Lady Appreciation Post: Galadriel
Have not yet watched Young Justice or Tales of Symphonia yet. Decided to finish off the Harry Potter movies instead. XD Deathly Hallows Part Two was... well it could have been a little better. They got the epicness down all right, just needed more Badass!Neville, less overlong conversations, closer following of the book, and more Ginny. Could always use more Ginny.
Anyway, I still have my Lady post for this week. Not a Harry Potter gal, oddly enough. I'm going back to the other mega-popular fantasy series.
"I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three."
--Gimli, The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Film)
For as little screentime and pagetime as she's given, the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien makes quite an impression.
The first thing you need to know about Galadriel is that she's ancient. I mean like, really really old. Like she's been alive practically since the beginning of time in the Middle-Earth universe.
Looks good for a fifteen-thousand-year-old doesn't she?
**MASSIVE EXPOSITION DUMP AHEAD**
She was one of the original elves to cross over from Valinor (dwelling place of the angels) to Middle-Earth, in pursuit of Morgath (a fallen angel) to take back the Silmarils (white jewels that contain the light of the Two Trees of Valinor). Some of Tolkien's accounts suggest that Galadriel, especially her hair and the way the light caught it, may have in fact been the inspiration for the making of the Silmarils in the first place. That's pretty cool, to have gemstones dedicated to you, in my opinion.
*whew!*
And for all that time, Galadriel has been two things: Large, and In-Charge. This woman just exudes authority from every pore. Whatever she's doing at the moment, you can bet that she is The Boss. This led her to be prideful on a few occasions. Galadriel liked ruling over her various portions of Middle-Earth a little too much, and that caused the Valar to bar her from returning to Valinor, until she could move past her pride and pass a test that would be set before her. In The Lord of the Rings, she passes this test by refusing the One Ring of power, even when Frodo freely offers it to her.
The movie has her going a little green and freaky for this.
Galadriel co-rules Lothlorien with her husband Celeborn, who is practically an afterthought in both book and movies. It's quite a refreshing change to have a queen who is her own woman, not defined by her husband.
She totes wears the pants even though they're both wearing robes.
She is an elegant, cultured, refined woman. She is also compassionate, gentle, and caring. But don't mistake that for weakness. Galadriel is as tough as mithril. Given how long she's been alive, she's learned a thing or two. Her many years have made her wise. Galadriel is one of the only ones who distrusts Sauron when the forging of the Rings of Power is going on. Speaking of the rings, guess who bears one of the "Three rings for the Elven kings"? That's right, it's our very own Queen Galadriel.
Galadriel uses the power of Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, to protect Lothlorien from Sauron. She's able to keep Lothlorien protected from Sauron for over a thousand years. Through three times during the War of the Ring Lorien is attacked, Galadriel and her people are able to rebuff the forces of darkness. Earlier, Galadriel also played a pivotal role in defeating Sauron's first attempt to return to power in Dol Guldur in Mirkwood.
I most love Galadriel because she's just so commanding. She wields great power, but doesn't misuse it. She protects, preserves, rescues. She encourages. She's just... awesome. A moment from the films I love that's not in the books is when she appears to Frodo in a vision in Shelob's Lair. She reminds the weary hobbit that no one else will be able to complete the task, smiling warmly, and extends her hand. And somehow, telepathically or telekinetically, from across the many many miles between them, she pulls Frodo to his feet. I do like to think Movie!Galadriel has epic mind powers.
"Look into my eyes... you are getting Heroically Resolved..."
There's not that much else to say about the Lady of the Golden Wood. She's beautiful and powerful and I love her to pieces.
Aiya Earendil to you, Galady.
Anyway, I still have my Lady post for this week. Not a Harry Potter gal, oddly enough. I'm going back to the other mega-popular fantasy series.
"I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three."
--Gimli, The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Film)
For as little screentime and pagetime as she's given, the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien makes quite an impression.
The first thing you need to know about Galadriel is that she's ancient. I mean like, really really old. Like she's been alive practically since the beginning of time in the Middle-Earth universe.
Looks good for a fifteen-thousand-year-old doesn't she?
**MASSIVE EXPOSITION DUMP AHEAD**
She was one of the original elves to cross over from Valinor (dwelling place of the angels) to Middle-Earth, in pursuit of Morgath (a fallen angel) to take back the Silmarils (white jewels that contain the light of the Two Trees of Valinor). Some of Tolkien's accounts suggest that Galadriel, especially her hair and the way the light caught it, may have in fact been the inspiration for the making of the Silmarils in the first place. That's pretty cool, to have gemstones dedicated to you, in my opinion.
*whew!*
And for all that time, Galadriel has been two things: Large, and In-Charge. This woman just exudes authority from every pore. Whatever she's doing at the moment, you can bet that she is The Boss. This led her to be prideful on a few occasions. Galadriel liked ruling over her various portions of Middle-Earth a little too much, and that caused the Valar to bar her from returning to Valinor, until she could move past her pride and pass a test that would be set before her. In The Lord of the Rings, she passes this test by refusing the One Ring of power, even when Frodo freely offers it to her.
The movie has her going a little green and freaky for this.
Galadriel co-rules Lothlorien with her husband Celeborn, who is practically an afterthought in both book and movies. It's quite a refreshing change to have a queen who is her own woman, not defined by her husband.
She totes wears the pants even though they're both wearing robes.
She is an elegant, cultured, refined woman. She is also compassionate, gentle, and caring. But don't mistake that for weakness. Galadriel is as tough as mithril. Given how long she's been alive, she's learned a thing or two. Her many years have made her wise. Galadriel is one of the only ones who distrusts Sauron when the forging of the Rings of Power is going on. Speaking of the rings, guess who bears one of the "Three rings for the Elven kings"? That's right, it's our very own Queen Galadriel.
Galadriel uses the power of Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, to protect Lothlorien from Sauron. She's able to keep Lothlorien protected from Sauron for over a thousand years. Through three times during the War of the Ring Lorien is attacked, Galadriel and her people are able to rebuff the forces of darkness. Earlier, Galadriel also played a pivotal role in defeating Sauron's first attempt to return to power in Dol Guldur in Mirkwood.
I most love Galadriel because she's just so commanding. She wields great power, but doesn't misuse it. She protects, preserves, rescues. She encourages. She's just... awesome. A moment from the films I love that's not in the books is when she appears to Frodo in a vision in Shelob's Lair. She reminds the weary hobbit that no one else will be able to complete the task, smiling warmly, and extends her hand. And somehow, telepathically or telekinetically, from across the many many miles between them, she pulls Frodo to his feet. I do like to think Movie!Galadriel has epic mind powers.
"Look into my eyes... you are getting Heroically Resolved..."
There's not that much else to say about the Lady of the Golden Wood. She's beautiful and powerful and I love her to pieces.
Aiya Earendil to you, Galady.