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As an Artist i seriously hate AI art apps, if you want to make art then pick up a pencil and put in the effort to learn like the rest of us did. Don't just go around stealing bits and pieces of art other artist actually worked hard on to claim it as your own, which is literally what all these AI Art apps do.
You're sponsored by art thieves... hate to say it, but there are some sponsors you should probably turn down for moral reasons, and this is one of them.
Galadriel used to work out at the same gym I go to, so I feel like I can shed some light on this question. I used to see her warming up on bench press with 600+ pounds. 1000+ on squat and deadlift too. It was pretty impressive. Amazing cardio as well. Hopefully when I'm 8000 years old, I'll still be able to lift half as much as her.
"Three times Lórien had been assailed from Dol Guldur. but besides the valour of the elven people of that land. the power that dwelt there was too great for any to overcome, unless Sauron had come there himself. Though grievous harm was done to the fair woods on the borders, the assaults were driven back; and when the Shadow passed, Celeborn came forth and led the host of Lórien over Anduin in many boats. They took Dol Guldur, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed."
Everything is spot on except the bit concerning Galadriel's own power. After the one ring was destroyed, the power of the three elven rings faded (including Galadriel's ring Nenya). Yet even without Nenya's power she went to Dol Guldur and tore down its walls and laid bare its pits. Tolkien used those exact words before in the published Silmarillion when Luthien (who had no magic rings of her own) destroyed and cleansed first age Minas Tirith. Both Luthien & Galadriel were mentored by Melian, one of the mightiest maia who walked Middle-earth. Tolkien doesnt really explain the laws of magic in his writings, but the parallels between the two is clear
Thank you!! Her strength is not simply 'borrowed', as stated in the video. But the Rings of Power seriously downplays the power of the Elves, especially those who lived with the Valar. They were far more magical on the books than portrayed on screen.
A swordfighting Galadriel as a warrior in armour is not the main issue people have with her in the RoP. It's her petulance, arrogance, rude bluntness, impatience, callousness, footstomping childishness and outright stupidity that I personally take issue with (alongside the atrocious writing that pretends she is none of these things). I don't think I'm alone in this. Why not make a completely original character if all you're going to use from the existing one is the name? That's the main issue a lot of people have, not that she's swordfighting.
I will say... the sword fighting galadriel surrounded by useless elves who would all die without her 1 stunt troll slaying... was too much. Lol. If that were all true the lord of the rings shouldve just beeb galadriel with a sword... no need for almost the entire fellowship.
I agree with you about it (I mean, Galadriel, even in her youth, was generally a merciful person), but some people do have a problem with it for some reason. I've never really understood it.
When Gimli receives His Gift From Galadriel is so moving and Comical (when I imagine the look on Celeborn's face) It still invokes those feelings that I felt the first time I read them. I have read them over 100 times easy.
This is still one of my favorite "cozy" scenes (in that there is little ostentation in the setup and setting of that scene) because i can almost imagine the gasp from all the Elves who knew history and the collective near-apoplexy older Elves who were alive when Feanor attempted the same thing. haha. And then there's Gimli, just happy that he got three strands. (In the movies, this scene had a shot of Legolas smirking, and that's when it solidified for me that he knew the significance but was just enjoying Gimli's simple joy at the gift)
I have no issue with Galadriel wearing armour and using weapons. As a Noldorin princess and survivor of First Age Beleriand, I would find it hard to believe she would not know how to fight as needed. 'Rings of Power' turning her into a petulant teenager - THAT was the problem!
Cate Blanchette was much closer to the way that I pictured Galadriel not just physically but also in terms of her character traits. I will never acknowledge Amazon's Galadriel as a Galadriel.
@@rustyshackelford4224 Well, I think the biggest problem with Amazon's Galadriel is how angsty she is. I understand they are trying to portray a younger and more arrogant warrior-queen Galadriel, but it is too overplayed and her attitude does not cause enough conflict or opposition, which is a shame because this could have made the show and this character much more engaging. Then there is how much this deviates from the books. Galadriel--even a young Galadriel--does not strike me as loud and brash like Amazon's Galadriel. There's this calmness to her character. She doesn't snarl and growl when she's confused, she very calmly says, "Well, why don't we go take a look at the water in that bowl over there?". A lot of this had to do with the various political and social agendas that influenced the writing of this character in the Amazon series, and I feel like it ruined Galadriel. If this actress had been working for a different director, she could have made an excellent young version of Galadriel.
Were only 1 season in to Rings of Power. Clearly the screenwriters are positioning Galadriel so she has a character arc. I suspect she'll grow into what you expect. It's just different to the books, like every adaption ever.
This is an incredible video as it surely highlights how Galadriel is a force to be reckoned with and that if Galadriel did have any need for weapons during battle in the First Age then they didn't have to be physical weapons of iron or steel when she already had a weapon at hand; the literal magic that courses through her, heart, mind, body and soul. She is her own weapon, as indeed all of the highest and most powerful, nigh on divine Elves actually are. She can pull from the magic within her very veins, from her own essence to fight without any need for or even the slightest hint of a desire to wield any other weapon than what she already knows she has. What she shows us when she razes Dol Guldur to the ground both in the behind the scenes of the books, and also as seen in the second "Hobbit" film "The Desolation of Smaug" is that no physical weapon can do what she alone can do to banish the Necromancer and throw down his castle. She herself achieves a victory both through her own self-awareness of her own powers and the strength of those powers from divine sorcery, thus she exemplifies what Eomer says in "The Return of the King" movie when he tells Aragorn that as Men "We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms" since she knows better than any mortal or Elven warrior that she in particular needs no such arms since she has no real use for them since her magic speaks for itself. That scene in all three of "The Hobbit" films has to be perhaps one of the most amazing feats of sorcerous strength ever put to film. Yes, it's true that it's not entirely book canon since Celeborn and their army aren't present with her in that scene on film as they definitely are in the books, however, you get to see Galadriel at her mightiest as an Elven Queen of almighty Amazonian disposition as she casts her spells of nigh on angelic power to banish the evil of Dol Guldur. Give her a physical weapon to achieve the same end goal though and it actually diminishes the sheer forcefulness and overall significance of the magical might and power she already possesses within her which can actually achieve great victory far beyond any physical strength of arms. She uses no instrument of war to defend Lothlorien from attack either when the Orcs intrude during the "Quest of the Ring" in the books either since she already has one in the form of her loyal Elven warriors. In truth Galadriel needs no material instruments of war in the way that the rest of the Elves and also Men have swords and Dwarves have axes to fight through force of arms since she is already far above such tools and those who use them due to her own magical prowess, both before she receives her Ring and even after its power fades. There is no evidence in text to say that she even has a sword or any other kind of physical weapon except for Nenya, the Ring of Adamant and of Water which is more of an instrument for preservation than combat upon receiving it. So when it does come to combat as it did in the First Age and does in Dol Guldur both off the page in the book trilogy and in "The Hobbit" films Galadriel shows us that she doesn't need to own any kind of material or physical sword to become the sword. The innate strength of divine sorcery at the core of her High Elven being is her sword, so by extension that makes Galadriel as iron willed and steel-tempered as a sword therefore through her mastery of all of her magic Galadriel does indeed become the sword. If you think about the title of her Ring, the Ring of Adamant and of Water it actually makes the Ring sound a little like it may have been inspired both by some ancient weapon and also the philosophy borne from the Samurai way of life as it was in Ancient feudal Japan, along with its mythos and their ancient and almost mystical art of swordsmanship. In fact all of the Elven rings sound like they were inspired by Eastern mythology; Elrond holds Vilya, the Ring of Air, Cirdan, Gil-galad and later Gandalf hold Narya, the Ring of Fire and Galadriel holds Nenya, the Ring of Adamant and of Water. All three Rings magnify what gifts of magical power and warriorlike prowess are already there in their bearers as enlightened students of a sacred order that is waiting for them to channel those gifts and unleash them to add them to the world, to transform it and thus to become great warriors and counsellors of light and truth to all people in Middle Earth. One of them is a lofty spirit who uses his Ring of Air as an instrument to channel his innate wisdom granted by the air, three are flickering spirits who use their shared Ring of Fire to channel the power bestowed on them by the divine flame (that being the Flame Imperishable) and last, but certainly not least there is a jewel-bright spirit who uses her Ring of Water to channel her innate, adamant radiance as an oracular entity who reveals the hidden magic of visions in the water. These three Rings are instruments that allow their bearers to bend the three elements of air, fire and water and direct them to do good kind of like Aang in "The Last Airbender" but with a notable difference. Elrond doesn't release physical air; he is a spirit of air; he holds himself with a majestic, regal, refreshing air; he is a relaxing and revitalizing breath of fresh air therefore he is the element of air. The same applies to Gandalf; he is a spirit of fire; when in battle he fights fire with the burning splendor of a warrior with a heart of fire and in friendship he lends one the comforting presence of his company with the blazing warmth of a living fire; he is fire. Galadriel is an adamantine spirit of water; she is the bearer of the pitcher that holds blessed, magical water; she wields her magic through embracing all of who she is and knowing who she is as she embraces all of her womanly instincts and emotions as they flow through her as they flow through all women, like water. All of the Ringbearers of the White Council are as sharp witted and sharper minded as bright, white hot swords as pure founts of immense wisdom and Galadriel, who is the only woman allowed into the Council goes out of her way to show them all and us that she can be her own sword, her own entity, a woman whose whole being and outlook is as calm, composed and crystal clear and serene as still water, and how the power of divine femininity may well go deeper beyond all mortal reckoning than we can imagine.
@@rustyshackelford4224 Thank you - I happen to have found that this fable is in the first book of the "Bartimaeus" series by Jonathan Stroud. I look forward to reading it.
In letter 348 Tolkien states that in Sindarin “Galadriel” means “maiden crowned with gleaming hair” and that the name was a secondary one given to her in her youth when she was then of ‘Amazonian disposition’ and ‘ bound up her hair in a crown when taking part in athletic feats’. Tolkien elsewhere noted that Galadriel was unusually tall and possessed of a proud nature. So the “Amazon” part may not have the warrior meaning that some would impart. It could of course. But it could also just mean that Galadriel was a strong willed young female elf who enjoyed physical exercise in the first age
Tolkien would have known the full meaning captured in (and implied by) the term “Amazonian”-he would not have used the term lightly or casually, especially given that the term is one from a mythology quite different from his own. It signifies a female warrior *and* athlete. That Galadriel participated in acts of war is indicated by Tolkien’s remark that she fought fiercely against the forces of Feanor at the Kinslaying. That she also excelled in athletic endeavors is confirmed by the fact that Tolkien says that “she was a match for any of the loremasters and athletes” of Valinor. In other words, she was the equal of the best of her kind in physical prowess and magic: no small statement when speaking of High Elves trained by the gods themselves. Clearly, Tolkien emphasizes that her later career was one of politics and leadership and the practice of her magical Arts. Her portrayal as a periodic warrior in the Amazon series fiasco was not necessarily incorrect … just badly written. But her wisdom, insight, and magical/Artful prowess were just as potent from her earliest days in the Second Age as were her “Amazonian” skills, if not more. Like Feanor, she was as much a creative wonderworker as she was a warrior, though her gifts-equal to his in stature, according to Tolkien-were of a different style or endowment.
@@jonathankieranwriter In early versions ( like the Silmarillion) she only witnessed the kinslaying. in later letters before his death Tolkien wrote that she did participate. So depends on the version you prefer. She with Amazonian because she was unusually tall, even for an elf and participated in athletic feats in the first age. In the second age she was roughly 8000 years old married to her husband and living in Lindon. Although Tolkien states she fought in battles against orcs who invaded with her husband as they were unseparable in battle.
@@jonathankieranwriter Tolkien also writes that elf-women, though they will fight in desperate defence (much like Galadriel fighting in defence of her Telerin kin), *abstain from war,* and that Elves consider the warrior-woman custom of the folk of Haleth to be "stange". And the Shibboleth quote is: "a match for both the loremasters and the athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth". The athletic youth is referring to the time in Valinor, not the Second Age.
For me Cate Blanchett played Galadriel so perfectly, as I imagined her to be in the books, that I cannot imagine anyone else ever in her role. She didn't need to do anything to play up her strength (a major failing of ROP 🙄 running around sword fighting etc) it was in the way she carried herself. She glowed with an otherworldly luminous beauty, but I could also feel her strength and power emanating... I remember being worried when Cate was first cast in the role, then seeing her completely inhabit Galadriel was extraordinary. I think it helped Cate being classically trained.. Peter Jackson may have gotten a few things incorrect and left some favourite characters out but it is plain as day the love dedication and passion he and his team had for Tolkiens world. Rings of power is an abomination. I'm a new subscriber and enjoying your channel very much.
I'd like a more in-depth look at the magic of Tolkiens' Elves, particulary the Elves that lived with the Valar. It seems to be often overlooked that many of them if not most, besides forging and wielding magical weapons, had abilities far beyond the physical, Galadriel included. There are many, many examples, and there is a reason these folk could sometimes contend with the power of gods on some level.
Where I have no problem with the concept of Galadriel being able to use weapons and armour, after spending centuries in Doriath under the tutelage of Melian during the first age, I do not believe that she needed such. After all, when Celeborn lead the host of Lorien in the assault on Dol Guldur, it was Galadriel who came forth to throw down the wall and lay bare its pits, and that was not done using physical weapons. Also, from how I read this part of the book, this was after the One Ring had been destroyed, and therefore all the other rings, including Nenya, had lost their power, which implies that the destruction of Dol Guldur was by Galadriel's own power.
"when the Shadow passed, Celeborn came forth and led the host of Lórien over Anduin in many boats. They took Dol Guldur, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the RIngs Appendix B, "The Tale of Years: The Third Age") Not until the fighting was over and the location secure did Galadriel use her powers to destroy Dol Guldur; she didn’t use her powers offensively in the battle which is perfectly in line with the way we see other Elves use magic in Tolkien works where it is always aimed at protection, healing, strengthening, hiding/disguising and is never really used in an offensive capacity (the most offensive I can think of is enhancing weapons as Beleg does when he uses magic to sharpen his sword (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin: II. Beleg), but one could also say that this also works as protection and thus, defence). Also, the fact that there is no mentions of Elves ever having used magic in a battle and that even the most powerful Elves wear armour and use weapons when fighting seems to be a clear indication that Elven magic was simply not very useful in a physical confrontation.
@@Fark2005 Actually there is at least the suggestion of a magical duel involving an Elf, in the Silmarillion in the chapter "Of Beren and Luthien", in the confrontation between Sauron and Finrod Felagund. "Thus befell the contest of Sauron and Felagund which is renowned. For Felagund strove with Sauron in songs of power, and the power of the King was very great; but Sauron had the mastery, as is told in the Lay of Leithian: He chanted a song of wizardry, of piercing, opening, of treachery, revealing, uncovering, betraying. Then sudden Felagrund there swaying sang in answer a song of staying, resisting, battling against power, of secrets kept, strength like a tower and trust unbroken, freedom, escape, of changing and shifting shape, of snared eluded, broken traps, the prison opening, the chain that snaps. Backwards and forwards swayed their song. Reeling and foundering, as ever more strong the chanting swelled, Felagrund fought, and all the magic and might he brought of Elvenesse into his words ..." Where it is hardly the magic missiles and fireballs one would expect of say D&D magic, with words like "wizardry" and "magic" being used I believe that we can agree that this was a magical duel and not a singing competition. That said, I do agree that the magic of Middle Earth does appear to be less about directly damaging an opponent and more aimed in the areas that you specify, the nearest to offensive magic is Luthien's ability to put people to sleep, which even worked on Morgoth. Even Gandalf, when confronted with the Balrog, drew a sword rather than casting spells
@@elvacoburg1279 Yes, there is a magical duel (and it is awesome) but the purpose of it was not to wound and/or kill the opponent: "He chanted a song of wizardry, of piercing, opening, of treachery, revealing, uncovering, betraying." Sauron wanted to expose the magical disguise of Finrod and his group. "Felagrund there swaying sang in answer a song of staying, resisting, battling against power, of secrets kept, strength like a tower and trust unbroken, freedom, escape, of changing and shifting shape, of snared eluded, broken traps, the prison opening, the chain that snaps" And Finrod attempts to keep their covers intact and for them to escape. There nothing about this magic duel that is applicable in a fight or on a battlefield - even if Finrod had won Sauron would have been unharmed. Also worth noting is that neither Finrod or Sauron have to worry about stray arrows or being attacked by other enemies while they have their magical battle. Yes, Lúthien’s ability is useful, but she only uses it on enemies whose defences are not on high alert and never in situations where she has to worry about someone attacking her while she performs her magic (which drains her and also affects Beren). When Beren and Lúthien are attacked by Celegorm and Curufin, she is incapable of putting forward any sort of defence, and it is Huan who does the fighting at Tol-in-Gaurhoth. So even Lúthien’s awesome magical powers are not very useful in a fight but are very useful in avoiding a fight.
I understand what you are saying, but that was only after the forces of Dol Guldur were defeated, suggesting she could not do it when they were defended. Also, we seldom see Elves use that sort of power when not fighting evil magic, so I suspect she would be more likely to just kill a group of evil orcs with a sword. Even Gandalf uses a sword and he is probably more powerful. Also, I would note Tolkien never said she didn't take part in the physical conflict prior to that point, so… maybe.
Sure I agree Galadriel seems to be quite powerful from all I have learnt about Middle Earth yet in my head when someone asks me who I think is the most powerful Elf my first thought is always Fingolfin 🤔 🗡😎
The thing is Galadriel was more of a "mage" than shield-maiden Eowyn style. She was called a witch by races that feared her, and how she does show her power in the books is by commanding magic, such as her mirror and using Nenya to destroy Dol Guldur: "Galadriel herself threw down its walls and laid its pits bare".
I really appreciate these focused lore videos. I’ve become much more interested in Tolkiens world the last few months watching these videos, far more interested than when I originally read the hobbit and lord of the rings years ago. I’m Going to dive into reading the Silmarillion next. Thank you
It's great to hear that you are ready to read the Silmarillion :) This book usually goes for many fans from being the most difficult book to read at first sitting, to their all time favorite writings of Professor Tolkien. If I may give you advice for your first read: try to have Robert Foster's Complete Guide to Middle Earth or a similar compilation with you as you begin The Silmarillion. The books opens by introducing a group of characters that each have many different names, and many different titles. It really helps to have an index like the Guide with you to check on the multiple elvish terms applied to each character and keep them straight in your mind as you progress thru the Silmarillion. Have a wonderful time with your read, I miss the feeling of discovery I felt on my first read of this awesome book.
@@logansfury thank you, greatly appreciated, I’ll look into it. Im sure it will be very helpful reading along with a guide. The lore videos have been amazing doing deep dives into specific characters, events, etc. I really enjoy this channel, very happy I found it
What-if video idea for you to do: What if Gandalf never fell at the Bridge of Khazad-dum and continued with the fellowship to Lothlorien and on forward?
Please DO NOT ADVERTISE this kind of app. Artists spend years perfecting their art and style and this app just steals the artists' artworks and style without their permission and no kind of credit is given to them. As a content creator yourself I'm sure you can understand how wrong this is. Otherwise enjoyed the video!
yaaaasssss!!!! Galadriel is a boss lady! I love the interactions between her and Gimli. He's such a softie with her. And she's so sweet to him. d'awwww feelings!
she is definitely among the greatest who ever lived but there are so many ways to define greatness that picking 1 would be almost impossible without definition of the greatness and that would definitely deprive many who should be counted as great I think that she should be counted amongst the great, as for the 3rd age She is among the top 4 ,being ciridan the ship wright the oldest in middle earth glorfindal and elron
Could you make a video or address here Galadriel’s battle against Sauron in the Battle of the five armies ,whether it would have been possible within Tolkien’s lore and where she stands compared to Sauron at the time of the LOTR? Very interested to hear your thoughts on that subject!
To decide whether or not Galadriel is "the greatest" elf all depends on how you define greatness. In feats of making and crafting, she is surpassed by Feänor, obviously, and probably by Celebrimbor and all of the Gwaith-i-Mirdain of Eregion. In feats of arms, she is surpassed by both of her uncles, Feänor and Fingolfin; and perhaps by some of her cousins, too. Tolkien never really shows us how she would fare in battle. In wisdom, she seems to be unequalled by any among the Noldor or Sindar. But, surely, there will be some among the Vanyar by whom she will be surpassed. At lesst some of those who live among the Valar must have acquired a greater knowledge of, and insight into, the Music of the Ainur and, hence, of the mind of Iluvatar, than those who did not.
Assuming that elves need their hair cut every so often, Feanor should have done a deal with her hairdresser to be given her clippings if he wanted her hair so much.
For me Galadriel is the wise, seer Lady, having the grace of the two trees, not a war maiden as in RoP. I would like her take the one-ring and become the ruler of the Middle Earth. I have no doubt that she would be a just and benevolent ruler and the Middle Earth would prosper under her "never ending" rule. Elves, men and dwarves would their own local rulers, answering ultimately to Galadriel and assisting her rule through a council.
In answer to the question about the most powerful elves in Middle earth, for shear inner power you would have to choose Galadriel. If you are talking combat, then look to the likes of Fingolfin, Glorfindel, Ecthelion of the Fountain.
Among all his brothers, Finrod has a special place in Galadriel. Considering that Finrod's struggle with Sauron in the First Age and the conflict focus in the Second Age developed on the Galadriel-Sauron axis, in addition to Galadriel's main motivation in the lore of "having a kingdom that she can rule as she pleases", her brother Finrod within the scope of the fight against Sauron. I think it is quite normal for a character who develops in the process to develop an additional motivation to take revenge on.
using ai isnt creative by the way - writing a few words into a neural network that makes the image for you isnt creativity - why are you promoting ai propaganda?
Regarding Rings of Power. Do we know wether or not the showrunners were allowed full access to Tolkiens work or were they limited by copyright rules? Meaning, were they allowed to use things like the name Annatar, or depicting some characters exactly the same way as they are in the books?
3:02 No. Wrong. It’s not the armor. It’s her personality in the armor, and the bad “strong” it represents. I know it’s difficult to listen to folks who say things and think things you disagree with but you are dead wrong about the criticism that is leveled here. If she’s compared to Xena it’s because that archetype represents an argumentative petulance baked into the character. Where as the strength of that character is not argumentative or petulant aspect is not what we see of her otherwise. Change that, and you ruin the theme.
This wasn’t my biggest issue with RoP Galadriel. The fact that she was bouncing around with Sauron completely oblivious to his true nature, and her genocidal disposition towards the Orcs made her out to be a cruel and impercetive bitch
It completely tracks that elves would go fully genocidal against orcs. Other than the handful of hero elves like Galadriel, Glorfindel and Elrond most of the elves in the LOTR trilogy and in the hobbit are horrible. Thrandruil locks the dwarves away just for walking through his forest. Legolas in FOTR until he sees how Gimili holds Galadriel in such reverence acts like a stuffy prick to him. In the hobbit the elves at rivendell other than Elrond seem like arrogant arseholes. Don't forget the Sindar nearly hunted the petty dwarves to extinction because 'they thought they were animals'. Even if they were animals, they tried to hunt down a species and eliminate it because it was different. Orcs are as nonredeemable as you get in Tolkien's universe, they are an a front to Elves in general. They also do nothing but bring everyone pain. I don't know why everyone gets their hocks up over galadriel wanting to wipe them out. Elves want to wipe out orcs. It's what they do.
I love a lot of your videos but please don't support AI art businesses. They do nothing but steal from hard working artists and nothing could be more in the vain of Mellor than that.
And then the Amazon crafters did spawn the "Rings of Power". Lacking knowledge of the craft of ring making, they forged an inferior, corrupted version of the Lady - unworthy of the name Galadriel. So taken by greed, those who lacked creativity could only corrupt what had gone before into a mockery that reflected their own weak tainted souls.
"power" in LOTR is never shown as physical strength or speed. Every showing of power is strength of will and character and great charisma to influence others. Power over your own mind and the minds of others. Galadriel is so powerful that she doesn't have to pick up a sword. So many others will do so for her and her enemies would fear if it were to happen. Without courage, you cannot fight and if you cannot fight, you cannot win. That basically defines gandalf and his ring of power
Don't forget, depending on long you count your Years of the Trees, she might've actually been an antediluvian 30k+ years by the late Third age. Meanwhile Elrond's a little under 6500, being born near the end of the First age; and I think Legolas is only somewhere between 200 and 3000 (2931 according to the moviefolk).
Sponsor is very unfortunate. Most of the 'AI' (if not all) doesnt just come out of nowhere. Lots of art websites are changing their ToS to "if you post your art here, we WILL use it to generate AI art".. and none of those artists get a dime. I know that was prob not known or thought about, but that sponsor def turned me off :C
I would imagine that in her youth, Galadriel did use a sword, but eventually grew out of it. The problem is that she was never a character we mortals could relate to and the events of the Second Age covered so many years that her story was not one that could be turned into a TV series.
Dude your defenses of the Rings of Power are like verbatim, and just as nonsense, as the showrunners. "Theres nothing to say she DIDNT do this so we can blah blah blah"
I might want to say Finrod or Finarfin were the greatest Elf, but Galadriel may have been more powerful. I never understood these objections. I mean, anyone who honestly reads the text must at very least understand why some people think Galadriel in battle makes sense, and Tolkien was well aware some women did become warriors in history (he may well have prayed to Joan of Arc for goodness sake!). I see no reason the, in his own words, "greatest of Elven women" couldn't be one of them. Galadriel probably fought in several battles, at least in some versions of the story (same with Idril, by the way). Anyone is free to disagree with my conclusions, of course, but I fear some of these people who are making especially emotional and childish responses (which are unfortunately all too common) may simply be political hacks trying to make Tolkien reflect their own politics, which is not the kind of interaction I want to interfere with my Tolkien-we would be far better off keeping our politics at the door when discussing these things. (I hope this didn't seem like too much of a rant, and I have my own problems with the series, but I like making Galadriel fight in armor in her younger days and think it works well for the character) Edit: Also, the fact that so many people disagreeing in this comment section are just being rude without textual evidence to back up rather proves my point… Also edit: To be clear, I am not saying everyone who disagrees with me is inserting his or her politics into the story. I am, however, saying that I fear that certain people claiming Galadriel's not being a warrior is "obvious" or what Amazon is doing is "woke" may be inserting their politics. My personal suspicion is that Galadriel was meant to be a fighter in Tolkien's mind only from 1966 onward or at least by 1973 when he wrote his unstained version. I would *love* to have a conversation with someone who disagrees, provided it is a respectful and civil one that does not involve inserting the words "woke" and "feminist", as I desire to keep my politics and Tolkien separate. I do not deny as well that there are certain symbolic elements I like about Galadriel being a fighter at least in the First or Second Ages.
Well Lady Galadriel power is in advising. She can use her mirror to see the future. Use it thwart the bad intentions of Lord Feanor and later she use it to stop Sauron or Annatar lord of gifts.
@@Madame702 Galadriel might disagree with that: "I will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing or contriving, nor in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be." Supposedly, Celeborn is the one who is the greatest counsellor in Middle-Earth. Granted, this does not seem to be the case in the Second Age and Tolkien may have changed his mind about that, but I think that bears consideration. But when did Galadriel advise anything with regards to Fëanor? That whole time, during the Flight of the Noldor, she was just proud and power-hungry. Yes, she recognized the darkness in Fëanor (although she was blind to the same fault in herself) but I don't think she had much wisdom to speak for in Fëanor's fall. Yes, the Shibboleth mentions her being wiser than Fëanor, of course, but… that's hard to do. Also, which bad intentions of Fëanor did Galadriel manage to successfully thwart?
@@mariyontil You have to be careful. Lady Galadriel is not a Queen, she cannot just order people around. Even on the white counsel she doesn't order people around. She will nudge them here and there but will only go so far. Notice even in the Lord of the Rings she doesn't tell Frodo what to do she simply show him what what might happen. It still up to him to make the right choice. That is why Frodo is given the unprecedented allowance to go to and die in Valinor.
@@mariyontil However, it is strange that she choose to be in a land right next to a land where Sauron is hiding when she goes to Lothlorien. Her husband stay in Eregion and make sure that the Elves are safe in doing so both Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel are responsible for the founding of both Eregion and later of Rivendale. I don't think that is a mere coincidence. Again, she move to Lothlorien a very out of the way place in Middle Earth but area that can keep an eye on Tower of Sorcery. Again I don't think that is a mere coincidence.
@@mariyontil Once the "One Ring" is destroyed she and her husband go on the offensive and cross into the Southern Mirk Wood and lay seize to hill of Sorcery rip down it's defensives and destroy it pits were spiders and orcs are being made. They then restore King of Greenwood elves to there rightful place. Then Lady Galadriel knows her time has come she leaves Middle Earth. Only Lord Celeborn stay behind almost like making sure nothing was bad is missed in Middle Earth and eventually even he leaves to be with his wife in Valinor.
Quick insert here, simply because I was just introduced to it: a song by Chance Thomas (LOTRO composer) called Leaves of Gold. I thought it was an excellent Galadriel song. ua-cam.com/video/dkPM2y0Jib0/v-deo.html
The more youthful Galadriel of the earlier Age of Middle Earth depicted in "The Rings of Power" Season 1 is clearly not the more mature and well grounded Lady Galadriel that has come into her power and her respected leadership roll that we see near the end of the Third Age depicted in LOTR. Consider how much we mortals may have changed from our youth through the life experience of a paltry fifty years, then consider how much a somewhat brash and impatient Elf Maiden could change over the life experience of thousands of years? As is often depicted, with thousands of years to practice their various skills, elves are very capable fighters and well versed in the use of weapons when needed. That Galadriel would swing a sword in her relative youth and migrate into the use of more subtle talents as she rises into one of the great leadership rolls of her people is no real surprise, but, should the need arise, I am sure she could still give Aragorn a few lessons in swinging steal.
Well you are right Greg. I also I think they got her intentions wrong. Lady Galadriel went though a lot hardships to get to Middle Earth she had to go through the Hellkracus. Her secret intention was to thwart King Feanor, which she did through her mirror. We saw this mirror in Lord of Rings when Frodo looked into it.
She live for a time in lands of Beleriand, the forest of Doriath in first age. After King Feanor dies she realize that Morgoth could not be defeated by the Elves and Men alone so she move out of Beleriand and take's Nordorian, Sylvanian, and Green Elves west of the Blue Mountains were they would be safe because eventually the "War of Wraith" consume all of Beleriand.
We also see her using her powers to counter Annatar the lord of gifts. Lady Galadriel is living in the city of Eregion in Lord Celebrimbor city with her husband Celeborn which is unsual that she would stay around another Elf like Lord Feanor. One things I always thought that was odd what a total failure the 16 rings that Lord Celebrimbor made. I think Lady Galadriel who had been in Valinor during the time Morgoth taught Lord Feanor how to create the Simralis suspected something similar was happening when Annatar lord of gifts arrived and told Lord Celebrimbor to put some type of fail safe into the 16 rings of power.
Do I think Galadriel is the greatest Elf? Do you mean like uhh.. in her role specifically? Because I'm willing to call her the greatest female Elf, but the greatest Elf of all time is Glorfindel IMO.
When you took into consideration her entire backstory, it makes that scene with the Ring all the more important - it promised her all the things she wished for thousands of years. Everything. At her fingertips, ready for picking. All of her wishes. And she refuses like an absolute chad. Also, regarding her character in the Rings of Power. Many people point out that warrior woman Galadriel makes no sense. I'd argue - her name is, among others, is Artanis: Man-Maiden. More than once Tolkien notes that she possesses large stature for an elven woman. It is known she was fiercer in her youth, and I'd say it is quite possible she at least knew how to fight even if she never fought. Though I've heard of an idea that she took part in fighting at Alqualonde sword in hand, and not on Feanor's side, obviously. Other thing - as far as I get it, strength and prowess of an individual elf relies less on elf's body and more on elf's spirit. They are much more than mere flesh, after all. So, elves won't have the usual IRL barrier for any woman-at-arms, specifically the major differences in physiology between two sexes. Or at least they would suffer less, I think. So, the fact of her being a warrioress doesn't mean much. Few, if any, complained about sword-wealding Arwen in LoTR or the fact that Tauriel is a warrior woman in Hobbit. I mean, people complained a lot about her, but not about her being a warrior. The issue with her in RoP is that her character is built with all the grace of a pile of bricks: coarse, primitive and hardly interesting. When sword-fighting and yelling at people are the only qualities of note your character has, you are doing it wrong. Sword-figthing alone? Would've probably looked weird anyway, considering it goes against her established image and that the very idea of her wielding a sword relies on borderline speculations. But I won't actually mind Galadriel with a sword, neither I think people would mind, if it'd be done properly. Unusual takes aren't bad takes by the virtue of being unusual.
Artanis does not mean "Man-Maiden", it means "noble-woman". Nerwen means 'man-maiden (and Tolkiwn relates it to her height: "Her mother-name was Nerwen ‘man-maiden’, and she grew to be tall beyond the measure even of the women of the Noldor; she was strong of body, mind, and will, a match for both the loremasters and the athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth." PoMe, Shibboleth Tolkien, in various late writings, does note that Galadriel fought against the Feanoreans in defence of the Teleri at Alqualonde, he does not mention what weapon she used. He also notes that elf-women will fight in desperate defence (Laws and Customs of the Eldar). However, as far as elf "woman-at-arms" or "warrioress", Tolkien writes that elf-women abstain from war (L&C) and that elves considered the warrior-woman practice of the Haladin to be "strange" (The Druedain). Also there were lots of complaints about Arwen in Jackson's movies. Just search 'XenArwen'.
@@Tar-Elenion My bad, I mistook one of her names for the other. Also, not just tall, since your own quotation refer to her strength. All in all, thank you for your corrections and additions. That part of Haladin, for example, wasn't known to me (or I misremembered it, hard to track that much). P.S. Didn't know people complaint about her holding a sword. The more you know I guess.
@@mauser98kar The primary attribution is to her height. Note the semi-colon after "Noldor". Here is a bit of the quote regarding warrior-women: "They did not willingly adopt new things or customs, and retained many practices that seemed strange to the Eldar and the other Atani [...]. One of the strange practices spoken of was that many of their warriors were women, though few of these went abroad to fight in the great battles." UT, The Druedain
@@Tar-Elenion Fair point. I guess I'll have to put my elf warrior girl fetish somewhere else, he-he. Kidding, just kidding. Also, I wonder if traditions of Haladin in any way refer to nomadic tribes like Sarmats, who, as legends go (I think), had exact same practice of women being taught how to fight but not actively take part in battle. Another point I'd like to discuss - how much of elf's prowess and strength is physical? Perhaps IRL physiological barrier won't work as much on Eldar. Speaking hypothetically, since we've already established battling women were an unusual sight to them.
@@mauser98kar Not quite sure what you mean. Tolkien notes that the difference in strength and speed between elf-men and and elf-women (who have not had a child) is less than that seen in Men (i.e. elf-men are stronger than elf-women, but less than the 60%(?) average in humans). He makes a similar statement regarding Numenoreans. Elves, probably due to their fea, seem to exercise a much greater control over their bodies than Men.
I don’t think Galadriel was the greatest elf. A top 10 for sure, top 5 maybe. Her uncle is in the top 5 for his brilliance and his infamy. Fingolfin and Gil Galad are my top 2 for their feats.
Galadriel is Noldor as you know. She is errherial, The light of the 2 trees is in her hair. When the ban of the Valar was lifted, she didn’t think she was worthy. She survived all ages until the 1 ring was offered by Frodo and eventually took control. She refused it and she felt she was teadu then to finish. She was ring bearer.1 of the 3,elven rings forged w/o Sauron. SHE WAS NOT A WARRIOR
oh fucking hell, 10 seconds in and youtube decides to throw 2 commercials in. thankfully they were only 25 seconds in total. oh god no, not an ai art sponsor. no no no, please no more ai sponsors. and as always, your videos are amazing. though i would disagree with the "she was no xena warrior princess", and posit more along the lines that we just do not have enough info on her to say one way or another.
Oh absolutely, Galadriel is the greatest full-blooded elf. She seems to have reverse-engineered one of Fëanor's greatest works, and copied the other: but frankly she did a better job. They both have an off switch. Ain't nobody going to be stealing a vial of water lol. It wouldn't be fair to compare her to Peredhil though. I don´t understand the knee-jerk reaction against the idea that Galadriel *at some point* swung a sword. In fact, I prefer the idea that she did. It makes for a nice parallel with Eowyn: connecting the heroine of the Third Age, with the heroine of the First. It's called character growth. She started off as a headstrong young woman with a chip on her shoulder, who thought the way to get things done was shout a lot and swing a sword. Then she met a gentle man and a wise queen, and she learned that there are better ways of accomplishing your goals (not that it's wrong for women to swing swords, that isn't the lesson here: see Emeldir and Haleth, and that thing Faramir says about what he fights for). Perfectly good plotline, and I don't see any problem with it being used twice. In fact, it is usually better when writers use plotlines twice with subtle variations. That has a tendency to enhance both characters and it's one of the reasons Tolkien's characters are so good despite some of them not getting very much "screentime" (i.e. not a lot to do or say, not a lot of description, or not being the focus of a scene). When you have two equally canonical versions, I see little reason not to go with the one that makes the story and characters more interesting.
It is not a knee-jerk reaction. Tolkien wrote that elf-women abstain from war (though they will fight in desperate defence, as Tolkien noted Galadriel doing in Alqualonde). And, with your reference to Haleth (whom Tolkien said "was a renowned Amazon with a picked bodyguard of women"), Tolkien also wrote that the Elves considered the folk of Haleth's practice or custom of warrior-women to be strange. So, rather than a 'knee-jerk' reaction, it is expressly what Tolkien wrote.
1). The First Age begins when the Elves awake at Cuivienen. Galadriel was born in the First Age not before it. 2). The "Amazon disposition" (Letter 248) is related to her taking part in athletic activities, not war ("She was then of Amazon disposition and bound up her hair as a crown when taking part in athletic feats.). 3). The first Kinslaying, Tolkien notes in _Laws and Customs of the Eldar_ that elf-women will fight in defence ("in dire straits or desperate defence, the _nissi_ fought valiantly"); however, he also states that elf-women abstain from war ("the virtue of the _nissi_ in this matter was due rather to their abstaining from hunting or war"). 4). CT does not suggest that Galadriel may have aided Elwing's escape to the Havens of Sirion, or been at the Ruin of Doriath he says: "It is a natural assumption that Celeborn and Galadriel were present at the ruin of Doriath (it is said in one place that Celeborn ‘escaped the sack of Doriath’), and perhaps aided the escape of Elwing to the Havens of Sirion with the Silmaril - but this is nowhere stated." He notes that this "assumption" (assumed by who?) is nowhere written. In fact, this assumption is contradicted by Galadriel herself: "for ere the fall of Nargothrond or Gondolin I passed over the mountains" (LotR, Mirror). Galadriel had fled Beleriand before the ruin of Doriath which took place after the fall of Nargothrond. 5). It is not said in Unfinished Tales that Galadriel participated in the fight for Eregion. In Unfinished Tales, Galadriel is in Lorien when the War of Elves and Sauron happened, and it is Celeborn and Amroth who participate in the War. 6). Galadriel did not lead her warriors against Dol Guldur. Tolkien says Celeborn led the army and took Dol Guldur, Galadriel destroyed it after that ("Celeborn came forth and led the host of Lórien over Anduin in many boats. They took Dol Guldur, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed." App. B) Also, after the destruction of the One Ring, the other Rings lost their power, so Nenya did not aid in Galadriel tearing down Dol Guldur. And in answer to your question, Luthien was the greatest of the Eldar.
Just stick with Tolkien's actual work. The trash that Amazon put out is not canon, and will never be acknowledged by many of us as anything more than very expensive and politically charged fan fiction. Thank you.
I know lots of people really take issue with the Rings of Power show, but the Tolkien Estate did actually have a lot more control over the material than people seem to realize..... Just saying 🤷
@@J_Mock92 You know how the Numenoreans were all these super powerful, tall and strong men? And you know how with each new generation they seemed to diminish? I think you get my point.
@@J_Mock92I think most people will consider it not canon unless Tolkien, himself, wrote about it. The estate can say that Galadriel worked at the DMV but it won’t hold a lot of stock since it wasn’t really what he wrote. Though, I do get where you’re coming from.
I’m happy for any new Tolkien content. It’s not the greatest show ever but I’m glad that they made it. It will get better, or people will learn from their mistakes and make the next projects better
As the writer for this channel and thus being blessed with advice and criticism, as well as a free go at editing and correcting the work pro se! What is sometimes forgotten is that, while this is not everywhere and always the case, the broken sword is comprised of the two bossmen, J AND J; each wonderful narrators and editors, wonderful collaborators and great guides for a writer to have. Since the fifteenth, my schedule has been to do three scripts per week and part of that relies on rules in place for the platform and myself as a sober critic and author myself; never speak down to the audience, always presume to converse with and not at others and learn and be favored by the disagreement of and spot-the-flaw type of help so many are want to offer -- as the only writer, putting out the amount of material that we do, with passion and love and relying never on something online; if it isn't the point of a claim, I will draw from only my knowledge of all the works I've managed to read well enough to more or less memorize like the first published silmarillion, the lost road and most of the greater history of middle-earth, but pointing out mistakes and those who just want to vent about the subpar offerings of Melkor like sub-creators, benefited as they are with the beauty that Tolkien gave us, Bezos does not understand what he thought he could possess, thinking that if he took possession of the world that would be enough, to steward and mock creation and dominate it with his song. Since joining in August and being the writer since then, what strikes me so often as an older writer about the channel runners' and their intention; only the exploration further and more often of Tolkien, his thought, works and life. Tasked with relating his thought, philosophy, and being able to turn in 2500 words every overmorrow is something which makes me proud of this channel, as it is more of a virtual garage of mates whose passion comes purely from art and towards creation; the opposite of the corporate product that is peddled. by Amazon which is so poor it is possible to hear the writer's own quirks of speech beneath them. It's really bad. I hope you don't think so poorly of these videos, as this team does their very best with the material I have been honored and passionate in providing. This matters, the three friends who make all their own decisions rather than the corporation of nameless automata, an industrialized incest of crank and push, burn and brush away the dust and on, on, on. Sorry if that all got away from me, and I did not well address your specific observation; we have no desire to control others nor force our opinions into some position of scripture.
Now I haven't watched this video, neither do i need to, but I'm going to assume that this video is no different than other videos concerning her: filled with assumptions and fanfictions such as Melian teaching Galadriel how to bake lembas. Things directly contradicted by the text. Galadriel was the third greatest elf of all time according to the Shibboleth of Feanor chapter. Most videos make no mention of it. Just like how they don't mention she was physically the strongest and tallest and bravest Elf woman, and the most intelligent and mentally strongest High Elven woman. They make no reference to her studying under Aulë and Yavanna, just like they don't mention her fighting in the kinslayings and the War of the Elves and Sauron. All they know is that she destroyed Dol Guldur after Sauron was already physically dead. They don't even know the greater feats she achieved such as creating the Fences of Galadriel (a similar but weaker version of the Girdle of Melian). Neither they give much credit to her raising a whole golden forest or the wonders inside it. As much as they pass over the fact she helped in bulding Eregion. I could talk for 15 minutes about her power of insight into minds of others. And still it would not be enough. At least I hope you put the Ride of Eorl narrative in this, a story in which Galadriel did a godly feat in it.
I know everyone’s gotta make their money and we love your channel, but please do not push AI art apps. A lot of people work hard to create their artwork. Pretty disappointing.
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AI Art apps make art by stealing (scraping) existing art from real artists online, bummed to see this
As an Artist i seriously hate AI art apps, if you want to make art then pick up a pencil and put in the effort to learn like the rest of us did. Don't just go around stealing bits and pieces of art other artist actually worked hard on to claim it as your own, which is literally what all these AI Art apps do.
You're sponsored by art thieves... hate to say it, but there are some sponsors you should probably turn down for moral reasons, and this is one of them.
Galadriel used to work out at the same gym I go to, so I feel like I can shed some light on this question. I used to see her warming up on bench press with 600+ pounds. 1000+ on squat and deadlift too. It was pretty impressive. Amazing cardio as well. Hopefully when I'm 8000 years old, I'll still be able to lift half as much as her.
That's Guyladriel
When 8,000 years old you reach, look as good you will not
Yeah, that’s half of what Elrond can do, and he is half human…but still Galadriel wants equal pay
Ok, cool story
@@alexanderren1097 thanks Yoda
@@Airestotle09 welcome, you are
Galadriel is so powerful, Cate Blanchett was willing to play her role.
"Three times Lórien had been assailed from Dol Guldur. but besides the valour of the elven people of that land. the power that dwelt there was too great for any to overcome, unless Sauron had come there himself.
Though grievous harm was done to the fair woods on the borders, the assaults were driven back; and when the Shadow passed, Celeborn came forth and led the
host of Lórien over Anduin in many boats.
They took Dol Guldur, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed."
Everything is spot on except the bit concerning Galadriel's own power. After the one ring was destroyed, the power of the three elven rings faded (including Galadriel's ring Nenya). Yet even without Nenya's power she went to Dol Guldur and tore down its walls and laid bare its pits. Tolkien used those exact words before in the published Silmarillion when Luthien (who had no magic rings of her own) destroyed and cleansed first age Minas Tirith. Both Luthien & Galadriel were mentored by Melian, one of the mightiest maia who walked Middle-earth. Tolkien doesnt really explain the laws of magic in his writings, but the parallels between the two is clear
Thank you!! Her strength is not simply 'borrowed', as stated in the video. But the Rings of Power seriously downplays the power of the Elves, especially those who lived with the Valar. They were far more magical on the books than portrayed on screen.
Well Tolkien was rather inconsistent when it came to magic
She was one of the very few who were not fooled by Sauron in the Second Age, and therefore suggested to Celebrimbor to hide the Three Rings.
A swordfighting Galadriel as a warrior in armour is not the main issue people have with her in the RoP. It's her petulance, arrogance, rude bluntness, impatience, callousness, footstomping childishness and outright stupidity that I personally take issue with (alongside the atrocious writing that pretends she is none of these things). I don't think I'm alone in this. Why not make a completely original character if all you're going to use from the existing one is the name? That's the main issue a lot of people have, not that she's swordfighting.
from what little i have seen they took a tolkein elf and turned her into an elder scrolls elf.
🎯
Agree 👌
I will say... the sword fighting galadriel surrounded by useless elves who would all die without her 1 stunt troll slaying... was too much. Lol. If that were all true the lord of the rings shouldve just beeb galadriel with a sword... no need for almost the entire fellowship.
I agree with you about it (I mean, Galadriel, even in her youth, was generally a merciful person), but some people do have a problem with it for some reason. I've never really understood it.
When Gimli receives His Gift From Galadriel is so moving and Comical (when I imagine the look on Celeborn's face) It still invokes those feelings that I felt the first time I read them. I have read them over 100 times easy.
imagine if Feanor still alive and see that xD..."how dare you niece, you wont give me your uncle even a single hair but you gave the dwarf 3?" LMAO
When my wife and I used to smoke she would occasionally ask me for a cigarette before she went to work. I would always give her 3.
This is still one of my favorite "cozy" scenes (in that there is little ostentation in the setup and setting of that scene) because i can almost imagine the gasp from all the Elves who knew history and the collective near-apoplexy older Elves who were alive when Feanor attempted the same thing. haha. And then there's Gimli, just happy that he got three strands.
(In the movies, this scene had a shot of Legolas smirking, and that's when it solidified for me that he knew the significance but was just enjoying Gimli's simple joy at the gift)
@@wewenang5167well Feanor was a complete lunatic so I don’t blame her for not giving him anything
I have no issue with Galadriel wearing armour and using weapons. As a Noldorin princess and survivor of First Age Beleriand, I would find it hard to believe she would not know how to fight as needed. 'Rings of Power' turning her into a petulant teenager - THAT was the problem!
Cate Blanchette was much closer to the way that I pictured Galadriel not just physically but also in terms of her character traits. I will never acknowledge Amazon's Galadriel as a Galadriel.
Why is that?
@@rustyshackelford4224 Well, I think the biggest problem with Amazon's Galadriel is how angsty she is. I understand they are trying to portray a younger and more arrogant warrior-queen Galadriel, but it is too overplayed and her attitude does not cause enough conflict or opposition, which is a shame because this could have made the show and this character much more engaging. Then there is how much this deviates from the books. Galadriel--even a young Galadriel--does not strike me as loud and brash like Amazon's Galadriel. There's this calmness to her character. She doesn't snarl and growl when she's confused, she very calmly says, "Well, why don't we go take a look at the water in that bowl over there?". A lot of this had to do with the various political and social agendas that influenced the writing of this character in the Amazon series, and I feel like it ruined Galadriel. If this actress had been working for a different director, she could have made an excellent young version of Galadriel.
@@samuelwestlund3386 Galadriel's new is just bad in general especially with that fake accent.
Were only 1 season in to Rings of Power. Clearly the screenwriters are positioning Galadriel so she has a character arc. I suspect she'll grow into what you expect. It's just different to the books, like every adaption ever.
This is an incredible video as it surely highlights how Galadriel is a force to be reckoned with and that if Galadriel did have any need for weapons during battle in the First Age then they didn't have to be physical weapons of iron or steel when she already had a weapon at hand; the literal magic that courses through her, heart, mind, body and soul. She is her own weapon, as indeed all of the highest and most powerful, nigh on divine Elves actually are. She can pull from the magic within her very veins, from her own essence to fight without any need for or even the slightest hint of a desire to wield any other weapon than what she already knows she has. What she shows us when she razes Dol Guldur to the ground both in the behind the scenes of the books, and also as seen in the second "Hobbit" film "The Desolation of Smaug" is that no physical weapon can do what she alone can do to banish the Necromancer and throw down his castle. She herself achieves a victory both through her own self-awareness of her own powers and the strength of those powers from divine sorcery, thus she exemplifies what Eomer says in "The Return of the King" movie when he tells Aragorn that as Men "We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms" since she knows better than any mortal or Elven warrior that she in particular needs no such arms since she has no real use for them since her magic speaks for itself. That scene in all three of "The Hobbit" films has to be perhaps one of the most amazing feats of sorcerous strength ever put to film. Yes, it's true that it's not entirely book canon since Celeborn and their army aren't present with her in that scene on film as they definitely are in the books, however, you get to see Galadriel at her mightiest as an Elven Queen of almighty Amazonian disposition as she casts her spells of nigh on angelic power to banish the evil of Dol Guldur. Give her a physical weapon to achieve the same end goal though and it actually diminishes the sheer forcefulness and overall significance of the magical might and power she already possesses within her which can actually achieve great victory far beyond any physical strength of arms. She uses no instrument of war to defend Lothlorien from attack either when the Orcs intrude during the "Quest of the Ring" in the books either since she already has one in the form of her loyal Elven warriors.
In truth Galadriel needs no material instruments of war in the way that the rest of the Elves and also Men have swords and Dwarves have axes to fight through force of arms since she is already far above such tools and those who use them due to her own magical prowess, both before she receives her Ring and even after its power fades. There is no evidence in text to say that she even has a sword or any other kind of physical weapon except for Nenya, the Ring of Adamant and of Water which is more of an instrument for preservation than combat upon receiving it. So when it does come to combat as it did in the First Age and does in Dol Guldur both off the page in the book trilogy and in "The Hobbit" films Galadriel shows us that she doesn't need to own any kind of material or physical sword to become the sword. The innate strength of divine sorcery at the core of her High Elven being is her sword, so by extension that makes Galadriel as iron willed and steel-tempered as a sword therefore through her mastery of all of her magic Galadriel does indeed become the sword. If you think about the title of her Ring, the Ring of Adamant and of Water it actually makes the Ring sound a little like it may have been inspired both by some ancient weapon and also the philosophy borne from the Samurai way of life as it was in Ancient feudal Japan, along with its mythos and their ancient and almost mystical art of swordsmanship. In fact all of the Elven rings sound like they were inspired by Eastern mythology; Elrond holds Vilya, the Ring of Air, Cirdan, Gil-galad and later Gandalf hold Narya, the Ring of Fire and Galadriel holds Nenya, the Ring of Adamant and of Water. All three Rings magnify what gifts of magical power and warriorlike prowess are already there in their bearers as enlightened students of a sacred order that is waiting for them to channel those gifts and unleash them to add them to the world, to transform it and thus to become great warriors and counsellors of light and truth to all people in Middle Earth. One of them is a lofty spirit who uses his Ring of Air as an instrument to channel his innate wisdom granted by the air, three are flickering spirits who use their shared Ring of Fire to channel the power bestowed on them by the divine flame (that being the Flame Imperishable) and last, but certainly not least there is a jewel-bright spirit who uses her Ring of Water to channel her innate, adamant radiance as an oracular entity who reveals the hidden magic of visions in the water. These three Rings are instruments that allow their bearers to bend the three elements of air, fire and water and direct them to do good kind of like Aang in "The Last Airbender" but with a notable difference. Elrond doesn't release physical air; he is a spirit of air; he holds himself with a majestic, regal, refreshing air; he is a relaxing and revitalizing breath of fresh air therefore he is the element of air. The same applies to Gandalf; he is a spirit of fire; when in battle he fights fire with the burning splendor of a warrior with a heart of fire and in friendship he lends one the comforting presence of his company with the blazing warmth of a living fire; he is fire. Galadriel is an adamantine spirit of water; she is the bearer of the pitcher that holds blessed, magical water; she wields her magic through embracing all of who she is and knowing who she is as she embraces all of her womanly instincts and emotions as they flow through her as they flow through all women, like water. All of the Ringbearers of the White Council are as sharp witted and sharper minded as bright, white hot swords as pure founts of immense wisdom and Galadriel, who is the only woman allowed into the Council goes out of her way to show them all and us that she can be her own sword, her own entity, a woman whose whole being and outlook is as calm, composed and crystal clear and serene as still water, and how the power of divine femininity may well go deeper beyond all mortal reckoning than we can imagine.
The One Ring is directly based on King Solomon's Ring if you've never heard of that fable before.
@@rustyshackelford4224 Thank you - I happen to have found that this fable is in the first book of the "Bartimaeus" series by Jonathan Stroud. I look forward to reading it.
Schrödinger cannon… hysterical. Ty for this she is a favorite.
In letter 348 Tolkien states that in Sindarin “Galadriel” means “maiden crowned with gleaming hair” and that the name was a secondary one given to her in her youth when she was then of ‘Amazonian disposition’ and ‘ bound up her hair in a crown when taking part in athletic feats’. Tolkien elsewhere noted that Galadriel was unusually tall and possessed of a proud nature. So the “Amazon” part may not have the warrior meaning that some would impart. It could of course. But it could also just mean that Galadriel was a strong willed young female elf who enjoyed physical exercise in the first age
Indeed.
Tolkien would have known the full meaning captured in (and implied by) the term “Amazonian”-he would not have used the term lightly or casually, especially given that the term is one from a mythology quite different from his own. It signifies a female warrior *and* athlete. That Galadriel participated in acts of war is indicated by Tolkien’s remark that she fought fiercely against the forces of Feanor at the Kinslaying. That she also excelled in athletic endeavors is confirmed by the fact that Tolkien says that “she was a match for any of the loremasters and athletes” of Valinor. In other words, she was the equal of the best of her kind in physical prowess and magic: no small statement when speaking of High Elves trained by the gods themselves.
Clearly, Tolkien emphasizes that her later career was one of politics and leadership and the practice of her magical Arts. Her portrayal as a periodic warrior in the Amazon series fiasco was not necessarily incorrect … just badly written. But her wisdom, insight, and magical/Artful prowess were just as potent from her earliest days in the Second Age as were her “Amazonian” skills, if not more. Like Feanor, she was as much a creative wonderworker as she was a warrior, though her gifts-equal to his in stature, according to Tolkien-were of a different style or endowment.
@@jonathankieranwriter In early versions ( like the Silmarillion) she only witnessed the kinslaying. in later letters before his death Tolkien wrote that she did participate. So depends on the version you prefer. She with Amazonian because she was unusually tall, even for an elf and participated in athletic feats in the first age. In the second age she was roughly 8000 years old married to her husband and living in Lindon. Although Tolkien states she fought in battles against orcs who invaded with her husband as they were unseparable in battle.
@@jonathankieranwriter Tolkien also writes that elf-women, though they will fight in desperate defence (much like Galadriel fighting in defence of her Telerin kin), *abstain from war,* and that Elves consider the warrior-woman custom of the folk of Haleth to be "stange".
And the Shibboleth quote is:
"a match for both the loremasters and the athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth".
The athletic youth is referring to the time in Valinor, not the Second Age.
Thank you for the video. I adore Galadriel.
She can swim hundreds of miles back to Middle Earth. Pretty powerful
For me Cate Blanchett played Galadriel so perfectly, as I imagined her to be in the books, that I cannot imagine anyone else ever in her role. She didn't need to do anything to play up her strength (a major failing of ROP 🙄 running around sword fighting etc) it was in the way she carried herself. She glowed with an otherworldly luminous beauty, but I could also feel her strength and power emanating... I remember being worried when Cate was first cast in the role, then seeing her completely inhabit Galadriel was extraordinary. I think it helped Cate being classically trained.. Peter Jackson may have gotten a few things incorrect and left some favourite characters out but it is plain as day the love dedication and passion he and his team had for Tolkiens world.
Rings of power is an abomination.
I'm a new subscriber and enjoying your channel very much.
I'd like a more in-depth look at the magic of Tolkiens' Elves, particulary the Elves that lived with the Valar. It seems to be often overlooked that many of them if not most, besides forging and wielding magical weapons, had abilities far beyond the physical, Galadriel included. There are many, many examples, and there is a reason these folk could sometimes contend with the power of gods on some level.
Sorry man, but an AI art app is pretty much the antithesis of everything Tolkien wrote about the relationship between people and machines.
Where I have no problem with the concept of Galadriel being able to use weapons and armour, after spending centuries in Doriath under the tutelage of Melian during the first age, I do not believe that she needed such. After all, when Celeborn lead the host of Lorien in the assault on Dol Guldur, it was Galadriel who came forth to throw down the wall and lay bare its pits, and that was not done using physical weapons. Also, from how I read this part of the book, this was after the One Ring had been destroyed, and therefore all the other rings, including Nenya, had lost their power, which implies that the destruction of Dol Guldur was by Galadriel's own power.
"when the Shadow passed, Celeborn came forth and led the host of Lórien over Anduin in many boats. They took Dol Guldur, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the RIngs Appendix B, "The Tale of Years: The Third Age")
Not until the fighting was over and the location secure did Galadriel use her powers to destroy Dol Guldur; she didn’t use her powers offensively in the battle which is perfectly in line with the way we see other Elves use magic in Tolkien works where it is always aimed at protection, healing, strengthening, hiding/disguising and is never really used in an offensive capacity (the most offensive I can think of is enhancing weapons as Beleg does when he uses magic to sharpen his sword (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin: II. Beleg), but one could also say that this also works as protection and thus, defence).
Also, the fact that there is no mentions of Elves ever having used magic in a battle and that even the most powerful Elves wear armour and use weapons when fighting seems to be a clear indication that Elven magic was simply not very useful in a physical confrontation.
@@Fark2005 Actually there is at least the suggestion of a magical duel involving an Elf, in the Silmarillion in the chapter "Of Beren and Luthien", in the confrontation between Sauron and Finrod Felagund.
"Thus befell the contest of Sauron and Felagund which is renowned. For Felagund strove with Sauron in songs of power, and the power of the King was very great; but Sauron had the mastery, as is told in the Lay of Leithian:
He chanted a song of wizardry, of piercing, opening, of treachery, revealing, uncovering, betraying.
Then sudden Felagrund there swaying sang in answer a song of staying, resisting, battling against power, of secrets kept, strength like a tower and trust unbroken, freedom, escape, of changing and shifting shape, of snared eluded, broken traps, the prison opening, the chain that snaps.
Backwards and forwards swayed their song. Reeling and foundering, as ever more strong the chanting swelled, Felagrund fought, and all the magic and might he brought of Elvenesse into his words ..."
Where it is hardly the magic missiles and fireballs one would expect of say D&D magic, with words like "wizardry" and "magic" being used I believe that we can agree that this was a magical duel and not a singing competition.
That said, I do agree that the magic of Middle Earth does appear to be less about directly damaging an opponent and more aimed in the areas that you specify, the nearest to offensive magic is Luthien's ability to put people to sleep, which even worked on Morgoth. Even Gandalf, when confronted with the Balrog, drew a sword rather than casting spells
@@elvacoburg1279 Yes, there is a magical duel (and it is awesome) but the purpose of it was not to wound and/or kill the opponent:
"He chanted a song of wizardry, of piercing, opening, of treachery, revealing, uncovering, betraying." Sauron wanted to expose the magical disguise of Finrod and his group.
"Felagrund there swaying sang in answer a song of staying, resisting, battling against power, of secrets kept, strength like a tower and trust unbroken, freedom, escape, of changing and shifting shape, of snared eluded, broken traps, the prison opening, the chain that snaps" And Finrod attempts to keep their covers intact and for them to escape.
There nothing about this magic duel that is applicable in a fight or on a battlefield - even if Finrod had won Sauron would have been unharmed. Also worth noting is that neither Finrod or Sauron have to worry about stray arrows or being attacked by other enemies while they have their magical battle.
Yes, Lúthien’s ability is useful, but she only uses it on enemies whose defences are not on high alert and never in situations where she has to worry about someone attacking her while she performs her magic (which drains her and also affects Beren). When Beren and Lúthien are attacked by Celegorm and Curufin, she is incapable of putting forward any sort of defence, and it is Huan who does the fighting at Tol-in-Gaurhoth.
So even Lúthien’s awesome magical powers are not very useful in a fight but are very useful in avoiding a fight.
I understand what you are saying, but that was only after the forces of Dol Guldur were defeated, suggesting she could not do it when they were defended. Also, we seldom see Elves use that sort of power when not fighting evil magic, so I suspect she would be more likely to just kill a group of evil orcs with a sword. Even Gandalf uses a sword and he is probably more powerful.
Also, I would note Tolkien never said she didn't take part in the physical conflict prior to that point, so… maybe.
Sure I agree Galadriel seems to be quite powerful from all I have learnt about Middle Earth yet in my head when someone asks me who I think is the most powerful Elf my first thought is always Fingolfin 🤔 🗡😎
The thing is Galadriel was more of a "mage" than shield-maiden Eowyn style. She was called a witch by races that feared her, and how she does show her power in the books is by commanding magic, such as her mirror and using Nenya to destroy Dol Guldur: "Galadriel herself threw down its walls and laid its pits bare".
Beautiful and excellent quality. Very enjoyable. Thank you.
I really appreciate these focused lore videos. I’ve become much more interested in Tolkiens world the last few months watching these videos, far more interested than when I originally read the hobbit and lord of the rings years ago. I’m Going to dive into reading the Silmarillion next. Thank you
It's great to hear that you are ready to read the Silmarillion :) This book usually goes for many fans from being the most difficult book to read at first sitting, to their all time favorite writings of Professor Tolkien. If I may give you advice for your first read: try to have Robert Foster's Complete Guide to Middle Earth or a similar compilation with you as you begin The Silmarillion. The books opens by introducing a group of characters that each have many different names, and many different titles. It really helps to have an index like the Guide with you to check on the multiple elvish terms applied to each character and keep them straight in your mind as you progress thru the Silmarillion. Have a wonderful time with your read, I miss the feeling of discovery I felt on my first read of this awesome book.
@@logansfury thank you, greatly appreciated, I’ll look into it. Im sure it will be very helpful reading along with a guide. The lore videos have been amazing doing deep dives into specific characters, events, etc. I really enjoy this channel, very happy I found it
This! This is the kind of content we love! 🙌🏼
What-if video idea for you to do:
What if Gandalf never fell at the Bridge of Khazad-dum and continued with the fellowship to Lothlorien and on forward?
Please DO NOT ADVERTISE this kind of app. Artists spend years perfecting their art and style and this app just steals the artists' artworks and style without their permission and no kind of credit is given to them. As a content creator yourself I'm sure you can understand how wrong this is. Otherwise enjoyed the video!
Why, its fine.
Artists are useless.
@@BlackBinderGames your opinion is as relevant to me as artists are to you. so, troll away xD
Before Ripley, Lara Croft and Sara Connor was Galadriel. The original and greatest strong female character.
yaaaasssss!!!! Galadriel is a boss lady! I love the interactions between her and Gimli. He's such a softie with her. And she's so sweet to him. d'awwww feelings!
she is definitely among the greatest who ever lived but there are so many ways to define greatness that picking 1 would be almost impossible without definition of the greatness and that would definitely deprive many who should be counted as great I think that she should be counted amongst the great, as for the 3rd age She is among the top 4 ,being ciridan the ship wright the oldest in middle earth glorfindal and elron
Nice work dude thanks
No doubt Galadriel could wield a sword but RoP was a mockery of her character by portraying as a blood thirsty psychopath.
If Galadriel wasn’t the most powerful then second might be Elrond
Thank you for this video…i requested it a while ago and am happy to see it on…i will assume its because i requested it 😂
Could you make a video or address here Galadriel’s battle against Sauron in the Battle of the five armies ,whether it would have been possible within Tolkien’s lore and where she stands compared to Sauron at the time of the LOTR? Very interested to hear your thoughts on that subject!
I dunno, Luthien went toe to toe with Morgoth.
She pass the test of the ring to someone else, not passed like an accomplishment
I'm sorry, but I have to say Glorfindel for that Balrog kill.
To decide whether or not Galadriel is "the greatest" elf all depends on how you define greatness.
In feats of making and crafting, she is surpassed by Feänor, obviously, and probably by Celebrimbor and all of the Gwaith-i-Mirdain of Eregion.
In feats of arms, she is surpassed by both of her uncles, Feänor and Fingolfin; and perhaps by some of her cousins, too. Tolkien never really shows us how she would fare in battle.
In wisdom, she seems to be unequalled by any among the Noldor or Sindar. But, surely, there will be some among the Vanyar by whom she will be surpassed. At lesst some of those who live among the Valar must have acquired a greater knowledge of, and insight into, the Music of the Ainur and, hence, of the mind of Iluvatar, than those who did not.
The ROP made Galadriel a narcissistic, unlikeable, Mary Sue. Honestly, it’s the biggest problem with the show. What a waste.
Assuming that elves need their hair cut every so often, Feanor should have done a deal with her hairdresser to be given her clippings if he wanted her hair so much.
The only other elf I could say comes close to "the greatest elf," would be Glorfindel. Tough to say though, as I'm strictly going by movie portrayals.
Fingolflin faced morgoth in single combat.
She's competing against the likes of Glorfindel and Fingolfin. Stiff competition for best elf ever.
Definitely, but also, being included in that category is a flex in and of itself. If a fight broke out, I would want to be solidly on their side. haha
For me Galadriel is the wise, seer Lady, having the grace of the two trees, not a war maiden as in RoP. I would like her take the one-ring and become the ruler of the Middle Earth. I have no doubt that she would be a just and benevolent ruler and the Middle Earth would prosper under her "never ending" rule. Elves, men and dwarves would their own local rulers, answering ultimately to Galadriel and assisting her rule through a council.
Her ring seemed to give her some help over the temptation of the One. Would she have been able to overcome if she did not have it?
Sword weilder or no, ROPs portrayal of her seems way off.
Galadriel at 11:30….Jesus H Christ!!! So beautiful
In answer to the question about the most powerful elves in Middle earth, for shear inner power you would have to choose Galadriel. If you are talking combat, then look to the likes of Fingolfin, Glorfindel, Ecthelion of the Fountain.
Among all his brothers, Finrod has a special place in Galadriel. Considering that Finrod's struggle with Sauron in the First Age and the conflict focus in the Second Age developed on the Galadriel-Sauron axis, in addition to Galadriel's main motivation in the lore of "having a kingdom that she can rule as she pleases", her brother Finrod within the scope of the fight against Sauron. I think it is quite normal for a character who develops in the process to develop an additional motivation to take revenge on.
Jeff Bozos' Rings of Garbage is definitely not cannon!
using ai isnt creative by the way - writing a few words into a neural network that makes the image for you isnt creativity - why are you promoting ai propaganda?
Exactly. A.I. "drawing" completely takes you out of the experience of actually drawing or creating something...
Regarding Rings of Power. Do we know wether or not the showrunners were allowed full access to Tolkiens work or were they limited by copyright rules? Meaning, were they allowed to use things like the name Annatar, or depicting some characters exactly the same way as they are in the books?
Amazon could only use The Hobbit, LOTR and it's appendixes
Similarian and rest of the works were untouchable
Why would the limitations hinder them? They had a $700 million budget.
@@DarthDevorin and two dollar writing staff
Amazon's biggest limitation was the quality of their writers
@@johnbeem967 thank heavens! They got toooo much in my opinion.
3:02 No. Wrong. It’s not the armor. It’s her personality in the armor, and the bad “strong” it represents. I know it’s difficult to listen to folks who say things and think things you disagree with but you are dead wrong about the criticism that is leveled here. If she’s compared to Xena it’s because that archetype represents an argumentative petulance baked into the character. Where as the strength of that character is not argumentative or petulant aspect is not what we see of her otherwise. Change that, and you ruin the theme.
What do you mean bad "strong?"
This wasn’t my biggest issue with RoP Galadriel. The fact that she was bouncing around with Sauron completely oblivious to his true nature, and her genocidal disposition towards the Orcs made her out to be a cruel and impercetive bitch
Agree on this one. She may have been proud during that time, even war-like, but I'm not sure she would be willingly cruel
In the second age, she was known as the wisest of any beings of middle earth. She would never do such a thing.
It completely tracks that elves would go fully genocidal against orcs. Other than the handful of hero elves like Galadriel, Glorfindel and Elrond most of the elves in the LOTR trilogy and in the hobbit are horrible. Thrandruil locks the dwarves away just for walking through his forest. Legolas in FOTR until he sees how Gimili holds Galadriel in such reverence acts like a stuffy prick to him. In the hobbit the elves at rivendell other than Elrond seem like arrogant arseholes.
Don't forget the Sindar nearly hunted the petty dwarves to extinction because 'they thought they were animals'. Even if they were animals, they tried to hunt down a species and eliminate it because it was different.
Orcs are as nonredeemable as you get in Tolkien's universe, they are an a front to Elves in general. They also do nothing but bring everyone pain. I don't know why everyone gets their hocks up over galadriel wanting to wipe them out. Elves want to wipe out orcs. It's what they do.
The Elven Wizard! ❤
I love a lot of your videos but please don't support AI art businesses. They do nothing but steal from hard working artists and nothing could be more in the vain of Mellor than that.
Galadriel = "maiden crowned with gleaming hair".
That is, Blondie!
And then the Amazon crafters did spawn the "Rings of Power". Lacking knowledge of the craft of ring making, they forged an inferior, corrupted version of the Lady - unworthy of the name Galadriel. So taken by greed, those who lacked creativity could only corrupt what had gone before into a mockery that reflected their own weak tainted souls.
I was today years old when I found out that Galadriel, the lady of Lothlorien, is as tall as my dad.
i don't mind galadriel being a warrior just so far not liking her character in rings of power
yeh its just look corny....at least make her look like a majestic warrior not some sweaty teenage girl lmao
"power" in LOTR is never shown as physical strength or speed. Every showing of power is strength of will and character and great charisma to influence others. Power over your own mind and the minds of others.
Galadriel is so powerful that she doesn't have to pick up a sword. So many others will do so for her and her enemies would fear if it were to happen. Without courage, you cannot fight and if you cannot fight, you cannot win. That basically defines gandalf and his ring of power
Don't forget, depending on long you count your Years of the Trees, she might've actually been an antediluvian 30k+ years by the late Third age. Meanwhile Elrond's a little under 6500, being born near the end of the First age; and I think Legolas is only somewhere between 200 and 3000 (2931 according to the moviefolk).
Galdriel is my favvv and NOT due to that awful series
Sponsor is very unfortunate. Most of the 'AI' (if not all) doesnt just come out of nowhere. Lots of art websites are changing their ToS to "if you post your art here, we WILL use it to generate AI art".. and none of those artists get a dime.
I know that was prob not known or thought about, but that sponsor def turned me off :C
Erm, she didn’t use her ring to destroy Dol Guldur as it was after the destruction of the one ring
12:07 - 12:14 plainly and simply put. None of our musings or opinions are of any consequence in Galadriel’s regard.
I would imagine that in her youth, Galadriel did use a sword, but eventually grew out of it. The problem is that she was never a character we mortals could relate to and the events of the Second Age covered so many years that her story was not one that could be turned into a TV series.
Personally, I find her arc of gradually becoming more and more humble one of the most relatable arcs of any Elf.
The Downfall of Numenor (recently published) makes it clear she had no part in the wars
Dude your defenses of the Rings of Power are like verbatim, and just as nonsense, as the showrunners.
"Theres nothing to say she DIDNT do this so we can blah blah blah"
At least I cannot think of a greater Elf...
She is definitely the greatest non-ainu telepath/empath in the Legendarium.
One thing's sure...there is no tempest in her.
I might want to say Finrod or Finarfin were the greatest Elf, but Galadriel may have been more powerful.
I never understood these objections. I mean, anyone who honestly reads the text must at very least understand why some people think Galadriel in battle makes sense, and Tolkien was well aware some women did become warriors in history (he may well have prayed to Joan of Arc for goodness sake!). I see no reason the, in his own words, "greatest of Elven women" couldn't be one of them. Galadriel probably fought in several battles, at least in some versions of the story (same with Idril, by the way). Anyone is free to disagree with my conclusions, of course, but I fear some of these people who are making especially emotional and childish responses (which are unfortunately all too common) may simply be political hacks trying to make Tolkien reflect their own politics, which is not the kind of interaction I want to interfere with my Tolkien-we would be far better off keeping our politics at the door when discussing these things.
(I hope this didn't seem like too much of a rant, and I have my own problems with the series, but I like making Galadriel fight in armor in her younger days and think it works well for the character)
Edit: Also, the fact that so many people disagreeing in this comment section are just being rude without textual evidence to back up rather proves my point…
Also edit: To be clear, I am not saying everyone who disagrees with me is inserting his or her politics into the story. I am, however, saying that I fear that certain people claiming Galadriel's not being a warrior is "obvious" or what Amazon is doing is "woke" may be inserting their politics. My personal suspicion is that Galadriel was meant to be a fighter in Tolkien's mind only from 1966 onward or at least by 1973 when he wrote his unstained version. I would *love* to have a conversation with someone who disagrees, provided it is a respectful and civil one that does not involve inserting the words "woke" and "feminist", as I desire to keep my politics and Tolkien separate. I do not deny as well that there are certain symbolic elements I like about Galadriel being a fighter at least in the First or Second Ages.
Well Lady Galadriel power is in advising. She can use her mirror to see the future. Use it thwart the bad intentions of Lord Feanor and later she use it to stop Sauron or Annatar lord of gifts.
@@Madame702 Galadriel might disagree with that: "I will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing or contriving, nor in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be."
Supposedly, Celeborn is the one who is the greatest counsellor in Middle-Earth. Granted, this does not seem to be the case in the Second Age and Tolkien may have changed his mind about that, but I think that bears consideration.
But when did Galadriel advise anything with regards to Fëanor? That whole time, during the Flight of the Noldor, she was just proud and power-hungry. Yes, she recognized the darkness in Fëanor (although she was blind to the same fault in herself) but I don't think she had much wisdom to speak for in Fëanor's fall. Yes, the Shibboleth mentions her being wiser than Fëanor, of course, but… that's hard to do.
Also, which bad intentions of Fëanor did Galadriel manage to successfully thwart?
@@mariyontil You have to be careful. Lady Galadriel is not a Queen, she cannot just order people around. Even on the white counsel she doesn't order people around. She will nudge them here and there but will only go so far. Notice even in the Lord of the Rings she doesn't tell Frodo what to do she simply show him what what might happen. It still up to him to make the right choice. That is why Frodo is given the unprecedented allowance to go to and die in Valinor.
@@mariyontil However, it is strange that she choose to be in a land right next to a land where Sauron is hiding when she goes to Lothlorien. Her husband stay in Eregion and make sure that the Elves are safe in doing so both Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel are responsible for the founding of both Eregion and later of Rivendale. I don't think that is a mere coincidence. Again, she move to Lothlorien a very out of the way place in Middle Earth but area that can keep an eye on Tower of Sorcery. Again I don't think that is a mere coincidence.
@@mariyontil Once the "One Ring" is destroyed she and her husband go on the offensive and cross into the Southern Mirk Wood and lay seize to hill of Sorcery rip down it's defensives and destroy it pits were spiders and orcs are being made. They then restore King of Greenwood elves to there rightful place. Then Lady Galadriel knows her time has come she leaves Middle Earth. Only Lord Celeborn stay behind almost like making sure nothing was bad is missed in Middle Earth and eventually even he leaves to be with his wife in Valinor.
'Galadriel' never appeared in Rings of Power.
She was NEVER WARRIOR GALADRIEL. Have you read the Silmarillion, LOTR, or Unfinished Tales?
Quick insert here, simply because I was just introduced to it: a song by Chance Thomas (LOTRO composer) called Leaves of Gold. I thought it was an excellent Galadriel song. ua-cam.com/video/dkPM2y0Jib0/v-deo.html
No, that wasn t the criticism!
The more youthful Galadriel of the earlier Age of Middle Earth depicted in "The Rings of Power" Season 1 is clearly not the more mature and well grounded Lady Galadriel that has come into her power and her respected leadership roll that we see near the end of the Third Age depicted in LOTR. Consider how much we mortals may have changed from our youth through the life experience of a paltry fifty years, then consider how much a somewhat brash and impatient Elf Maiden could change over the life experience of thousands of years? As is often depicted, with thousands of years to practice their various skills, elves are very capable fighters and well versed in the use of weapons when needed. That Galadriel would swing a sword in her relative youth and migrate into the use of more subtle talents as she rises into one of the great leadership rolls of her people is no real surprise, but, should the need arise, I am sure she could still give Aragorn a few lessons in swinging steal.
Well you are right Greg. I also I think they got her intentions wrong. Lady Galadriel went though a lot hardships to get to Middle Earth she had to go through the Hellkracus. Her secret intention was to thwart King Feanor, which she did through her mirror. We saw this mirror in Lord of Rings when Frodo looked into it.
She live for a time in lands of Beleriand, the forest of Doriath in first age. After King Feanor dies she realize that Morgoth could not be defeated by the Elves and Men alone so she move out of Beleriand and take's Nordorian, Sylvanian, and Green Elves west of the Blue Mountains were they would be safe because eventually the "War of Wraith" consume all of Beleriand.
We also see her using her powers to counter Annatar the lord of gifts. Lady Galadriel is living in the city of Eregion in Lord Celebrimbor city with her husband Celeborn which is unsual that she would stay around another Elf like Lord Feanor. One things I always thought that was odd what a total failure the 16 rings that Lord Celebrimbor made. I think Lady Galadriel who had been in Valinor during the time Morgoth taught Lord Feanor how to create the Simralis suspected something similar was happening when Annatar lord of gifts arrived and told Lord Celebrimbor to put some type of fail safe into the 16 rings of power.
Interesting.
Which one?
Tolkien's masterful creation or the abysmal train-wreck puked out by Amazon's 'Rings of Power' atrocity?
Her dead lift and squat are a bit light.
It was not only the characterization but the hubris of that woman playing Guyladriel. She's an arrogant woke.
Do I think Galadriel is the greatest Elf? Do you mean like uhh.. in her role specifically?
Because I'm willing to call her the greatest female Elf, but the greatest Elf of all time is Glorfindel IMO.
When you took into consideration her entire backstory, it makes that scene with the Ring all the more important - it promised her all the things she wished for thousands of years. Everything. At her fingertips, ready for picking. All of her wishes.
And she refuses like an absolute chad.
Also, regarding her character in the Rings of Power. Many people point out that warrior woman Galadriel makes no sense. I'd argue - her name is, among others, is Artanis: Man-Maiden. More than once Tolkien notes that she possesses large stature for an elven woman. It is known she was fiercer in her youth, and I'd say it is quite possible she at least knew how to fight even if she never fought. Though I've heard of an idea that she took part in fighting at Alqualonde sword in hand, and not on Feanor's side, obviously.
Other thing - as far as I get it, strength and prowess of an individual elf relies less on elf's body and more on elf's spirit. They are much more than mere flesh, after all. So, elves won't have the usual IRL barrier for any woman-at-arms, specifically the major differences in physiology between two sexes. Or at least they would suffer less, I think.
So, the fact of her being a warrioress doesn't mean much. Few, if any, complained about sword-wealding Arwen in LoTR or the fact that Tauriel is a warrior woman in Hobbit. I mean, people complained a lot about her, but not about her being a warrior.
The issue with her in RoP is that her character is built with all the grace of a pile of bricks: coarse, primitive and hardly interesting. When sword-fighting and yelling at people are the only qualities of note your character has, you are doing it wrong.
Sword-figthing alone? Would've probably looked weird anyway, considering it goes against her established image and that the very idea of her wielding a sword relies on borderline speculations. But I won't actually mind Galadriel with a sword, neither I think people would mind, if it'd be done properly. Unusual takes aren't bad takes by the virtue of being unusual.
Artanis does not mean "Man-Maiden", it means "noble-woman".
Nerwen means 'man-maiden (and Tolkiwn relates it to her height:
"Her mother-name was Nerwen ‘man-maiden’, and she grew to be tall beyond the measure even of the women of the Noldor; she was strong of body, mind, and will, a match for both the loremasters and the athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth."
PoMe, Shibboleth
Tolkien, in various late writings, does note that Galadriel fought against the Feanoreans in defence of the Teleri at Alqualonde, he does not mention what weapon she used. He also notes that elf-women will fight in desperate defence (Laws and Customs of the Eldar).
However, as far as elf "woman-at-arms" or "warrioress", Tolkien writes that elf-women abstain from war (L&C) and that elves considered the warrior-woman practice of the Haladin to be "strange" (The Druedain).
Also there were lots of complaints about Arwen in Jackson's movies. Just search 'XenArwen'.
@@Tar-Elenion My bad, I mistook one of her names for the other. Also, not just tall, since your own quotation refer to her strength.
All in all, thank you for your corrections and additions. That part of Haladin, for example, wasn't known to me (or I misremembered it, hard to track that much).
P.S. Didn't know people complaint about her holding a sword. The more you know I guess.
@@mauser98kar The primary attribution is to her height. Note the semi-colon after "Noldor".
Here is a bit of the quote regarding warrior-women:
"They did not willingly adopt new things or customs, and retained many practices that seemed strange to the Eldar and the other Atani [...]. One of the strange practices spoken of was that many of their warriors were women, though few of these went abroad to fight in the great battles."
UT, The Druedain
@@Tar-Elenion Fair point. I guess I'll have to put my elf warrior girl fetish somewhere else, he-he. Kidding, just kidding.
Also, I wonder if traditions of Haladin in any way refer to nomadic tribes like Sarmats, who, as legends go (I think), had exact same practice of women being taught how to fight but not actively take part in battle.
Another point I'd like to discuss - how much of elf's prowess and strength is physical? Perhaps IRL physiological barrier won't work as much on Eldar. Speaking hypothetically, since we've already established battling women were an unusual sight to them.
@@mauser98kar Not quite sure what you mean. Tolkien notes that the difference in strength and speed between elf-men and and elf-women (who have not had a child) is less than that seen in Men (i.e. elf-men are stronger than elf-women, but less than the 60%(?) average in humans). He makes a similar statement regarding Numenoreans.
Elves, probably due to their fea, seem to exercise a much greater control over their bodies than Men.
I don’t think Galadriel was the greatest elf. A top 10 for sure, top 5 maybe. Her uncle is in the top 5 for his brilliance and his infamy. Fingolfin and Gil Galad are my top 2 for their feats.
Galadriel is Noldor as you know. She is errherial, The light of the 2 trees is in her hair. When the ban of the Valar was lifted, she didn’t think she was worthy. She survived all ages until the 1 ring was offered by Frodo and eventually took control. She refused it and she felt she was teadu then to finish. She was ring bearer.1 of the 3,elven rings forged w/o Sauron. SHE WAS NOT A WARRIOR
The show was horrible either way and definitely was not anything like Tolkien
oh fucking hell, 10 seconds in and youtube decides to throw 2 commercials in. thankfully they were only 25 seconds in total. oh god no, not an ai art sponsor. no no no, please no more ai sponsors.
and as always, your videos are amazing. though i would disagree with the "she was no xena warrior princess", and posit more along the lines that we just do not have enough info on her to say one way or another.
How ever strong the bad writers at the rings of power production want her to be.
Oh absolutely, Galadriel is the greatest full-blooded elf. She seems to have reverse-engineered one of Fëanor's greatest works, and copied the other: but frankly she did a better job. They both have an off switch. Ain't nobody going to be stealing a vial of water lol. It wouldn't be fair to compare her to Peredhil though.
I don´t understand the knee-jerk reaction against the idea that Galadriel *at some point* swung a sword. In fact, I prefer the idea that she did. It makes for a nice parallel with Eowyn: connecting the heroine of the Third Age, with the heroine of the First. It's called character growth. She started off as a headstrong young woman with a chip on her shoulder, who thought the way to get things done was shout a lot and swing a sword. Then she met a gentle man and a wise queen, and she learned that there are better ways of accomplishing your goals (not that it's wrong for women to swing swords, that isn't the lesson here: see Emeldir and Haleth, and that thing Faramir says about what he fights for). Perfectly good plotline, and I don't see any problem with it being used twice. In fact, it is usually better when writers use plotlines twice with subtle variations. That has a tendency to enhance both characters and it's one of the reasons Tolkien's characters are so good despite some of them not getting very much "screentime" (i.e. not a lot to do or say, not a lot of description, or not being the focus of a scene). When you have two equally canonical versions, I see little reason not to go with the one that makes the story and characters more interesting.
It is not a knee-jerk reaction.
Tolkien wrote that elf-women abstain from war (though they will fight in desperate defence, as Tolkien noted Galadriel doing in Alqualonde).
And, with your reference to Haleth (whom Tolkien said "was a renowned Amazon with a picked bodyguard of women"), Tolkien also wrote that the Elves considered the folk of Haleth's practice or custom of warrior-women to be strange.
So, rather than a 'knee-jerk' reaction, it is expressly what Tolkien wrote.
Rings of Power was hot garbage that butchered many characters like Galadriel, Gilgalad, and Elrond.
How?
1). The First Age begins when the Elves awake at Cuivienen. Galadriel was born in the First Age not before it.
2). The "Amazon disposition" (Letter 248) is related to her taking part in athletic activities, not war ("She was then of Amazon disposition and bound up her hair as a crown when taking part in athletic feats.).
3). The first Kinslaying, Tolkien notes in _Laws and Customs of the Eldar_ that elf-women will fight in defence ("in dire straits or desperate defence, the _nissi_ fought valiantly"); however, he also states that elf-women abstain from war ("the virtue of the _nissi_ in this matter was due rather to their abstaining from hunting or war").
4). CT does not suggest that Galadriel may have aided Elwing's escape to the Havens of Sirion, or been at the Ruin of Doriath he says: "It is a natural assumption that Celeborn and Galadriel were present at the ruin of Doriath (it is said in one place that Celeborn ‘escaped the sack of Doriath’), and perhaps aided the escape of Elwing to the Havens of Sirion with the Silmaril - but this is nowhere stated."
He notes that this "assumption" (assumed by who?) is nowhere written. In fact, this assumption is contradicted by Galadriel herself: "for ere the fall of Nargothrond or Gondolin I passed over the mountains" (LotR, Mirror). Galadriel had fled Beleriand before the ruin of Doriath which took place after the fall of Nargothrond.
5). It is not said in Unfinished Tales that Galadriel participated in the fight for Eregion. In Unfinished Tales, Galadriel is in Lorien when the War of Elves and Sauron happened, and it is Celeborn and Amroth who participate in the War.
6). Galadriel did not lead her warriors against Dol Guldur. Tolkien says Celeborn led the army and took Dol Guldur, Galadriel destroyed it after that ("Celeborn came forth and led the host of Lórien over Anduin in many boats. They took Dol Guldur, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed." App. B) Also, after the destruction of the One Ring, the other Rings lost their power, so Nenya did not aid in Galadriel tearing down Dol Guldur.
And in answer to your question, Luthien was the greatest of the Eldar.
Just stick with Tolkien's actual work. The trash that Amazon put out is not canon, and will never be acknowledged by many of us as anything more than very expensive and politically charged fan fiction. Thank you.
Dude… what is that behind you? Oh, it’s just a stick up your butt… you might want to fix that😂
I know lots of people really take issue with the Rings of Power show, but the Tolkien Estate did actually have a lot more control over the material than people seem to realize..... Just saying 🤷
@@J_Mock92 You know how the Numenoreans were all these super powerful, tall and strong men? And you know how with each new generation they seemed to diminish?
I think you get my point.
@@J_Mock92I think most people will consider it not canon unless Tolkien, himself, wrote about it. The estate can say that Galadriel worked at the DMV but it won’t hold a lot of stock since it wasn’t really what he wrote. Though, I do get where you’re coming from.
I’m happy for any new Tolkien content. It’s not the greatest show ever but I’m glad that they made it. It will get better, or people will learn from their mistakes and make the next projects better
Galadriel or Guy-ladriel
Shame she never got accepted into the jedi council.
AI "art" steals the work of actual artists. Very disappointed to see you taking these people as a sponsor. I won't be watching this video.
U watch some UA-cam ads.... and then this guy has in video ads....just so u know
But, she didn t pass the test. What?
I know that there are going to be so many people in the comment section who will just shit on the rings of power
As the writer for this channel and thus being blessed with advice and criticism, as well as a free go at editing and correcting the work pro se! What is sometimes forgotten is that, while this is not everywhere and always the case, the broken sword is comprised of the two bossmen, J AND J; each wonderful narrators and editors, wonderful collaborators and great guides for a writer to have. Since the fifteenth, my schedule has been to do three scripts per week and part of that relies on rules in place for the platform and myself as a sober critic and author myself; never speak down to the audience, always presume to converse with and not at others and learn and be favored by the disagreement of and spot-the-flaw type of help so many are want to offer -- as the only writer, putting out the amount of material that we do, with passion and love and relying never on something online; if it isn't the point of a claim, I will draw from only my knowledge of all the works I've managed to read well enough to more or less memorize like the first published silmarillion, the lost road and most of the greater history of middle-earth, but pointing out mistakes and those who just want to vent about the subpar offerings of Melkor like sub-creators, benefited as they are with the beauty that Tolkien gave us, Bezos does not understand what he thought he could possess, thinking that if he took possession of the world that would be enough, to steward and mock creation and dominate it with his song.
Since joining in August and being the writer since then, what strikes me so often as an older writer about the channel runners' and their intention; only the exploration further and more often of Tolkien, his thought, works and life. Tasked with relating his thought, philosophy, and being able to turn in 2500 words every overmorrow is something which makes me proud of this channel, as it is more of a virtual garage of mates whose passion comes purely from art and towards creation; the opposite of the corporate product that is peddled. by Amazon which is so poor it is possible to hear the writer's own quirks of speech beneath them. It's really bad. I hope you don't think so poorly of these videos, as this team does their very best with the material I have been honored and passionate in providing. This matters, the three friends who make all their own decisions rather than the corporation of nameless automata, an industrialized incest of crank and push, burn and brush away the dust and on, on, on.
Sorry if that all got away from me, and I did not well address your specific observation; we have no desire to control others nor force our opinions into some position of scripture.
With good reason
As well they should.
Now I haven't watched this video, neither do i need to, but I'm going to assume that this video is no different than other videos concerning her: filled with assumptions and fanfictions such as Melian teaching Galadriel how to bake lembas. Things directly contradicted by the text.
Galadriel was the third greatest elf of all time according to the Shibboleth of Feanor chapter. Most videos make no mention of it. Just like how they don't mention she was physically the strongest and tallest and bravest Elf woman, and the most intelligent and mentally strongest High Elven woman.
They make no reference to her studying under Aulë and Yavanna, just like they don't mention her fighting in the kinslayings and the War of the Elves and Sauron.
All they know is that she destroyed Dol Guldur after Sauron was already physically dead. They don't even know the greater feats she achieved such as creating the Fences of Galadriel (a similar but weaker version of the Girdle of Melian). Neither they give much credit to her raising a whole golden forest or the wonders inside it. As much as they pass over the fact she helped in bulding Eregion.
I could talk for 15 minutes about her power of insight into minds of others. And still it would not be enough.
At least I hope you put the Ride of Eorl narrative in this, a story in which Galadriel did a godly feat in it.
@@Brandon-a-writer wow that was brilliant. Actually, thank you. Well spoken. And oddly... Heartwarming.
I know everyone’s gotta make their money and we love your channel, but please do not push AI art apps. A lot of people work hard to create their artwork. Pretty disappointing.
are you really calling ai images art now? what an insult to actual artists - smdh
How?