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“All that she had desired in her youth came to her hand”: Sauron and Galadriel in Tolkien legendarium

We have several opinions floating around concerning the interactions between Galadriel and Sauron in the books, so let’s take a deep dive into Tolkien legendarium and see what Tolkien wrote about them, and how what’s happening in “Rings of Power” connects with that.

This is the face of a Maia who’s having a revelation: according to Charlie Vickers, Sauron sees Galadriel as a “useful tool” on his masterplan, but that’s a topic for another post.

Galadriel and Sauron not only met in Tolkien legendarium, but there’s a strange (and unexplainable) mental connection between them, as Galadriel reveals to Frodo in “Fellowship of the Ring”. Many wrongly assume this was due to the One ring, but Galadriel could still perceive Sauron’s mind (and vice-versa) when Sauron no longer had it. And this is exactly what the showrunners of “Rings of Power” are trying to come up with an explanation for, as J.D. Payne said, back in 2022:

“That character [Halbrand] was always Sauron from the very beginning. [It was] one of the initial sparks and ideas and in our opinion, right or wrong, is that Galadriel talks about Sauron in the books in a way that indicates that she knew him maybe really well. [...] has been a thing where he's been reaching after her for a long time and there's been this sense of back and forth between them. We found that in the writers' room endlessly fascinating, and we said, 'Like, there's an entire history between them. He's not just some eye in the sky who's looking at her from afar; there's a relationship. And so we said, How could you have a relationship between the Dark Lord and Galadriel, you know, in a way that was good, really let them get to an interesting place?”

Then we have the issue of Tolkien passing. Tolkien, as both his letters and his son Christopher confirm, was working on Galadriel’s story at the time of his death, and, as such, it’s unfinished, and that’s why we have so many “plot holes” on her story: Tolkien wasn’t able to give us the answers. One month before his death, Tolkien wrote (Letter 353): “I meant right away to deal with Galadriel, and with the question of Elvish child-bearing — both of which I have given much thought.” The “100 years Elven pregnancies” were revealed in “Nature of Middle-earth”, published in 2021 by a Tolkien scholar, but we got no answer to the most flagrant plot-holes in Galadriel’s story, especially her interactions with Sauron.

First Age

There’s no indication of any interaction between Galadriel and Sauron during the First Age. Sauron was Morgoth’s chief lieutenant, first in charge of Angband, and later of Tol-in-Gaurhoth (former Tol Sirion, which belonged to Finrod). Galadriel was obviously aware of Sauron, since he’s the responsible for her brother’s death at the hands of his werewolves, as told in both “The Silmarillion” and “The Lay of Leithian”.

In “Unfinished Tales” we are told Galadriel took no part in the wars against Morgoth: “In the years after they [Galadriel and Celeborn] did not join in the war against Angband, which they judged to be hopeless under the ban of the Valar and without their aid; and their counsel was to withdraw from Beleriand and to build up a power to the eastward (whence they feared that Morgoth would draw reinforcement), befriending and teaching the Dark Elves and Men of those regions”

From “War of the Jewels”; “Morgoth endeavoured to cast an evil light upon all that Thingol and Melian had done (for he hated and feared them most)”, and we know from “The Silmarillion”, this “evil light” was casted by Sauron: “Beyond lay the wilderness of Dungortheb, where the sorcery of Sauron and the power of Melian came together, and horror and madness walked.”

Galadriel lived in Doriath for a while, not only due to her husband, a “kinsman of Thingol”, but from “The Peoples of Middle-earth” we know she was a “handmaid of Melian the Immortal in the realm of Doriath”. From “Morgoth’s Ring”: “Yet Galadriel, his sister, dwelt never in Nargothrond, but remained in Doriath and received the love of Melian, and abode with her, and there learned great lore and wisdom concerning Middle-earth”, and in “The Grey Annals” we are told “but Galadriel did not depart [Doriath], and remained long with Melian, for there was much love between them”.

Galadriel learned “great lore and wisdom” from Melian, and in “Unfinished Tales” we are told “she [Galadriel] looked upon the Dwarves also with the eye of a commander, seeing in them the finest warriors to pit against the Orcs. Moreover Galadriel was a Noldo, and she had a natural sympathy with their minds and their passionate love of crafts of hand, a sympathy much greater than that found among many of the Eldar: the Dwarves were "the Children of Aul," and Galadriel, like others of the Noldor, had been a pupil of Aulë and Yavanna in Valinor."

Galadriel love for the Dwarves is similar to that of Celebrimbor; “Celebrimbor had "an almost 'dwarvish' obsession with crafts"; and he soon became the chief artificer of Eregion, entering into a close relationship with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, among whom his greatest friend was Narvi. […] Both Elves and Dwarves had great profit from this association: so that Eregion became far stronger, and Khazad-dûm far more beautiful, than either would have done alone” (“Unfinished Tales”), although this should be conflicting with the bad blood between the Sindar and the Dwarves (they killed Thingol, which would lead to the eventual destruction of Doriath, which, most likely is the explanation of her husband’s hatred for them) but, apparently, her Noldor ancestry prevailed. That’s the explanation Tolkien provides.

In the same book, we are told “being brilliant in mind and swift in action she [Galadriel] had early absorbed all of what she was capable of the teaching which the Valar thought fit to give the Eldar', and she felt confined in the tutelage of Aman.” Which makes sense with her will to learn from Melian, not only “power” but also how to be the ruler of a kingdom: “Galadriel, the only woman of the Noldor to stand that day tall and valiant among the contending princes, was eager to be gone [from Valinor]. No oaths she swore, but the words of Feanor concerning Middle-earth had kindled her heart, and she yearned to see the wide untrodden lands and to rule there a realm at her own will. For the youngest of the House of Finwe she came into the world west of the Sea, and knew yet nought of the unguarded lands.” (“Morgoth’s Ring”).

Second Age

“But eventually Galadriel became aware that Sauron again, as in the ancient days of the captivity of Melkor, had been left behind. Or rather, since Sauron had as yet no single name, and his operations had not been perceived to proceed from a single evil spirit, prime servant of Melkor, she perceived that there was an evil controlling purpose abroad in the world, and that it seemed to proceed from a source further to the East, beyond Eriador and the Misty Mountains.” (“Unfinished Tales”)

In “Rings of Power”, it’s also Galadriel who perceives Sauron was left behind, and vows to hunt him down. The show connected this with her brother’s death at the hands of his servants.

In “Unfinished Tales” we are told Galadriel and Sauron met at Eregion, when he was poising as Annatar: “He [Sauron] perceived at once that Galadriel would be his chief adversary and obstacle, and he endeavoured therefore to placate her, bearing her scorn with outward patience and courtesy”. And Christopher Tolkien adds: “No explanation is offered in this rapid outline of why Galadriel scorned Sauron, unless she saw through his disguise, or of why, if she did perceive his true nature, she permitted him to remain in Eregion”.

In the show, Galadriel and Sauron didn’t met at Eregion (more on the “Númenor issue” later), but it was at Eregion she started to suspect Halbrand might not be who he claimed, so we have the same core story with a different make-up.

In “Nature of Middle-earth” we are told “when Sauron visited Eregion he sees quickly that he has met his match in Galadriel - or at least that in her he would have a chief obstacle. So he concentrated on Celebrimbor; and soon had all the Smiths of Eregion under his influence." This is the route the show followed in 1x08 and S2.

Sauron was in Eregion, working alongside Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mirdain, for almost three centuries. So, indeed, Galadriel just allowed him to stay there and forge the rings of power. Because in one version of the legendarium she’s the Lady of Eregion and resides there. Which is probably why RoP went with Galadriel allowing the Three to be forged after finding out Halbrand was Sauron, in 1x08, and kept it a secret from both Celebrimbor and Elrond.

On the notes to this chapter ("Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn"), Christopher Tolkien writes it’s not decisive that Galadriel wasn’t deceived by Sauron-Annatar fair form:

"Sauron endeavoured to keep distinct his two sides: enemy and tempter. When he came among the Noldor he adopted a specious fair form (a kind of simulated anticipation of the later Istari and a fair name: Artano "high-smith," or Aulendil, meaning one who is devoted to the service of the Vala Aule. (In Of the Rings of Power, p. 287, the name that Sauron gave to himself at this time was Annatar, the Lord of Gifts; but that name is not mentioned here.) The note goes on to say that Galadriel was not deceived, saying that this Aulendil was not in the train of Aule in Valinor, "but this is not decisive, since Aulë existed before the 'Building of Arda,' and the probability is that Sauron was in fact one of the Aulean Maiar, corrupted 'before Arda began' by Melkor.”

In his letter 131, Tolkien only mentions Gil-galad and Elrond as utterly rejecting Sauron, right from the start: “But many of the Elves listened to Sauron. He was still fair in that early time, and his motives and those of the Elves seemed to go partly together: the healing of the desolate lands. Sauron found their weak point in suggesting that, helping one another, they could make Western liddle-earth as beautiful as Valinor. It was really a veiled attack on the gods, an incitement to make a separate independent paradise. Gil-galad repulsed all such overtures, as also did Elrond. But at Eregion great work began - and the Elves came their nearest to falling to 'magic' and machinery. With the aid of Sauron's lore they made Rings of Power (power' is an ominous and sinister word in all these tales, except as applied to the gods).”

This might look contradictory because we have conflicting informations, but since Galadriel’s story was left unfinished, we have pieces of the puzzle missing. There’s a plot hole here. Because we have Galadriel and Sauron’s unexplained mental connection, where they can look into each others minds (Ósanwe).

“I say to you, Frodo, that even as I speak to you, I perceive the Dark Lord and know his mind, or all of his mind that concerns the Elves. He gropes ever to see me and and my thought.”

According to Tolkien on his essay “Ósanwe-kenta” this bound is only possible if both parties are receptive and it can only be created in certain conditions (family, friends, lovers, times of need, figures of authority). Galadriel was able to employ Ósanwe on Frodo and the Fellowship most likely because of their shared grief of Gandalf’s “death”, and she and Elrond communicate this way because of their kinship. Which is why J.D. Payne talked about how Galadriel most likely knew Sauron really well.

The most likely scenario is that Galadriel and Annatar-Sauron might have had a friendship at first, because of their shared goal: “his [Sauron] motives and those of the Elves seemed to go partly together: the healing of the desolate lands. Sauron found their weak point in suggesting that, helping one another, they could make Western Middle-earth as beautiful as Valinor.” (Tolkien Letter 131)

This is already present in “Fellowship of the Ring” book, after all, when she tells Frodo:

“[Sauron] suspects, but he does not know – not yet. Do you not see now wherefore your coming to us is as the footstep of Doom? For if you fail, then we are laid bare to the Enemy. Yet if you succeed, then our power is diminished, and Lothlórien will fade, and the tides of Time will sweep it away. We must depart into the West, or dwindle to a rustic folk of dell and cave, slowly to forget and to be forgotten.”

In his Letter 131, Tolkien talks about how the Elves became obsessed with the “Fading” during the Second age (which is what we saw in Season 1 of RoP): “A sort of second fall or at least 'error' of the Elves. There was nothing wrong essentially in their lingering against counsel, still sadly with the mortal lands of their old heroic deeds. But they wanted to have their cake without eating it. They wanted the peace and bliss and perfect memory of 'The West, and yet to remain on the ordinary earth where their prestige as the highest people, above wild Elves, dwarves, and Men, was greater than at the bottom of the hierarchy of Valinor. They thus became obsessed with fading, the mode in which the changes of time (the law of the world under the sun) was perceived by them. They became sad, and their art (shall we say) antiquarian, and their efforts all really a kind of embalming - even though they also retained the old motive of their kind, the adornment of earth, and the healing of its hurts.” And this is what made them align with Sauron-Annatar.

In “Unfinished Tales”, this obsession with the “fading” is shared by both Galadriel and Celebrimbor (Galadriel mostly), which can provide evidence for Galadriel accepting Sauron-Annatar’s lore and welcoming him, at first:

“She [Galadriel] said to Celebrimbor, the chief of the Elven-smiths: 'I am grieved in Middle-earth, for leaves fall and flowers fade that I have loved, so that the land of my dwelling is filled with regret that no Spring can redress.’ 'How otherwise can it be for the Eldar, if they cling to Middle-earth?' said Celebrimbor. 'Will you then pass over Sea?' 'Nay,' she said. 'Angrod is gone, and Aegnor is gone, and Felagund is no more. Of Finarfin's children I am the last. But my heart is still proud. What wrong did the golden house of Finarfin do that I should ask the pardon of the Valar, or be content with an isle in the sea whose native land was Aman the Blessed? 'What would you then?' said Celebrimbor. 'I would have trees and grass about me that do not die.. must then Middle-earth fade and perish for ever?'

Which is the route “Rings of Power” followed in Season 1, with Galadriel and Sauron (in disguise) as allies in a common goal and friends:

But something else must have happened. Because of Tolkien Letter 320: “Galadriel was a penitent: in her youth a leader in the rebellion against the Valar (the angelic guardians). At the end of the First Age she proudly refused forgiveness or permission to return. She was pardoned because of her resistance to the final and overwhelming temptation to take the Ring for herself.”

Why is Galadriel a “penitent” when Tolkien confirmed everywhere she took no part in the Oath of Feänor nor his rebellion? Why she needs to be pardoned by the Valar? What did she do? We don’t know. Only that she’ll follow the Virgin Mary example in her “penitence”, where she needs to let go of her pride, ambition and vows to fight Sauron until the end.

“The Exiles were allowed to return - save for a few chief actors in the rebellion, of whom at the time of The Lord of the Rings only Galadriel remained. At the time of her Lament in Lórien she believed this to be perennial, as long as the Earth endured. Hence she concludes her lament with a wish or prayer that Frodo may as a special grace be granted a purgatorial (but not penal) sojourn in Eressea, the solitary isle in sight of Aman, though for her the way is closed. Her prayer was granted - but also her personal ban was lifted, in reward for her services against Sauron, and above all for her rejection of the temptation to take the Ring when offered to her. So at the end we see her taking ship.” (“Unfinished Tales”)

In the same book, we are told Galadriel thought it was “her duty to remain in Middle-earth while Sauron was still unconquered”. On a side note; Christopher Tolkien didn’t believe Galadriel was banished from Valinor, but Tolkien himself speaks of her “ban” and how Galadriel herself believed she would never be allowed to return to Valinor, so whatever she did must have been messy.

In “Rings of Power” is this connected with “Sauron lives because of you?” or something else? Because we had Galadriel making this vow right at the end of the First age, in the show, and at the beginning of Season 2, already.

In "Unfinished Tales", we are told Galadriel refused the Valar’ pardon and doesn't return to Valinor. But something is also revealed:

"Pride still moved her [Galadriel] when, at the end of the Elder Days after the final overthrow of Morgoth, she refused the pardon of the Valar for all who had fought against him, and remained in Middle-earth. It was not until two long ages more had passed, when at last all that she had desired in her youth came to her hand, the Ring of Power and the dominion of Middle-earth of which she had dreamed, that her wisdom was full grown and she rejected it, and passing the last test departed from Middle-earth for ever.”

And Christopher Tolkien adds:

This last sentence relates closely to the scene Lothlórien when Frodo offered the One Ring to Galadriel (The Fellowship of the Ring II 7): "And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen."

Galadriel’s “youth” is used in two instances: when she was a leader in the rebellion against the Valar and the One ring was everything she desired. And yes, these two things have to be connected because Galadriel took no part in the Oath of Fëanor, nor in any of the events that resulted from there during the First Age, as Tolkien confirms in his Letter 353: “Galadriel was 'unstained: she had committed no evil deeds. She was an enemy of Feanor. She did not reach Middle-earth with the other Noldor, but independently. Her reasons for desiring to go to Middle-earth were legitimate.”

What happened? We don’t know. It probably had something to do with the One ring, since Galadriel resisting this final temptation with Frodo is so significant to her character arc in the legendarium and to earn the Valar’ pardon.

From Tolkien letters, Galadriel perverted her “Art” into “power” but we don’t know how or why: “Their [Elves] 'magic' is Art, delivered from many of its human limitations: mor effortless, more quick, more complete (product, and vision in unflawed correspondence). And its object is Art not Power, sub-creation not domination and tyrannous re-forming of Creation. The 'Elves' are 'immortal, at least as far as this world goes: and hence are concerned rather with the griefs and burdens of deathlessness in time and change, than with death. The Enemy in successive forms is always 'naturally' concerned with sheer Domination, and so the Lord of magic and machines; but the problem: that this frightful evil can and does arise from an apparently good root, the desire to benefit the world and others - speedily and according to the benefactor's own plans - is a recurrent motive. His was a sub-creative Fall, and hence the Elves (the representatives of sub-creation par excellence) were peculiarly his enemies, and the special object of his desire and hate - and open to his deceits. Their Fall is into possessiveness and (to a less degree) into perversion of their art to power.” (Tolkien Letter 131)

"Galadriel's power is not divine" (Tolkien Letter 156)

"magic', a motive easily corruptible into evil, a lust for domination [...] Power" is an ominous and sinister word in all these tales, except as applied to the gods" (Tolkien Letter 131)

Galadriel and Sauron’s scene in 2x08 is called “The Fall of Galadriel”: “The Fall” (or corruption) is one of the core themes of Tolkien legendarium. Unsure what (or if) this can mean in the future seasons.

During the War of Sauron and the Elves and from “Unfinished Tales”, Sauron also suspected Galadriel had one of the Three Elven rings, and moved towards Lindon with that purpose (while in other versions she already resides in Lothlórien):

“Now Sauron's immediate purpose was to take Lindon, where he believed that he had most chance of seizing one, or more, of the Three Rings; and he called in therefore his scattered forces and marched west towards the land of Gil-galad, ravaging as he went.”

“Concerning the Three Rings Sauron could learn nothing from Celebrimbor; and he had him put to death. But he guessed the truth, that the Three had been committed to Elvish guardians: and that must mean to Galadriel and Gil-galad.”

In “Rings of Power”, Sauron not merely suspects, he knows Galadriel and Gil-galad have Two of the Three. And him attacking Lindon has been teased in Season 2 finale: “Sauron’s armies are roving across Eriador. All Middle-earth is within his reach now. Even Lindon.”

In “Unfinished Tales” we are also told: “After Eregion's fall Celeborn led this migration to Lórien, while Galadriel joined Gil-galad in Lindon”. We know Celeborn is still missing from the show, and Galadriel has no connection with (future) Lothlórien, yet. It’s uncertain which version of the legendarium, the show will follow.

We also know the Elves take their rings off when Sauron forges the One and that’s how the smiths of Eregion knew they were deceived. However, in “Unfinished Tales”, we are told the idea of them not being used came from Galadriel herself: “Galadriel counselled him [Celebrimbor] that the Three Rings of the Elves should be hidden, never used, and dispersed, far from Eregion where Sauron believed them to be.”

In “Rings of Power” this interaction between Galadriel and Celebrimbor was adapted about the Nine rings of power, because this happens after Celebrimbor discovers Annatar is Sauron. Although it can also fit 1x08 when Galadriel tells Celebrimbor (and Elrond): “The powers we forge today must be for the Elves alone. Untouched by other hands.”

However, it’s Elrond who takes the rings to Lindon in 2x01. And, in the show (so far) Galadriel has been using Nenya… a bit too much. It’s unsure if they’ll follow this route of having Galadriel as the one to say the Elves can’t use the Three (anymore) and why.

Galadriel’s role for the rest of the Second age is all over the place, because we have different versions of when she arrived at (future) Lothlórien; in one version she’s already there at the time of the Fall of Eregion; in another is right after, in another is after the War of the Elves and Sauron, and other during the Third age when she perceives Sauron might rise again. In some versions she gets there alone, in others with Celeborn. There’s no way of knowing which version the show will follow.

“During the Third Age, Galadriel became filled with foreboding, and with Celeborn she journeyed to Lórien and stayed there long with Amroth, being especially concerned to learn all news and rumours of the growing shadow in Mirkwood and the dark stronghold in Dol Guldur.” (“Unfinished Tales”)

The “Númenor issue”

Indeed, we have no reference in the legendarium for Galadriel ever have been to Númenor, like in “Rings of Power” Season 1. So, where does this comes from?

From “Unfinished Tales”, after War of Elves and Sauron we are told; “the narrative returns to Galadriel, telling that the sea-longing grew so strong in her that (though she deemed it her duty to remain in Middle-earth while Sauron was still unconquered) she determined to leave Lórinand and to dwell near the sea.”

To me, the most likely explanation is the show connecting her dwelling by the sea with Númenor. Since Patrick McKay talked about how their idea was for Galadriel to meet Sauron while he was “repentant and lost”, them bringing the sea (water) into their first interactions in the show might be connected to Sauron’s “repentance era”:

“Water is represented as being almost entirely free of Morgoth” […] “He [Morgoth] cursed the Sea, saying: 'Slime of Ulmo! I will conquer thee yet, shrivel thee to a stinking ooze. Yea, ere long Ulmo and Osse shall wither, and Vinen crawl as a mud-worm at my feet!' With that suddenly he passed from Avathar and went to do his will.” (“Morgoth’s Ring”). “Melkor hated the Sea, for he could not subdue it.” (“The Silmarillion”).

But why place Galadriel in Númenor? And why have her meet Sauron in “human form” (Halbrand)?

Alan Lee drawing of Sauron arriving at Númenor, as prisoner.

“Upon that ship which was cast the highest and stood dry upon a hill there was a man, or one in man's shape, but greater than any even of the race of Numenor in stature... And it seemed to men that Sauron was great; though they feared the light of his eyes. To many he appeared fair, to others terrible; but to some evil.” (“The Lost Road and Other Writings”)

In his Letter 246, Tolkien describes Sauron’s physical appearance in the Third age: “Sauron should be thought of as very terrible. The form he took was that of a man of more than human stature, but not gigantic. In his earlier incarnation [Second age] he was able to veil his power (as Gandalf did) and could appear as a commanding figure of great strength of body and supremely royal demeanour and countenance.”

Contrary to the popular headcanon, Sauron wasn’t in “Elf form” (Annatar) when he arrived at Númenor, since the description Tolkien gives us is that one a “man”, a very tall man. Which makes more sense with his “King of Men” title: “Sauron, the lieutenant of the Prime Dark Lord, who had fallen back into evil and was claiming both kingship and godship over Men of Middle-earth.” (Tolkien Letter 156)

The only explanation I can find is it’s their idea to have Galadriel return to Númenor around the time of the Fall, to have it align with the legendarium. Otherwise, I honestly have no idea of any other connection.

After dwelling by the sea, we are told in “Unfinished Tales”, Galadriel “passing again through Moria with Celebrían she came to Imladris, seeking Celeborn. There (it seems) she found him, and there they dwelt together for a long time; and it was then that Elrond first saw Celebrían, and loved her, though he said nothing of it”. And it’s around this time the first White Council is held, when Gil-galad gives Vilya to Elrond. This is before the War of the Last Alliance, and Sauron is rebuilding physical form at this time.

About Celebrían’s birth, we are told in “Unfinished Tales”: “The time and place of Celebrian's birth, whether here [Lake Nenuial] or later in Eregion, or even later in Lórien, is not made definite”. In “Nature of Middle-earth”, it’s suggested she was born early in the Second age, after Galadriel refused to return to Valinor. We don’t know how the show will deal with this, it depends on the return of Celeborn. The showrunners have only confirmed she has not been born yet.

Concerning the rest of the Second age, Galadriel is connected to Rivendell, Dol Amroth and Lothlórien, but there’s no mention of her during the War of the Last Alliance, when Sauron is defeated. Hosts of Lothlórien are mentioned in the final battles, but connected to other characters (not her or Celeborn).

Third Age

As said above, Galadriel perceived Sauron could rise again during the Third age, and concerned herself in finding any trace of him to stop him, like she did at the start of the Second age:

“In her wisdom Galadriel saw that Lórien would be a stronghold and point of power to prevent the Shadow from crossing the Anduin in the war that must inevitably come before it was again defeated (if that were possible); but that it needed a rule of greater strength and wisdom than the Silvan folk possessed. Nevertheless, it was not until the disaster in Moria, when by means is beyond the foresight of Galadriel Sauron's power actually crossed the Anduin and Lórien was in great peril, its king lost, its people fleeing and likely to leave it deserted to likely occupied by Orcs, that Galadriel and Celeborn took up their permanent abode in Lórien, and its government. But they took no title of King or Queen, and were the guardians that in the event brought it unviolated through the War of the Ring.” (“Unfinished Tales”)

In the same book, we have a sort of showdown between Galadriel and Sauron near Dol Guldur, when Borondir Udalraph (a man from Gondor) companions were killed in an ambush near Dol Guldur, but Borondir escaped with luck and the speed of his horse.

“But this great host was not threatened or assailed during its long journey down the Vales of Anduin. Such folk of good or evil kind as saw it approach fled out of its path for fear of its might and splendour. As it drew southward and passed by southern Mirkwood (below the great East Bight), which was now infested by the Balchoth, still there was no sign of men, in force or in scouting parties, to bar their road or to spy upon their coming. In part this was due to events unknown to them, which had come to pass since Borondir set out; but other powers also were at work. For when at last the host drew near to Dol Guldur, Eorl turned away westward for fear of the dark shadow and cloud that flowed out from it, and then he rode on within sight of Anduin. Many of the riders turned their eyes thither, half in fear and half in hope to glimpse from afar the shimmer of the Dwimordene, the perilous land that in legends of their people was said to shine like gold in the springtime. But now it seemed shrouded in a gleaming mist and to their dismay the mist passed over the river and flowed over the land before them. Eorl did not halt. "Ride on!" he commanded. "There is no other way to take. After so long a road shall we be held back from battle by a river-mist?" As they drew nearer they saw that the white mist was driving back the glooms of Dol Guldur, and soon they passed into it, riding slowly at first and warily; but under its canopy all things were lit with a clear and shadowless light, while to left and right they were guarded as it were by white walls of secrecy. "The Lady of the Golden Wood is on our side, it seems ,” said Borondir.

In “Unfinished Tales”, it’s revealed Gandalf “persuaded the [White] Council to attack Dol Guldur first, before he [Sauron] attacked Lórien. We did, and Sauron fled.” This was around “The Hobbit” timeline.

During the War of the Ring, "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." (Appendix B, "The Return of the King")

Which is another mystery; why didn’t Sauron go there himself to destroy the one he considered his “chief adversary”? Lothlórien became one of the resistance hotspots against him, after all. Did he had something better to do in Mordor? People to torture, Orcs to feed to Shelob?

Galadriel and Celeborn welcome the Fellowship at Lothlórien, and Galadriel gives them gifts which will help them in their quest. She “passes the test” by resisting the One ring, and, as Tolkien says, earns the Valar pardon and will take the ship to Valinor.

“Gently are you [Frodo] revenged for my testing of your heart at our first meeting. You begin to see with a keen eye. I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer. For many long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into my hands, and behold! it was brought within my grasp.”

“And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!”

She was shrunken: a slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad. "I pass the test," she said. "I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel."

The importance of Galadriel resisting the One ring is stressed by Tolkien in his letters:

“The disappearance of the temptation of Galadriel is significant.” (Letter 210)

“In the 'Mirror of Galadriel', it appears that Galadriel conceived of herself as capable of wielding the Ring and supplanting the Dark Lord [...] Galadriel's rejection of the temptation was founded upon previous thought and resolve.” (Tolkien Letter 246)

“Her [Galadriel] personal ban was lifted, in reward for her services against Sauron, and above all for her rejection of the temptation to take the Ring when offered to her. So at the end we see her taking ship.” (Letter 297)

“She [Galadriel] was pardoned [by the Valar] because of her resistance to the final and overwhelming temptation to take the Ring for herself” (Letter 320)

In Appendix B of “The Return of the King", after resisting the One ring and before returning to Valinor, we are told of Galadriel’s actions:

“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.”

Galadriel returns to Valinor, while her husband remains on Middle-earth with Thranduil and Elrond’s sons: “But after the passing of Galadriel in a few years Celeborn grew weary of his realm [East Lórien] and went to Imladris to dwell with the sons of Elrond” (Appendix B; “The Return of the King") and “There is no record of the day when at last he [Celeborn] sought the Grey Havens, and with him went the last living memory of the Elder Days in Middle-earth.” (LOTR, “Prologue”, Note on the Shire Records)

As for Sauron, many wrongly assume he was sent to the Void after the destruction of the One ring. Mostly because that's what the Eldar loremasters believe in "The Silmarillion". But that's not Tolkien tells us in his Letter 131: "There was another weakness: if the One Ring was actually unmade, annihilated, then its power would be dissolved, Sauron's own being would be diminished to vanishing point, and he would be reduced to a shadow, a mere memory of malicious will."

Which is what Gandalf tells Frodo in the "Fellowship of the Ring" book: "If [the One Ring] is destroyed, then [Sauron] will fall; and his fall will be so low that none can foresee his arising ever again. For he will lose the best part of his strength that was native to him in his beginning, and all that made or begun with that power will crumble, and he will be maimed for ever, becoming a mere spirit of malice that gnaws itself in the shadows, but cannot again grow or take shape. And so a great evil of this world will be removed."

Sauron's spirit remains in Arda after the One ring is destroyed; which is connected to his Ainur nature, after all. He's powerless and unable to take on physical form, though.

I would also like to bring this description from "Return of the King" when the One ring gets destroyed: "And as the Captain gazed south to the Land of Mordor, it seemed to them that, black against the pall of cloud, there rose a huge shape of shadow, impenetrable, lightning-crowned, filling all the sky. Enormous it reared above the world, and stretched out towards them a vast threatening hand, terrible but impotent: for even as it leaned over them, a great wind took it, and it was all blown away, and passed, then a hush fell."

We have a "great wind" taking Sauron's spirit away which opens a lot of possibilities. Manwe is the Valar of winds and skies, so can it be he sent some of his Maiar to capture Sauron and bring him to Valinor? Eönwë, maybe? After the mess of the Second and Third ages, the Valar would probably want to capture Sauron if they got the chance, I would say. So, it's entirely possible that Sauron was imprisoned within the Halls of Mandos. Until the end of days, Dagor Dagorath, probably.

#interesting

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