Why was Glorfindel so Powerful? Middle-earth Explained
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- Опубліковано 23 вер 2023
- Glorfindel was an exceedingly powerful High Elf throughout his whole life, but what set him apart from other Elves? Today, we will dive into this character’s lore within Middle-earth and explore what we can! Thank you all so much for watching, let me know your thoughts about Glorfindel’s power in the comments below! As always, a great thanks to the online artists whose visual works made this video possible! If you are one of the artists, please let me know and I will post your name and a link to your work in this description!
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He sacrificed himself to save Gondolin’s people. No man or elf, is greater in the eyes of Eru than he who would lay down his life for his friends
The very words of Jesus Christ himself! Thanks be to God! Tolkien was a devout Catholic if you were unaware.
Does that mean Boromir would receive the same admiration from Eru?
@@Kapparillo Glorfindel was an elf. Men's souls leave Arda and go on to a place that even the Valar do not know of. Presumably with Eru himself. Let us think that Boromir's souls is in peace with Eru in the legendarium.
I love his story. He basically sacrificed himself so the Gondolindrim could escape the destruction of Gondolin thus fulfilling the prophecy of Earendil bringing hope to the Children of Eru. He was then granted reincarnated life for his bravery. Glorfindel was a true noble hero.
The reason why the most powerful characters did not play more dominant roles in the story is, of course, that the biggest danger was not Sauron per se, but the Ring. And the Ring had the powerful ability to pervert and corrupt all beings, be they elf, man or wizard, and cause strife. Galadriel explained how the Ring tempted her to take it and use it, to replace Sauron with a Dark Lady. The powerful kept well away from the Ring to prevent that end.
Only Gandalf trusted himself to be in the prolonged presence of the Ring, and as fate would have it, even he did not stay with the Ring for very long, and never without other powerful people present after the verification that the Ring was indeed the One Ring and the hatching of the plan for the Ring to leave the Shire.
This shows the genius of Tolkien. He has devised an almost perfect plot device which inherently made the most OP characters redundant. This must have been the main point in his writing: how history is actually moved by those who official History deems unimportant.
Gandalf was able to cloak his power more effectively than Glorfindel because that was the point of his incarnation in the first place. He wasn't sent to be a mighty powerful demigod, but a teacher and a guide.
He’s basically an elf that was resurrected with the powers of a lesser Maiar. And that still put him on par with the istari
Id even argue he is more powerful if you consider the role of the istari. At least regarding being able to enact power in middle earth. Maybe there hed be on par with gandalf the white and Saruman. In Valinor thats another story.
@@nostalji75 every time we see them using their powers they are purposefully holding back because apparently using a certain percentage will turn them evil
He's definitely the elf that we wish could've seen getting the appearances in the LOTR movies.
He's the elf that Middle-Earth deserves, but not the one it needs right now lol
If Glorfindel was on the fellowship I suspect that the Balrog would have been curb stomped to oblivion, and Sauron would have know right where the fellowship was at that point. Which is probably why he wasn't included.
"I think, Elrond, that in this matter it would be rather to trust to their friendship, than to great wisdom. Even if you chose for us an elf lord, such as Glorfindel, he could not storm the Dark Tower, nor open the road to the fire by the power that is in him." -- Gandalf, advocating for Merry and Pippin to join the Fellowship. Gandalf was right: raw power was not what was needed.
"I've been sent back. Until my task is done."
Now THIS is a character that we all need to know what happened to and his origins 😍
If u kill a Balrog and come back you're automatically a MVP, thems the rules!
Beautifully animated story needs to b made about him in the third age. He's what everyone thinks of when strength and light challenges the dark and evil. The angelic hero we all look for in life and imagination.
Cue the doom music.
I think that, if Elrond, Galadriel, and Glorfindel had participated more directly, the realms of men might have been more inclined to go with a more direct military response in an attempt to face Mordor as their ancestors did during The Last Alliance. The wise knew that hadn’t worked when they were far more powerful, so it would also fail in the Third Age. And, perhaps there was a sense in their hearts (cough, Eru, cough cough) that directed their actions to be as they ended up being. Things were *meant* to work out as they did, and that is an encouraging thought.
I think I see what you did there - made me smile.
My favourite character from the whole Legendarium!
Mine as well.
Frodo looked at them in wonder; for he had never before
seen Elrond, of whom so many tales spoke; and as they
sat upon his right hand and his left, Glorfindel, and even
Gandalf, whom he thought he knew so well, were revealed
as lords of dignity and power.
Glorfindel was tall and straight; his hair was of shining
gold, his face fair and young and fearless and full of joy; his
eyes were bright and keen, and his voice like music; on his
brow sat wisdom, and in his hand was strength.
Reading that, I wanted to know MORE about Glorfindel. I wanted him to be more involved. Such hints of backstory, yet this is almost the last we see of him save for a few lines during the Council of Elrond.
One possibility about why he couldn't hide his power is the Valar made him unable to. When the Valar sent the five embodied Maiar called Istari into Middle-Earth, they gave a strict rule to them to hide their power and only use it when absolutely necessary and all other possibilities had been exhausted. Now when Gandalf came back as Gandalf the White, this rule was applied more loosely, possibly by Eru Illuvatar himself. Maybe, for whatever reason, when the Valar sent Glorfindel to Middle-Earth, they gave him a rule saying he had to show his full power at all times. As for why they did this, that could be an interesting thought experiment.
Glorfindel and Elronds sons would draw more attention to the quest . Gandalf was a risky guide at the beginning. He said so
Here's a thought about why Glorfindel could not hide his power, but Gandalf could: Glorfindel was very powerful _for an elf._ Gandalf was a Maiar, in a very different league power wise. Although the wizards were put into specific bodies, that was not there normal state. When an elf's body is destroyed, he is dead. For a Maiar, the body is no more than a disguise, like a suit of clothes. They can take a physical form at will, or move around middle earth without a physical form. That independence from the body could easily give them actual control of how much others could perceive of them. Glorfindel would have had no such ability.
Maiar are just as dead as elves are when there bodies are ‘killed’
y'all are off on this death stuff. Maiar do indeed return to their "unclad" form when they are defeated - Sauron did this during Akallabeth. Elves do not stay dead unless their spirits are held by Mandos. what are y'all going on about? 😂 the video is literally about Glorfindel's reincarnation
@@michaelnelson8618they stay dead if they refuse the summons of mandos
Maiar = plural. Maia = single. E. g., Gandalf/Olorin is a Maia. The Istari, Melian, and Sauron are all Maiar.
In the same way Valar = plural. Vala = singular. Manwë is a Vala. Manwë and Melkor are Valar.
@@michaelnelson8618 Sauron was able to return because much of his essence was contained within the One Ring and that is why when it was destroyed, he was reduced to a spirit so weak he could never cause trouble again. Gandalf returned because Eru intervened. We don't know the eventual fate of other Maiar, such as the Balrogs, who died.
I think Gandalf was able to hide much of his true nature as part of the disguise he was cloaked in before going to Middle-Earth. He was also known as a wanderer with no real home. Glorfindel had no such ability to disguise himself and was also a high-profile inhabitant of Imladris. His departure would have been noted; indeed it would have been an interesting idea if he and some others crossed over the Misty Mountains and started heading southward along the Anduin for a while as a distraction.
As far as LOTR goes, there was also much fighting in the north to occupy these other powerful Elves. Galadriel played a major role in fighting off the assaults on Lothlórien from Dol Guldur. We aren't told what Glorfindel and Elrond were doing but I don't imagine they were just sitting in Imladris drinking wine. Their actions ares another one of the many parts of the tale I wish we knew more of.
7:39 he is strongly implied to be leading the elven forces in defending their homelands during the war. The answer to your question about why the strongest characters didn't play a more active role is that they were under attack from Sauron's forces. Lothlorien was attacked several times, Laketown was attacked, and while Imladris was not directly besieged they were surely helping both the other realms. Not to mention that Mirkwood's spider problems had only gotten worse. Glorfindel along with Celeborn would surely have been leading these military operations. If you will notice, the force of orcs present at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is rather small: most of Sauron's troops there are Men of Harad and Rhûn. This is presumably because the stronger, tougher, harder to kill orcs are being sent to battle the elves. The elves couldn't help at the Pelennor Fields because they literally couldn't get there, not because they didn't want to.
I think Glorfindel couldn't hide his power because it's just not in his nature to hide his thoughts. He's kind yes, but about as subtle as a freight train. He can't go with the Fellowship, because he's a giant fucking beacon of holy light. Sauron is going to notice anything this guy does, anywhere he goes, etc. Wherever Glorfindel goes, that's where Sauron's attention will automatically focus because he's one of the scariest guys alive. Basically, he's the bait. It would never occur to Sauron that someone would willingly bait his enemy's attention, to keep it away from his friends. Glorfindel's lack of subtlety lets the Grey Company operate in the shadows, lets Dain Ironfoot and Thranduil forge an alliance that Sauron doesn't know about (remember, last he knew these two were literally at each other's throats), and lets the Hobbits get into Mordor without drawing Sauron's attention. He still thinks he can drag this war out for months, that losing the Witch King at the Pelennor Fields is no biggie. But Frodo is already facing off against Shelob. You would think that Sauron might notice something like A SILMARIL suddenly flaring to life within Cirith Ungol, but he doesn't. This is because his attention is being baited away.
A very Tolkein theme was that you couldn’t combat great power with great power. They tried in the past, but it didn’t work. Only by stealth and subtlety was the fellowship successful. It’s a great way to combat that otherwise very glaring plot hole.
I love this explanation. In Catholicism we are taught that being humble and meek is a good way to defeat evil. Tolkien was catholic so I can see a connection.
Tolkien fought in the Somme in 1916. And he lost many friends in the Great War. Amongst his readership there remains to this day a racial memory of the emptiness that war creates. This is 2023 and still, in my family, we remember who we lost. You are absolutely right: Tolkien knew, deeply, that great power could not be defeated by great power.
I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I saw 1 minute ago. Yet again, another Men of the West video.
Brilliant. Love the idea of characters blazing for a time of need, and then returning. Thanks!
When I first read LOTR 40 years ago, then the Silmarillion a few years later, I got what (I much later learned the term for) was a "retcon" feel. That Tolkien accidentally wrote himself into a corner with this character and needed a "canonical" way out.
I'm not one to throw stones: I've 17 books of a future history and every now and then cringe at my own mistakes of who/when/where.
In one sense, Peter Jackson did the Unwashed Masses a favor by bypassing the subject, entirely.
You had better watch your mouth around here, people don't take too kindly to actually thinking about stuff instead of just fanboyin
@@jcook693You're acting like this is the Star Wars fandom. It's okay to point out flaws in a work of fiction.
@@FrancT- I've just been personally attacked for critiquing one actor's take on one scene
@@jcook693 Okay, what did he say?
Glorfindel wasn’t in the film trilogy series as there wasn’t an actor alive cool enough to play him.
Thank you
I've always wondered as to why Glorfindel was resurrected and praised for his doings yet Ecthelion didn't get the same treatment yet he also sacrificed himself to kill Gothmog and killed 3 balrogs before that? Somebody let me know their thoughts thanks!
I just remembered that Gandalf was also resurrected, Illuvatar must have a special hatred for the balrogs considering they were once his angels that betrayed him lol.
Ecthelion may not have wanted to go back to ME?
Or maybe in Eru's wisdom he thought it would tip the balance too much?
he was a high elf who basked in the light of the 2 trees and then he was reserrected and sent back to ME with nearly Maiar power levels......there we go 5 second video done. I love Men of the West but I wanna see some in depth longer videos
Because of the fair hair, I think it's safe to say Glorfindel has some Vanyar blood, just as Galadriel does. I always saw him as the equivalent or counterpart to her. As to concealment of power, I feel like as a Maiar, Gandalf was more "magical," and was able to conceal himself. Also the Valar sent the Astari to Middle Earth as old men specifically to be discreet. I'm not sure the Astari shone brightly to right wraiths. Glorfindel, on the other hand, rolled a different class, if you will. :) he then levelled up so much that hide and seek wasn't in the cards for him anymore, especially while standing next to the ring bearer and doing his best impression of a strobe light.
Nice work dude
Great video as always.
❤❤❤ so great to have some content for such an amazing character
My very unenlightened view of Glorfindel in the third age is that (1) part of his use was that of a bulwark against attacks on Rivendale - the awesome power of him and Elrond would be so formidable that only a full war would stand a chance of successful invasion, thereby not requiring Tolkien to add such a diversion and (2) another reason he doesn’t join the Fellowship has to do with a point addressed herein - Men needed more opportunity to lead in this evolving world, and Aragon specifically needed that push. With Glorfindel in the party, Aragon may not have felt the push to become who he was born to be. This doesn’t disagree with trouble hiding Glorfindel’s power but adds another reason as to why he wasn’t included.
He'd certainly be useful in a fight but I think most of Rivendell's protection came from Vilya.
The movies portrayed Aragorn as a bit of reluctant leader, but in his younger days he received acclaim as "Thorongil" fighting for Gondor; the books didn't portray him as reluctant, but Aragorn was willing to defer and take advice from those he knew had much more experience and more information than him, i.e. The Wise
(a) It's easier for one of the Istari to "cloak their power" because they were incarnated in a weak form - not to contest with Sauron with power but to advise and counsel the Free Peoples. Glorfindel was a one-off. One of the the High Elves, reembodied and then given additional power and authority with a mission from the Valar to help the free peoples.
First, we have to acknowledge here that many Tolkien fans have only become so since the release of the LOTR movies. That's a trap by it's ommissions (time constraints, I get it) so we have lots of peeps coming into legendarium with only the movies to go by. Though we see Glorfindel and Cirdan appear in the movies, they have no lines and are only a brief glimpse. I'm very glad to see so many who have walked this path become interested enough to study Tolkien's work and appreciate the massive breadth of it. Glorfindel is one of the most fascinating characters in the Legendarium. I love that he was selfless to the point of giving his life for others. His gift of ressurection was pivotal in the rise of the fourth age as well. As to the question of the most powerful of the characters of the late third age I have this observation: perhaps it was wisdom to stay their hands away from the War of the Ring to show men (and hobbits) that their time had come and that they were strong enough to defeat Sauron with only a bit of help at critical times and only when Frodo's quest was in real jeopardy. Extraordinary times requiring the union of all to combat the worst of demons gives the races of men (and hobbits) the knowledge that they are able and strong in their union.
He is my favourite middle earth related character. I just find him so interesting!
I beleive that Elrond would not let him be apart of the Fellowship because he knew the witch king would sense him from his power and that the witch king met him in his past life..
I think you hit it. Elrond and Gandalf knew a stealthy approach was the best way to go, and if Glorfindel was part of it, Sauron and the Witch-king would have known where the quest was every foot of the way: they kept an eye on him. Glorfindel wouldn't have been good on a mission meant to be stealthy@
In a universe where one of the main themes is fall, and where we see fall in every character and event, it has always been interesting for me to come across characters such as Glorfindel and Gandalf the White, who are sent back with their powers oxidized after their deaths.
was def stronger than elrond and cirdan. cmon, i thought you understood the early silmarilion lol. the older the elf, the stronger they are. he is on the same level as galadriel, as they both saw the light of the trees and all elves who see the light are immediately stronger. also, tolkein stated that this glorfindel is indeed the same one from gondolen in his letters. im pretty sure you yourself said this in a previous video.
First! Lol always wanted to do that. Carry on Men of the West.
Blessings everyone 🙏 ✨️ 🙌 ❤️ beautiful work 🙏 brother
4:05 "or that he continued to have such immense power, not quite that of Galadriel, ..."
I would love a thoughtful compare and contrast discussion of Glorfindel and Galadriel (NOT a Glorfindel versus Galadriel epic battle, or whatever).
My favorite of Tolkien's characters is Galadriel, though I am not sure why; and whenever I ponder Galadriel, I wonder if I am slighting Glorfindel.
I do not claim expertise in either; indeed I wonder if I can even claim competent knowledge of them. But I find both Glorfindel and Galadriel among the most fascinating characters I have encountered in any writing of any genre.
Thanks for this upload. I truly enjoyed listening, and will do so again.
I have believed that he, like Giladrial were in fact similar in nature to the Silmarilians, as they took on some of the power ofvthe two trees, that ultimately exuded from them. As like Giladrial, they could not hide from Morgoth or Sauron, who dispised the light of the trees. Just like Sauron could sense the ring, he'd be able to sense the light of the trees, and would therefore leave them susceptible to easy detection.
I think power not only manifest in going out to do great deeds. Sometimes the better, yet less sung in legends, power is being a pillar in your community. Helping the people around to heal, thrive and maintain stability. That among the elves I feel is the role of Cierdan, Elrond, Celeborn, Galadriel, Gloefindel and even Thranduil in mirkwood. Their leadership and presence is so entangled with their community that their absence in times of turmoil may make the communities fall apart. The istari, particularly Gandalf, fill the role of wandering wise people that go out along heroes or from place to place, allowing the elves some rest and time to reflect, and to pack up and leave if they want to.
Love Glorfindel and his selfless actions, yet Ecthelion of the Fountain aka Gothmog's bane is so underrated. He's arguably unsung while being one of the finest warriors in the First Ages.
Kinda odd hearing Kerbal Space Program space theme in the background while listening to Glorfindel lore, lol. Good stuff
Oh, and Woses too. I would have loved to see more of them.
One of my favorite characters
Regardless of how the narrative plays out or could have played out, thinking about the needs of Tolkien in writing his story I suspect that Glorfindel was brought into the hunt for Frodo because he needed someone who was powerful enough to withstand the Nazgul at the river, but after that was really too powerful to use in the Fellowship; sort of like having a nuclear bomb that might be useful to destroy a city but too much for quelling a riot. If he had been sent with the Fellowship not only would it have been hard to hide his presence when stealth was needed, but he probably could have defeated every enemy they encountered while the others could sit back and watch. That would have destroyed the character arc of the others and make for a dull story.
So what about the seeming inaction of Glorfindel and other High Elves during the War of the Ring; the event for which they had remained in Middle-earth for thousands of years?
A lack of information gives rise to speculation, and my speculation is that they had unreported troubles of their own. We see a hint of this when it was reported later that Lorien had been attacked from Dol Guldur several times during the same period as Sauron's attack on Gondor, but had been pushed back and ultimately was conquered by Lorien. In fact, we know of at least three fronts that Sauron was waging war at the same time: against Gondor, Lorien, and Dale/Erebor. We can perhaps add Saruman's war against Rohan since this would surely be the desire of Sauron to prevent any help from Rohan from reaching Gondor. So is it possible that Rivendell was also attacked, or at least under threat, but unreported? We can only speculate. But if so then people like Glorfindel [and other elves] would have served a more useful role at Rivendell than in going to Gondor, where he might have drawn Sauron's attention right onto the Fellowship.
Awesome
🎉🎉
In Galadriel's case, I think her power was so invested in Lothlorian and protecting the people there that she couldn't go to the front line. it may have been similar of Elrond using his power to protect Rivendell, etc
Let’s go the most badass elf lord
Loved this! Glorfindel is close to devine and behaved as such.
Why is Glorfindel so powerful? Because he is Glorfindel, that's why.
Tolken fought in WW1 and lords of the rings is influenced by that experience.
When Tolken created the character of Glorfindel, I think he used the image of private Henry Tandey. Both characters were strong, noble and heroic; both inspired other soldiers to be brave and both had the opportunity to slay evil before it got away and failed which led to evil coming back at a later date.
Glorfindel gets all the press, but Fingolfin is like the most valiant of all elves.
And probably the mightiest...
This dude took on the GOD OF FREAKING EVIL and wounded him seven times.
I mean, killing a Balrog is a pretty big deal. No shade on the Glor-man. But Fing decided he was going to go fight THE DEVIL HIMSELF.
And he was not defeated before dealing seven wounds to him which Melkor the Morgoth will carry forever as a reminder of his own cowardice and the courage of his foe.
"Thus died Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor, most proud and valiant of the Elven-kings of old. The Orcs made no boast of that duel at the gate; neither do the Elves sing of it, for their sorrow is too deep. Yet the tale of it is remembered still, for Thorondor King of Eagles brought the tidings to Gondolin, and to Hithlum afar off. And Morgoth took the body of the Elven-king and broke it, and would cast it to his wolves; but Thorondor came hasting from his eyrie among the peaks of the Crissaegrim, and he stooped upon Morgoth and marred his face. The rushing of the wings of Thorondor was like the noise of the winds of Manwë, and he seized the body in his mighty talons, and soaring suddenly above the darts of the Orcs he bore the King away."
About how characters show their real strength and power in moments of the story. I think it's because they have goodness in their hearts and also the virtue of humility that they don't always need to show off their power, unless of course in times of great need. Some examples from Gandalf, when he snaps at Bilbo in Bag End to show him a glimpse of his power that if he wanted to take the Ring form him it would be no problem, but just really wanted to help Bilbo overcome the Ring. Gandalf fighting the Balrog utilizing his full strength to defeat and enemy not just for the sake of his friends, but for the sake of Middle Earth to not allow such an evil force to remain. As for Glorfindels power on switch the whole time, I'm not sure about that. Of course he would show his true power when fighting the Nazgul again a time of great need, but it's not like when after during the feast of many meetings that Frodo or anyone mentioned that Glorfindel was still emanating his power constantly. I do think he would be able to conceal his power, but like it was said in the Fellowship that they needed secrecy and even with Gandalf it would've been dangerous. Basically if Gandalf and Glorfindel were in the fellowship and somehow they survived to lets say near any part of Mordor and got into any fight and lets say a Nazgul was present and they had to use their full power to fight off said nazgul then Sauron would've undoubtedly had Mordor under stricter watch making it harder for them to sneak in.
Also, don’t forget that, even though Elrond and Galadriel at the blood of an old door, a lot of their power came from the preservation and perseverance of the rings they were wearing
I imagine that Legolas' acrobatics and martial ability compared to Glorfindel was like a kid and his big wheel up against a professional BMX racer.
Thanks
He was beyond Galadriel. Christopher Tolkein said he was more like a Maia than an elf after his "upgrade"
He has always been my favorite, I think he embodies Eru's Virtue and Valor. Which probably gives him extra light n power.
In The Fellowship of the Ring (film), Glorfindel's role in guiding Frodo Baggins to Rivendell is filled by Arwen, though he does appear during the prologue when Sauron is defeated. In The Return of the King (film), Glorfindel is seen walking next to Arwen as she is having vision of her son Eldarion during the journey to the Grey Havens. In his last appearance, he is seen at the crowning of King Elessar, behind Legolas and in front of Arwen. In all appearance in the movies he has no speaking lines.
As far as why Glorfindel could not accompany the fellowship/company on their journey but Gandalf could, I always assumed it was like, Gandalf is a Maiar and he is also bound to certain rules in his mission as an Istari, so maybe he has an ability to remain cloaked and hidden within that mission, as we rarely see him exhibit his powers unless his need is great. Glorfindel is under no such restriction. The lore also speaks to Gandalf's fear of Sauron which he clearly overcomes during his journey, but it exists nonetheless and certainly has something to do with the secrecy is which he works, among other factors. Glorfindel has no fear of Sauron, I imagine he among all the remaining Elves of middle earth would stand against him with no fear.
Another thing i think is interesting is the fact that both Glorfindel and Gandalf were reembodied by the valar in much the same way. Gandalfs power and projection after his resurrection as Gandalf the White is much more similar to Glorfindels projection of power, so maybe it has something to do with that. Whereas Gandalf the Grey was much more subtle
Anyway those're my thoughts on it xD
In Deep Geek’s channel just did a video on this.
Regarding his on/off, I assumed its because gandalf was "designed" like all wizards to hide his power. And regarding galadriels role and so on. I assume its them not wanting to take that burden. Them thinking, either they win and overcome corruption or we have no place here
i would say he's less able to hide his power than an even more powerful maiar like gandalf because perhaps glorfindel has less control over it. For example maia like Sauron can use their power to do a variety of things, from shapeshifting to ringmaking to keeping a tower like Barad Dur standing. Even when killed he doesn't have to return to Mandos like an elf does--even a powerful elf. Even powerful elves don't show anything close to an array of such powers, probably because they have much less experience with their power, and a much lesser innate ability to use it and control it.
not to mention the old man disguise for the wizards was decided upon by the Valar themselves i think, so maybe its concealment ability goes beyond what even gandalf himself would be capable of normally, let alone what an elf would be capable of.
This is really touching on a problem I have with LoTR as a whole. It seems like all the big forces for good took a back seat and really let things go to hell. Sauron was eventually defeated, but look at all the damage he managed to inflict before being fully defeated/incapacitated. So it looks to me like we are calling the Valar good, when they did nothing to stop evil. Or at a least, they didn't do AS MUCH as they could have done to stop evil, and took their sweet time in doing it. This is especially bad for characters who can see the future to some degree, yet they fail to stop serious maliciously evil forces and agents in the world. With the elves, at least, there is the implication that they were fighting the same fight, but on a different "front" so to speak (i.e. Galadriel defeating Sauron's forces sent to destroy Lothlorien).
I Know i have asked this before Yostan, but as he is mentioned in this video and is also a Lord of Gondolin, is there a prospect of an Epic Charachter History for Ecthelion of the fountain any where in the near future planned?
Ah yes! Thanks for the reminder, hope to make one concerning him soon!
@@MenoftheWestso you know your lord of the rings what if videos? well I had an idea for one of them, what if Sauron and the witch king of Angmar fought each other in a civil war?
Spit-balling it here, but I think Glorfindel (and Elrond, and Galadriel) were more than powerful enough to stand toe-to-toe with Sauron, but if they did, then the strength of Men would not have been brought to the forefront. The remaining high-elves HAD to kind of "hang back" in the fight so that Men could come into their own. Glorfindel and the others knew they were going to be leaving Middle Earth, so if they'd used their powers to fight off the darkness, it would have been just a band-aid and when they eventually sailed off, the world of Men would have been unable to fight back when it returned. They needed people like Aragorn and Eomer to step up to the plate, because once the Eldar were gone, Middle Earth would be defenseless.
An Elf could not possibly take on the most powerful of all the Maiar.
@@Mathemagical55 It was a man - Isildur - who took on Sauron while he was wearing the One Ring. I would bet that had Elrond, Glorfindel, and Galadriel had joined Isildur's Heir wielding Anduril would at the very least cause a ring-less Sauron to flee like he did at Dol Guldur.
*Remembers what I said last week* Well, I was partly correct...Partly!!!
There is No Off Mode for Glorfindel!!! That made me Laugh!!! He is a light you can't turn off!!!
Thanks Mellon for why Glorfindel is So Powerful, Until Umbar...Marion Baggins Out!!!!
The power of the Two Trees offer pathways to many abilities that some would consider to be unnatural
Did Glorfindal and Galadriel share anything of the Years of the Trees beisides the light of them?
In my mind part of the reason he can’t hide himself isn’t just his power but that he’s a monster of legend for the dark forces. They get the same feeling seeing him as you would toward some dark entity from myths like the boogeyman or krumpus
I think it'd make the most sense for his always-on power be due to the fact that he was resurrected.
His ability to hide, or lack there of, might be something all elves share. Or at least all high elves. We do not known if other elves such as Elrond would be able to hide their presents.
As for Gandolf, as there mission was to help and guide, not lead, it would not be surprising that their very bodies were designed to hide their powers.
pushing a Balrog off a cliff is enough XP for at least three levels
Who would make movies on this grand Legendarium, about Silmarils the Kinslaying among Elves in Valinor, battle against Morgoth, Sink of Beleriand
He's one of my favorite High Elves from the 1st Age
Tolkein does state that he was "upgraded" from the time he lived with the Maier after his reincarnation.
It's a shame that he wasn't used in Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Rings, or used period, just like the Gray Company, Tom Bombadil, and the barrow downs. These lost pieces would have answered all the questions I and others had about the wound on Frodo's right shoulder. So much could have been added, but on the other hand, each movie would have been 3 movies, nine in total, which would have suited me just fine.
When they say power what is meant by that? What kind of greater power did he have compared to other elves?
Had Glorfindel joined the party, he probably would have been like a beacon, summoning the attention of the dark lands right to them all along their journey. It is best that he remained Imladris so as to not draw additional and unwanted attention.
Gandalf, I believe, was just powerful as a Maia - enough so that he could mask his presence almost anywhere, both physically portrayed as an unassuming old wanderer as well as a "masking" element as part of his inherent magical repertoire. (Magic in Tolkien's world is often subtle and pragmatic such as effects like that.)
Gandolf and Elrond had rings of power to help shield them from the Palantir from Minus Morgul and Orthanc. Glorfindel would have shown like a candle in a cave.
If Elrond or Glorfindel had left the sanctuary cloaking them (Rivendel), all the powers would have spies on them as thick as flies on a corpse.
As to Glorfindel's power, think about his remade body. He had bathed in the light of both Trees. That light shown from his soul and it showed. Dark things cannot stand pure light. Balrogs, ringwraiths, orcs, Shelob, trolls etc. While a mighty warrior, it would attract evil that would want to extinguish it. Not good for a party trying to maintain stealth.
It seems like Glorfindel had stacking buffs to use a gaming term. He was powerful before and then the Valar's blessing could have amplified his innate attributes.
I would say he was more revered than ecthilien of the fountain because without h his specific sacrifice thered be no queen for Aragorn to wed and rekindle the lineage of numenor
Very late to this party. This may be addressed somewhere in the legendarium. If so i'm sorry i'm wrong. While Glorfindel Definitely came out of Valinor And had stood in the light of the two trees and then followed friends or family back into middle earth with the noldor. Was it definitively stated that he was born in Valinor? I've often thought that perhaps he was one of the first born elves who followed Orome ever west through middle earth and thence to Valinore. Ecthelion possibly as well.🤷♂️
Your question reminds - Gandalf, from the Hobbit "I have found that it is the small everyday deed of ordinary folks that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”
To my mind that is one of the key themes of the Lord of the Rings, it is the small ordinary people choosing to do the right, noble, good thing, that defeats evil. It goes against the themes of superhero's, where we all need to sit around and wait for a good and powerful being of light to solve the problem, while the rest of the world remains apathetic, or cowed.
Still waiting for Ecthelion’s video 🧎
it's seem Glorfindel can see the future ahead of any elf making him can predict what the odds of his action during the present. his power similar to Dr. Strange using the time stone.
WoTC really did our boy dirty when they made his card in their LoTR set for Magic: The Gathering.
1 - Why couldn't he go with the fellowship? - Imagine trying to enter a village or a town unnoticed, or pass travellers on the road, with a 6'6 (200cm) golden haired elf with glowing eyes with an aura of royalty... It wouldn't be easy to hide that!
2- Why didn't he fight at the front lines? - Sauron perceived the West as scattered and splintered, it was in the interests of the Fellowship for that to remain. Imagine Glorfindel leading an army of Elves to any front line, it would cause a huge escalation in the war that was "brewing" at that time.
For the algorithm! 😊
I have a question. How will Elves reincarnate when middle earth is seperated from Valinor...I mean, when you consider all elves either left the middle earth, or chose to stay to perish in time....We assume there will be no more elves in the earth anymore. However, their souls are bound to this earth, right? so they should keep coming back eventually...ıf not, what's the point of being bound to Earth? will the elves' souls in Mandos stay there forever?
His being in Rivendell along with Elrond and other high elves is probably why Rivendell high elves is probably why it wasn't targeted during the war of the ring. It wasn't a high priority target and it was too hard to attack. BUT if Sauron could have conquered Gondor, Lothlorien and Rohan, Then Rivendell would have been the next target and Tom Bombadil.
It's been a long time since I read the books but wasn't the mission to destroy the ring basically a stealth mission?
Gandalf, with his power diminished, maybe he was not detectable... But an elf with the light of the valenor - maybe they shine bright in the other realm. Also maybe the ring would have been a temptation for such a powerful elf.
No Gandalf was noticed by Sauron and traps were set that he avioded. At the battle of the black gate, the Mouth of Sauron indicated of the 'Mischevasness' of Gandalf and his 'Plot's. (Or words to that effect. Been a while since i read the books as well).
If he was a firstborn, would that make him one of the original awakening elves that were invited to Valinor?or his an original offspring of the first awakened elves?
💯🌟
I think part of the answer to why Glorfindal, Elrond, Galadriel, and other powerful elves were not playing a larger part in the struggle against Sauron and the quest to destroy the One Ring has two answers.
1. From a storytelling point of view, it would make the story too lopsided and would negate any need for heroism on the part of the less powerful characters. This is similar in function to the answer to why Gandalf didn’t just ask Gwaihir the eagle to fly to ring to Mount Doom and toss it in the fires. There’s no longer any struggle and so no story.
2. Sauron and his forces were overwhelmingly powerful, and neither the Men nor the Elves really had the numbers nor the power to directly confront and win against Sauron. Moreover, the Elves were all but done in Middle Earth; they were leaving en masse for Valinor, and this was not their struggle. Since direct confrontation was hopeless, it fell to the hands of the small to evade notice of Sauron and get the Ring to Mount Doom where Sauron least expected it to be taken, leaving his attention focused elsewhere on the battles with the forces he did expect to contend with.
Essentially, Tolkien meant to tell a tale of the weak doing what must be done while the eyes of the powerful were gazing elsewhere.
The powerful elves shine out and are easily noted by Sauron and the Nazgul, while the hobbits didn’t even register on their spiritual plane awareness.
Gandalf and the other Istari were cloaked and somewhat amnesiac of their true power and potential upon their coming to Middle Earth, so Gandalf didn’t show out like a beacon like Glorfindel would have.
So apparently, according to most artists, elves bleached their hair... Almost all of the artworks have the blonde Glorfindel with dark eyebrows. It's a shame bleached blonde hair is so common today that people think everyone has dark eyebrows. This is a pet peeve of mine, hence the rant.
I still believe he returned with the host of the Valar for the War of Wrath. We get it backwards, he not great because he is a lord of the Noldor, he is a lord of the Noldor because of his greatness.
To your question why all of the most powerfull elves does not take more active role in fight against Sauron. I´ve allways imagined Sauron as the great corruptor. So my answer would be they were afraid of being corrupted by him if he sees their power unwailed. It is question of integrity against evil, and of good beings allways being a little bit brittle when people (in wide sense in case of elves) are suffering because of their actions.
Gandalf was sent to middle earth in the disguise of a human, of human-like entity - thus he could hide his power more easily than Glorfindel, who was purely a high elf.
Not just of human, but old. All the wizards are intentionally cloaked and limited as old human men
In my own mind I like to think during the war of the ring glorfindel went and fought the armies of angmar to protect Arnor and that was his role.