Lórien
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's legendarium
, Lothlórien is the fairest forest realm of the Elves
remaining in Middle-earth
during the Third Age
.
The realm plays an important part in The Lord of the Rings
as the Elven centre of resistance against Sauron
and is a symbol for the Elves' aesthetics of preservation which provides a space 'out of time' for the characters who both live and visit there. With Lothlórien, Tolkien reconciles otherwise conflicting ideas regarding time-distortion in Elfland from various traditional sources such as Thomas the Rhymer
(13th/14th C.) and the Danish folk-play Elverhøj (1828).
The form Lórinand was also rendered in Quenya
as Laurenandë and in Sindarin as Glornan or Nan Laur, all of the same meaning. Other, later names given to the land included the much later Rohirric
name Dwimordene (from dwimor "phantom", an allusion to the perceived magic of the Elves), and the Westron
name The Golden Wood.
some of the Eldar left the Great March and settled in the lands east of the Misty Mountains
. These elves became known as the Nandor and later the Silvan Elves
. By Galadriel had made contact with an existing Nandorin realm, Lindórinand, in the area that would later be known as Lothlórien, and planted there the golden mallorn trees which Gil-galad
had received as a gift from Tar-Aldarion
.
The culture and knowledge of the Silvan elves was considerably enriched by the arrival of Sindar
in Elves from west of the mountains and even the Silvan language was gradually replaced by Sindarin
. Amongst these arrivals was Amdír, who became their first lord, as well as Galadriel
and Celeborn
, who also crossed the mountains and the Anduin
to join these southern Nandor after the destruction of Eregion
during the War of the Elves and Sauron. Ultimately, Amdír led an army out of the forest as part of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, just as Oropher, another Sindarin lord, led the Silvan Elves of the north in the same victory over Sauron
, so it can be assumed that both northern and southern woodland realms had been founded by then.
With the gradual return of Sauron's malign influence to the forest east of Anduin, the northern Silvan Elves led by Thranduil
son of Oropher (and father of Legolas
), moved even further north to escape it, and those of the south returned west across the Anduin, although without their last Sindarin lord Amroth son of Amdír, who departed to Edhellond after his lover Nimrodel had fled there.
It was later revealed that Galadriel's Ring
enriched the land by preserving its flora from death and decay, and in wielding it she created a powerful ward against all creatures of evil intent: in fact the only way that Galadriel's Lothlórien could have been conquered by Mordor
is if Sauron himself, the master of all the Rings of Power, had come there.
Following the departure of Galadriel for Valinor
at the beginning of the Fourth Age
, the Elves of Lothlórien were ruled by Celeborn alone, who led them across the Anduin
to found a new, larger realm, East Lórien, centred around Amon Lanc. By the time of the death of Queen Arwen
, Celeborn and Galadriel's granddaughter, Lothlórien itself was deserted.
between the Misty Mountains
and the river Anduin
. Other than a small strip of forested land to the south, the realm was located between the rivers Anduin and Silverlode, a region called the Naith (S.
spearhead) by the Elves or the Gore in Westron. The city of Caras Galadhon
was located in the narrowest portion of the Naith, where the two rivers came together, called Egladil (possibly ) or the Angle.
Songs about the place in Tolkien include Irish singer Enya
's song "Lothlórien" from her album, Shepherd Moons
. (Enya also wrote music heard in Peter Jackson's film of Lord of the Rings.) It is also the title of a song from the West End musical version of The Lord of the Rings
.
Singer-songwriter Tori Amos
named her daughter Natashya Lórien Hawley, after Lothlórien.
Music bands named Lothlorien, include Nashville indie rock band Lórien, the New Zealand Celtic folk group Lothlorien, and Brazilian metal band Lothlöryen.
The Internet domain "www.lothlorien.com" is registered to a family that lives in a heavily wooded area of the Santa Cruz Mountains in the vicinity of Boulder Creek
.
In the Middle-earth Role Playing
supplement Lórien and the Halls of the Elven Smiths (Iron Crown Enterprises
, 1986), Lórien society is divided into several guilds, or "Glades" with each one taking a specific craft (such as baking, weaving or hunting). The hidden nature of the place is accorded to effects of the ring Nenya, and Elessar, the elf-stone — which are both said to slow the effects of time. Its particular geographic position, being sheltered by the Misty Mountains
from storms, and the environmental effect of mallorn trees (which do not lose their leaves and so provide constant shelter from the elements all year round) are also claimed to cause a reduction in the effect of the passing seasons.
In The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
, Lorien was a region introduced to the game in March 2009, which allows players to visit Caras Galadhon
and other locations, and complete quests from the elves.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
, Lothlórien is the fairest forest realm of the Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
remaining in Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
during the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
.
The realm plays an important part in The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
as the Elven centre of resistance against Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
and is a symbol for the Elves' aesthetics of preservation which provides a space 'out of time' for the characters who both live and visit there. With Lothlórien, Tolkien reconciles otherwise conflicting ideas regarding time-distortion in Elfland from various traditional sources such as Thomas the Rhymer
Thomas the Rhymer
Thomas Learmonth , better known as Thomas the Rhymer or True Thomas, was a 13th century Scottish laird and reputed prophet from Earlston . He is also the protagonist of the ballad "Thomas the Rhymer"...
(13th/14th C.) and the Danish folk-play Elverhøj (1828).
Names
Tolkien gave the same forest many different names| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Lindórinand | Valley of the Land of the Singers | Older Nandorin name of the area |
| Lórinand | Valley of Gold | Nandorin name after introduction of mellyrn trees |
| Laurelindórenan | Valley of Singing Gold | Sindarin name after introduction of mellyrn trees |
| Lothlórien | The Dreamflower | Sindarin name in the Third Age |
| Lórien | Spearhead | Shortened form of Lothlórien matching the name of the Gardens of Lórien in Aman Aman -External links:*... |
The form Lórinand was also rendered in Quenya
Quenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
as Laurenandë and in Sindarin as Glornan or Nan Laur, all of the same meaning. Other, later names given to the land included the much later Rohirric
Rohirric
In the fictional world of Middle-earth by J. R. R. Tolkien, Rohirric is the language of the Rohirrim of Rohan.-Description:...
name Dwimordene (from dwimor "phantom", an allusion to the perceived magic of the Elves), and the Westron
Westron
Westron, or the Common Speech, is a fictional language in the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien.Westron is the closest thing to a lingua franca in Middle-earth, at least at the time during which The Lord of the Rings is set. "Westron" is an invented English word, derived from West...
name The Golden Wood.
History
Early in the First AgeFirst Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
some of the Eldar left the Great March and settled in the lands east of the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
. These elves became known as the Nandor and later the Silvan Elves
Silvan Elves
Silvan Elves are an ethnic group of Elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, mainly the Elves of Mirkwood and Lothlórien.In the First Age the Elves of Ossiriand, or Laiquendi, were also referred to as wood-elves....
. By Galadriel had made contact with an existing Nandorin realm, Lindórinand, in the area that would later be known as Lothlórien, and planted there the golden mallorn trees which Gil-galad
Gil-galad
Ereinion Gil-galad is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, and featured in The Silmarillion.- Character overview :...
had received as a gift from Tar-Aldarion
Tar-Aldarion
Tar-Aldarion is a character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium.He was the sixth King of Númenor, succeeding his father, Tar-Meneldur. He was a great mariner, and during his time Númenor started to invest more in its navy and strengthened its presence overseas in Middle-earth. He wedded Erendis in...
.
The culture and knowledge of the Silvan elves was considerably enriched by the arrival of Sindar
Sindar
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...
in Elves from west of the mountains and even the Silvan language was gradually replaced by Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
. Amongst these arrivals was Amdír, who became their first lord, as well as Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and Celeborn
Celeborn
Celeborn is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven husband of Galadriel, Lord of the Galadhrim; and co-ruler along with Galadriel of Lothlórien. He was the father of Celebrían — the wife of Elrond — and thus the...
, who also crossed the mountains and the Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
to join these southern Nandor after the destruction of Eregion
Eregion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age, located near the West Gate of Moria under the shadow of the Hithaeglir . Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil...
during the War of the Elves and Sauron. Ultimately, Amdír led an army out of the forest as part of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, just as Oropher, another Sindarin lord, led the Silvan Elves of the north in the same victory over Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
, so it can be assumed that both northern and southern woodland realms had been founded by then.
With the gradual return of Sauron's malign influence to the forest east of Anduin, the northern Silvan Elves led by Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
son of Oropher (and father of Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
), moved even further north to escape it, and those of the south returned west across the Anduin, although without their last Sindarin lord Amroth son of Amdír, who departed to Edhellond after his lover Nimrodel had fled there.
It was later revealed that Galadriel's Ring
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
enriched the land by preserving its flora from death and decay, and in wielding it she created a powerful ward against all creatures of evil intent: in fact the only way that Galadriel's Lothlórien could have been conquered by Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
is if Sauron himself, the master of all the Rings of Power, had come there.
Following the departure of Galadriel for Valinor
Valinor
Valinor is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the realm of the Valar in Aman. It was also known as the Undying Lands, along with Tol Eressëa and the outliers of Aman. This is something of a misnomer; only immortal beings were allowed to reside there, but the land itself,...
at the beginning of the Fourth Age
Fourth Age
In the fictional world of middle earth "'the fourth age'" and the ages that preceded it, are time periods from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth, described in his fantasy writings...
, the Elves of Lothlórien were ruled by Celeborn alone, who led them across the Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
to found a new, larger realm, East Lórien, centred around Amon Lanc. By the time of the death of Queen Arwen
Arwen
Arwen Undómiel is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. She appears in his novel, The Lord of the Rings, usually published in three volumes. Arwen is one of the Half-elven who lived during the Third Age.-Literature:...
, Celeborn and Galadriel's granddaughter, Lothlórien itself was deserted.
Geography
Lothlórien was located East of MoriaMoria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
between the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
and the river Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
. Other than a small strip of forested land to the south, the realm was located between the rivers Anduin and Silverlode, a region called the Naith (S.
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
spearhead) by the Elves or the Gore in Westron. The city of Caras Galadhon
Caras Galadhon
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Caras Galadhon is a fictional city in his work The Lord of the Rings. It appears mostly in The Fellowship of the Ring, but it is also mentioned in the Appendices of The Return of the King....
was located in the narrowest portion of the Naith, where the two rivers came together, called Egladil (possibly ) or the Angle.
Influence
Many people have named their property or community "Lothlórien"; Notable examples include:- A family-based ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
community in southern ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
founded by Rosemary Haughton. - A neopagan retreat in Indiana
- An all-vegetarian student house and cooperative affiliated with the BSC located in Berkeley, California
- Australian School for Rudolf Steiner Education, Lorien Novalis, named after the Poet Novalis, and the forest of Lórien.
- An alternative high school in Palo Alto, CA in the 1970s, housed in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto. Although the high school no longer exists, its graduates maintain a Facebook page.
Songs about the place in Tolkien include Irish singer Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
's song "Lothlórien" from her album, Shepherd Moons
Shepherd Moons
Shepherd Moons is an album by Irish musician Enya, released on November 4, 1991. It won the Grammy Award for "Best New Age Album" of 1993...
. (Enya also wrote music heard in Peter Jackson's film of Lord of the Rings.) It is also the title of a song from the West End musical version of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings (theatre)
The Lord of the Rings is the most prominent of several theatre adaptations of British author J. R. R. Tolkien's epic high fantasy novel of the same name, set in his world of Middle-earth. The show includes music by A. R. Rahman, Christopher Nightingale, and the band Värttinä, with book and lyrics...
.
Singer-songwriter Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
named her daughter Natashya Lórien Hawley, after Lothlórien.
Music bands named Lothlorien, include Nashville indie rock band Lórien, the New Zealand Celtic folk group Lothlorien, and Brazilian metal band Lothlöryen.
The Internet domain "www.lothlorien.com" is registered to a family that lives in a heavily wooded area of the Santa Cruz Mountains in the vicinity of Boulder Creek
Boulder Creek
Boulder Creek may be:*A community:**Boulder Creek, California*One of several streams:**Boulder Creek in Santa Cruz County**Boulder Creek in San Diego County**Boulder Creek **Boulder Creek...
.
Adaptations
As well as inspiring real-world places, Lothlórien has been depicted in other media.In the Middle-earth Role Playing
Middle-earth Role Playing
Middle-earth Role Playing is a 1984 role-playing game based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Iron Crown Enterprises published the game until they lost the license on 22 Sep 1999.-Setting:The setting for MERP is an expanded version of J. R. R...
supplement Lórien and the Halls of the Elven Smiths (Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises was a publisher of role playing, board, miniature battle, and collectible card games.ICE was incorporated in 1980 shortly after the principal founders graduated from the University of Virginia...
, 1986), Lórien society is divided into several guilds, or "Glades" with each one taking a specific craft (such as baking, weaving or hunting). The hidden nature of the place is accorded to effects of the ring Nenya, and Elessar, the elf-stone — which are both said to slow the effects of time. Its particular geographic position, being sheltered by the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
from storms, and the environmental effect of mallorn trees (which do not lose their leaves and so provide constant shelter from the elements all year round) are also claimed to cause a reduction in the effect of the passing seasons.
In The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria is the first retail expansion pack for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar released on November 18, 2008. It was announced on March 14, 2008 at ....
, Lorien was a region introduced to the game in March 2009, which allows players to visit Caras Galadhon
Caras Galadhon
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Caras Galadhon is a fictional city in his work The Lord of the Rings. It appears mostly in The Fellowship of the Ring, but it is also mentioned in the Appendices of The Return of the King....
and other locations, and complete quests from the elves.
External links
- Lothlorien Nature Sanctuary is spiritual retreat center and festival grounds nestled in the hills of southern Indiana and is in part modeled after Tolkien's works.
- Lothlórien at The Thain's Book