Galadriel, Lady of Lothlórien (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
inafadingcrown) wrote2019-05-22 02:50 pm
inafadingcrown) wrote2019-05-22 02:50 pm
Asgard App
OOC INFO;
Player Name: Beth
Contact Info:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
elfwannabe is probably the best bet, but you can also message me on this journal or at elfwannabe
Current Character: NA
IC INFO;
Character Name: Galadriel
Canon: The Tolkien Universe, specifically from The Lord of the Rings. Book canon with movie influence. Tolkien canon is insane and often has multiple versions of things, so I prioritize canons, so that, if information from one source contradicts another, I know what to follow. My rule of thumb: The Lord of the Rings > The Hobbit > The Silmarillion > Unfinished Tales > Anything else.
Canon Information: Galadriel. A timeline of the Tolkien Universe. The War of the Ring. I've also written a summary of the history I personally use for Galadriel, since, as I've said, there are contridicting versions. That's here.
Canon Point: The Return of the King, as she sails West
Age: Around 8,000 years old, but since she was literally born before the creation of the sun, exact dates aren't possible. In terms of appearance, she would be difficult to pin down- certainly an adult, but other than that, hard to pin down. "No sign of age [is] upon [her]," for what that's worth.
God Houses:
By the time of The Return of the King, Galadriel is somewhere around eight thousand years old; that's a lot of life experience. In her case, it really shows. Who she is is very much a reflection of who she was and what she's learned along the way. Galadriel was born and raised as Noldorin royalty, and she was every inch what you would expect from a Noldorin princess; she was proud, determined, and ambitious- a fiery personality, fierce in both her anger and her affections. From that, and through her life experiences, she has grown into a wise, compassionate, powerful elven ruler.
It was precisely her pride and ambition (and arguably her fiery personality) that lead to Galadriel's involvement in the violent and traumatic events of the First Age. Due to a series of unfortunate events, her uncle Fëanor persuaded the Noldor to leave Aman and seek vengeance and their own fortunes in Middle Earth, she was moved by his words, despite her personal dislike of him. At the Kinslaying of Alqualondë, when Fëanor sought to take the ships of the Teleri by force, she fought against him. Eventually, Fëanor took the ships and, despite her earlier opposition to him, Galadriel continued to travel with Fëanor until he and his sons took the ships, leaving all but their closest followers behind. One can only assume, in this instance, her ambition overruled her sense. Regardless, this left Galadriel and all those with her to cross the Helcaraxë, a frozen landmass connecting Middle Earth and Valinor. Many elves died on this crossing.
These experiences had a profound impact on Galadriel. They include what she considers her greatest mistakes and some of those mistakes cost lives. This was humbling, in the harshest possible way. Thousands of years after the event, she is far more self-aware. She knows her own flaws and is highly aware of her own falibility. This wisdom was demonstrated in The Lord of the Ring when she refused the One Ring. She knew that she was not immune to the corrupting power of the Ring. Despite the temptation of power, she had the strength to turn away. It is unlikely that this would have been true in her youth. Ambition is no sin and Galadriel certain still has plenty- she has no shortage of pride either. But her ambition and pride are now tempered by wisdom and care to consider all factors.
Galadriel's compassion has been a constant in her life; it has been one of her strongest motivations. Perhaps it is because she has been able to see into the hearts of others, or perhaps it is just her nature, but she is given to seeing the world with a sympathetic eye- indeed, Tolkien states that she "withheld her goodwill from none" except Feanor. Tolkien also states that she judges hearts "with mercy and understanding." Given what she can see in the hearts of others, this is perhaps the most important insight into Galadriel's character that we are given. She's not just compassionate, she's understanding and realizes that no one is without fault. Her own past may have something to do with this as well; after all, she has made some very large and very serious mistakes. She has to believe in growth and change.
None of this means, however, that she has become overly soft. she has no problem with being harsh if she deems it necessary. It seems likely that she knew Boromir would attempt to take the Ring from Frodo, for example, and although she tested the minds and hearts of all the Fellowship, it was he who seemed the most affected by it, suggesting that she deliberately pushed at his mind the hardest in the hope of exposing its cracks. She is, by nature, a forgiving person who believes in redemption (she even offered Saruman a last chance!), but she also knows that introspection and change are often painful. Her ruthless pushing at Boromir’s mind was, ultimately, an attempt at a kindness as well as an effort to save the quest of the Ring. She hoped to force him to confront what affect his ambitions and the Ring were having on him. If she must be cruel in order to be kind, she will.
She is also slow to trust. This has only become more true over the years, and understandably so, given the treachery that filled the First Age. In part, this can be seen by the polite distance that she usually keeps between her and the general public. It's a matter of rulership. She simply cannot afford to be completly open with anyone who she does not know well and she has learned to control the face that the public sees. As a telepath and one whose mind is constantly under siege by Sauron himself, it behooves her to carefully select what she lets others see of her thoughts.
Writing Sample:
Galadriel was on another one of her long walks. She seemed to go on a lot of those lately. It made sense enough; she had always had a tendency to pace about when thinking and just now she had a great deal on her mind. There was, too, something to be said for her stubbornness. Tell Galadriel that she tethered to a world and suddenly she feels the need to move.
Eventually, Galadriel settled on the grass with her legs folded neatly under her, thoughtfully examining the metal 'bracelet' around her wrist. It seemed uncomfortably like a shackle to her mind, even if there was no chain attached. No literal chain, at least.
She sighed heavily, dropping her hands to her lap and giving up her inspection for the moment. This really wasn't a terrible place to be trapped, if one had to make the choice, she supposed, but that really was beside the point. This world could have been paradise and she would have resented it.
She had been only a journey away from seeing her homeland, from seeing her parents, from seeing her daughter again, and it had been taken away from her. After thousands of years, to have her hopes raised and then dashed- it was too much. She was tired, the burden of memory still heavy on her shoulders, she was heartsick, and for the first time in quite a while, she found herself alone. So, if only for a little while, Galadriel allowed herself to weep.
Player Name: Beth
Contact Info:
elfwannabe Current Character: NA
IC INFO;
Character Name: Galadriel
Canon: The Tolkien Universe, specifically from The Lord of the Rings. Book canon with movie influence. Tolkien canon is insane and often has multiple versions of things, so I prioritize canons, so that, if information from one source contradicts another, I know what to follow. My rule of thumb: The Lord of the Rings > The Hobbit > The Silmarillion > Unfinished Tales > Anything else.
Canon Information: Galadriel. A timeline of the Tolkien Universe. The War of the Ring. I've also written a summary of the history I personally use for Galadriel, since, as I've said, there are contridicting versions. That's here.
Canon Point: The Return of the King, as she sails West
Age: Around 8,000 years old, but since she was literally born before the creation of the sun, exact dates aren't possible. In terms of appearance, she would be difficult to pin down- certainly an adult, but other than that, hard to pin down. "No sign of age [is] upon [her]," for what that's worth.
God Houses:
- Mimir:Galadriel is a master of long term strategy. Her gift of foresight helps with this, obviously, but it's also just part of how she thinks. She's a chessplayer and she's constantly watching the board.
- Tyr: Diplomacy is the obvious link here. To say that Galadriel is careful with her words is an understatement.She is frequently mentioned doing things like cultivating stratigic relationships, setting up councils, and gently nudging people in the direction that she wants them to go. But Galadriel is also a woman of great courage. She has spent a large portion of her life in opposition to either Melkor or Sauron- both literal divine beings and both significantly more powerful than she is at no small amount of risk to herself.
- Sigyn: Compassion is probably Galadriel's greatest virtue. Whatever her flaws, she truly looks at the world with a sympathetic eye and a desire to help. She is, at heart, a healer and would far rather nurture and preserve life than take it. She even offers Saruman a chance to turn things around towards the end of The Return of the King- which, of course, results in nothing but mockery, but the fact that she reached out to someone who had not only aided the Enemy, but who had betrayed her in the process, speaks volumes.
By the time of The Return of the King, Galadriel is somewhere around eight thousand years old; that's a lot of life experience. In her case, it really shows. Who she is is very much a reflection of who she was and what she's learned along the way. Galadriel was born and raised as Noldorin royalty, and she was every inch what you would expect from a Noldorin princess; she was proud, determined, and ambitious- a fiery personality, fierce in both her anger and her affections. From that, and through her life experiences, she has grown into a wise, compassionate, powerful elven ruler.
It was precisely her pride and ambition (and arguably her fiery personality) that lead to Galadriel's involvement in the violent and traumatic events of the First Age. Due to a series of unfortunate events, her uncle Fëanor persuaded the Noldor to leave Aman and seek vengeance and their own fortunes in Middle Earth, she was moved by his words, despite her personal dislike of him. At the Kinslaying of Alqualondë, when Fëanor sought to take the ships of the Teleri by force, she fought against him. Eventually, Fëanor took the ships and, despite her earlier opposition to him, Galadriel continued to travel with Fëanor until he and his sons took the ships, leaving all but their closest followers behind. One can only assume, in this instance, her ambition overruled her sense. Regardless, this left Galadriel and all those with her to cross the Helcaraxë, a frozen landmass connecting Middle Earth and Valinor. Many elves died on this crossing.
These experiences had a profound impact on Galadriel. They include what she considers her greatest mistakes and some of those mistakes cost lives. This was humbling, in the harshest possible way. Thousands of years after the event, she is far more self-aware. She knows her own flaws and is highly aware of her own falibility. This wisdom was demonstrated in The Lord of the Ring when she refused the One Ring. She knew that she was not immune to the corrupting power of the Ring. Despite the temptation of power, she had the strength to turn away. It is unlikely that this would have been true in her youth. Ambition is no sin and Galadriel certain still has plenty- she has no shortage of pride either. But her ambition and pride are now tempered by wisdom and care to consider all factors.
Galadriel's compassion has been a constant in her life; it has been one of her strongest motivations. Perhaps it is because she has been able to see into the hearts of others, or perhaps it is just her nature, but she is given to seeing the world with a sympathetic eye- indeed, Tolkien states that she "withheld her goodwill from none" except Feanor. Tolkien also states that she judges hearts "with mercy and understanding." Given what she can see in the hearts of others, this is perhaps the most important insight into Galadriel's character that we are given. She's not just compassionate, she's understanding and realizes that no one is without fault. Her own past may have something to do with this as well; after all, she has made some very large and very serious mistakes. She has to believe in growth and change.
None of this means, however, that she has become overly soft. she has no problem with being harsh if she deems it necessary. It seems likely that she knew Boromir would attempt to take the Ring from Frodo, for example, and although she tested the minds and hearts of all the Fellowship, it was he who seemed the most affected by it, suggesting that she deliberately pushed at his mind the hardest in the hope of exposing its cracks. She is, by nature, a forgiving person who believes in redemption (she even offered Saruman a last chance!), but she also knows that introspection and change are often painful. Her ruthless pushing at Boromir’s mind was, ultimately, an attempt at a kindness as well as an effort to save the quest of the Ring. She hoped to force him to confront what affect his ambitions and the Ring were having on him. If she must be cruel in order to be kind, she will.
She is also slow to trust. This has only become more true over the years, and understandably so, given the treachery that filled the First Age. In part, this can be seen by the polite distance that she usually keeps between her and the general public. It's a matter of rulership. She simply cannot afford to be completly open with anyone who she does not know well and she has learned to control the face that the public sees. As a telepath and one whose mind is constantly under siege by Sauron himself, it behooves her to carefully select what she lets others see of her thoughts.
Writing Sample:
Galadriel was on another one of her long walks. She seemed to go on a lot of those lately. It made sense enough; she had always had a tendency to pace about when thinking and just now she had a great deal on her mind. There was, too, something to be said for her stubbornness. Tell Galadriel that she tethered to a world and suddenly she feels the need to move.
Eventually, Galadriel settled on the grass with her legs folded neatly under her, thoughtfully examining the metal 'bracelet' around her wrist. It seemed uncomfortably like a shackle to her mind, even if there was no chain attached. No literal chain, at least.
She sighed heavily, dropping her hands to her lap and giving up her inspection for the moment. This really wasn't a terrible place to be trapped, if one had to make the choice, she supposed, but that really was beside the point. This world could have been paradise and she would have resented it.
She had been only a journey away from seeing her homeland, from seeing her parents, from seeing her daughter again, and it had been taken away from her. After thousands of years, to have her hopes raised and then dashed- it was too much. She was tired, the burden of memory still heavy on her shoulders, she was heartsick, and for the first time in quite a while, she found herself alone. So, if only for a little while, Galadriel allowed herself to weep.