
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I did not know that! Interesting! It makes her giving three strands to Gimli, a Dwarf, even more remarkable!
Merry
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09-11-2007, 09:07 AM | #7 | |
Messenger of Hope
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: In a tiny, insignificant little town in one of the many States.
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Yes, it does. I read that part yesterday and this thread and the incident with Feanor came immediately to mind.
Quote:
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09-11-2007, 09:46 AM | #8 |
Hauntress of the Havens
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: IN it, but not OF it
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Since we're on the topic of Galadriel's hair, this random thought probably wouldn't be out of place:
Reading this thread, I was reminded of a post I made more than a couple of years ago in one of the 'Galadriel chapters' in the FotR CbC, in which I pointed out that, in parallel of Telperion and Laurelin, Celeborn had silver hair while Galadriel's hair was golden. Could there be any basis in this seeming assignment of silver as masculine and gold feminine? And yes, I know that Celebrian is female, but you can't deny that these two pairs are special. Last edited by Lhunardawen; 09-11-2007 at 09:51 AM. |
09-11-2007, 11:29 AM | #9 |
Mellifluous Maia
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: A glade open to the stars, deep in Nan Elmoth
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Interesting - I guess it must be linked with the gender of the sun and moon - like in Germanic languages (except English, of course, where the genders are usually switched - French or Roman influence, perhaps? Er, I guess one of our linguists can answer that) ... actually, I've always wondered why northern Europeans assigned the genders of the sun and moon the opposite of those in the south, and whether this tells us anything about gender roles in these cultures, but I guess that's completely off topic, so I'll be quiet now.
OK, more on topic - why did Tolkien assign the gender of the sun and moon the way he did? Forgive me if that's a dumb question... |
09-11-2007, 03:09 PM | #10 | ||
Eagle of the Star
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Quote:
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09-11-2007, 03:19 PM | #11 | ||
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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Just adding to Raynor's answer, Tolkien's source is clearly Norse myth:
From Snorri's Prose Edda: Quote:
Quote:
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