#I want Celeborn of Middle Earth

[sesamenom]

co-high kings galadriel & celeborn

since elrond doesn't want the kingship, galadriel & celeborn are the eldest in middle-earth of the lines of Olwe and Elmo respectively. olwe is older but hes the king of the teleri not specifically doriath sindar so there might be some dispute between which line the sindarin high kingship jumps to, but they very conveniently happen to already be married and so can skip all that and just be twice the headache for sauron

[liminal-zone]

Ok, but re: Celeborn throuple, consider:

Sauron taunting Galadriel by dropping little intimate details about Celeborn, just to stoke her fury imagining how it was tortured out of him. But it's all things Celeborn told him with a shy smile while accidentally falling for him.

And after it's all over Celeborn being bewildered trying to reconcile his experiences, and him and Galadriel bonding over the emotional car crash that is Sauron.

oh my god, furiously scribbles this down in my google doc.

I LOVE THE IDEA OF SAURON giving this really crass and repulsive read on some sexy sexy thing he did to Celeborn and Galadriel is clutching her pearls in horror and rage, when in real reality, Celeborn had whispered the enthusiastic consent ask for it and it had been just a really pleasant experience for both men. My unhinged mind goes to both idk realistic stuff like choking kink or edging with anal fingering to very silly ott things like "pls shapeshift into a tentacles monster and piston every hole till i pass out thx." There's a real comedy element to this throuple concept and I DO LOVE IT FOR THAT.

"He was actually very nice to me!!" Celeborn says, confused. "Like REALLY nice." His cheeks grow pink, lost in a memory. "Really really really really nice."

[weariedwightarchive]

When Faegalad was the Ring-bearer for the Three Rings, she kept them on a long silver chain she wore around her neck. Keeping them close and under her clothing, but careful not to wear them, until situation forced her hand. But, even after she completed her mission and delivered the Rings to their new Bearers, she continued to wear the chain, but wrapped it thrice around her neck - simply saying it was a memento from Eregion, which was the partial truth. In reality, she continued to wear it as a silent symbol of pride - that she had succeeded in keeping the Rings from Sauron, and had kept at least part of her promise to Celebrimbor.

[sotwk]

Thranduil simply does NOT get enough credit for his endurance (physical, mental, and emotional) against Sauron. Pretty much all the other kings and warriors across Middle-earth's history and races who faced off against the Dark Lord lost and/or died or went insane and/or killed themselves.

Thranduil endured through Sauron's harassment of Mirkwood from TA 1000 till TA 3019--for 2,000 years! He kept his kingdom, his throne, his sanity, and was still a benevolent ruler hosting feasts for his people and lending aid to Men in the thick of all that drama.

This isn't even a headcanon; it is a pretty solid analysis of Tolkien's canon that those with an interest in the character would bother to do. If only the good Professor had taken his writings of Thranduil and Mirkwood further, he would have come to the same logical conclusion: Thranduil was the biggest Elven badass of the Third Age, in essence the real heir of Gil-galad in the role of "King of Elves". (Don't be mad, Elrond stans, Elrond made it clear he didn't even want the title. Galadriel and Celeborn were pretty much conservators.)

I will die on this hill and always shout it from the rooftops as hard as I can.

[meadowlarkx]

Some March fic recs!

For Tolkien Fanfic Reading Month! Limiting myself to stories I read in March (but posted anytime). (header by Anna Zakharova on Unsplash)

picnic by @swanmaids - A bored and reckless Aredhel goes to Vána's orchards seeking adventure and has an experience. This lush and sexy fic feels like a warm summer afternoon. I love how seductive and eerie Vána is here!

Kiss and Marry by @thecoolblackwaves - Have you ever looked at Celegorm and Curufin and thought, "They should be the stars of a romcom"? No? This fic is here to reveal that wonder to you.

弄假成真 by Divano_Messiah - Maglor has been telling people at school that he has a boyfriend. Maedhros is jealous until he learns who it is. (I admit I read this via google translate, you can too...)

Envy by @polutrope - In Tirion, Maglor and Elemmírë struggle to handle each other's reputations with equanimity. The people around them try to respond. This fic is so funny and sweet--I love this take on Elemmírë and Fëanor's guest appearance is hilariously him.

Youthful Regrets by kitkatkaylie - Turgon and Maglor fall in love in Valinor before Turgon's engagement to Elenwë. I really like the personality contrasts of this ship, with Turgon opening up to Maglor, and how this story sketches out their relationship through the whole arc of Silm to its bitter separation.

I risk my life to make my name by @maironsbigboobs - The brave knight Galadriel goes on a journey to meet the Green Woman Melian and her fate, ft. adventures along the way. I love how Tolkien is blended with Arthurian conventions here--it works so well and brings out the myth vibes of Silm that I love so much!

Strange Currencies chapter 12 by @jouissants - This is such a beautifully-crafted tale in every regard, but I want to especially mention this flashback chapter I read in March, covering Maedhros' and Maglor's voyage on the swan ships up to just before Fëanor's death. The horror of the Fëanorian Noldor arriving in the dark with their distrust, inflated ego, and total lack of knowledge of Middle-earth comes through here so, so vividly--this part can be read by itself, go check it out!!

Oubliette by Stramonium - Horrifying and so vividly written scene of Maedhros in Angband, isolation, and monstrosity. Poetic and awful, I can't do it justice in summarizing it.

arrangement for flute and harp by @jouissants - Maedhros is determined to work late, so Maglor and Fingon decide to entertain each other. The Himring atmosphere and incredible character dynamics make this also really sexy smut such a wonderful story.

whatever you would crave by @eight-pointed-star - Sooo sexy ficlet in which Fingon and Maedhros attend to Maglor's Needs. Short but immensely powerful.

scherzo for ink and parchment by @dovewifes - Charming and comedic missives exchanged between Maedhros and Maglor during the Long Peace, ft. romantic endearments and the invention of emojis. Maedhros' so-apparent love for Maglor is something I especially cherish about this fun fic.

Star-kissed by @aipilosse - Celeborn of Doriath rescues recently-of-Gondolin (and silver-haired!) Celebrimbor from a predicament in Nan Dungortheb. Incredibly clever, funny, and hot!

Purification by @zealouswerewolfcollector - Thingol is curious about Maedhros: throne sex ensues. A favorite ship of mine in a flavor I'd never considered. Incredibly intense and super well-written.

Comfort from a Heavy Hand by @undercat-overdog - After the Bragollach, Mablung tends to an injured Beleg, and they seek comfort together. The wreckage and destruction of the battle feels so vivid in this one, and the dynamic of Beleg/Mablung as past teacher and student (and current battle companions) is wonderful.

Thou knowest to-night, and wilt know to-morrow by @welcomingdisaster - A brilliant installment in an ongoing Children of Húrin AU series that has the most beautiful, unsettling, and dreamlike atmosphere. In this fic Maedhros teaches "Cáno" about pleasure in preparation for their marriage bed. Catnip to me personally!!

Proxy by @aipilosse - Celebrimbor comes to reproach Celegorm in Nargothrond after Finrod's departure. They fuck. Gender, tension, messy and complicated emotional dynamics all around. The dirty talk is so so good.

Star of the Nevrast Shore by joanofarcstan - Silmarillion filk of one of my favorite folk songs! What more is there to say!! A sweet tale of Gondolin told from Voronwë's point of view, recounting the love between him, Tuor (the star of the Nevrast shore), Idril, and Maeglin.

A Light Burns in the Forest by fictional_hr_department - Thranduil and Oropher escape Menegroth with child Elwing. The title and art by @lycheesodas give me chills and the atmosphere of the fic as they make their disorienting journey to Sirion really brings to life the terrible aftermath of the second kinslaying.

By Your Side by HiyoriTomioka - fem!Eärendil and Elwing support each other in this ficlet... such a good vision of this ship, and the way Eärendil thinks about Tuor and Idril here with longing uncertainty makes me think of a trans!Eärendil even though that is not explicit.

Something Sleepless in Mirkwood by @imakemywings - Thranduil sickens as the Greenwood does. Elrond tries to heal him, but can't understand at first what's happening. Brilliant and canon-compliant (To Me) wry, proud, and eerie woodland king Thranduil--go give this a read!

A boat, my boat, out upon the River by Tethys_resort - Sméagol is trying to craft his own boat to take fishing. His family keeps getting in the way. This sweet fic paints such an idyllic picture of proto-Hobbit life and made me really feel the tragedy of Gollum.

The Fortress by TheLegendCreator - Brief and haunting fic in which a Dwarf visits the ruins of Himring and they have a conversation. I love the view this offers of Maedhros and the fierce loyalty Himring and its folk had for him.

one whole with my other by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor - Indis' marriage to Finwë is transferred to bind her instead to reembodied Míriel. This turns out to be a good thing. An incredibly touching, beautifully wrought and worldbuilt story. I just love it so much.

The Number One Exercise for Relieving Work-Related Stress (Click to Find Out!) by @imakemywings - Date night in Mirkwood. Maglor (Noldorin princess, ex-kinslayer) adorns herself for the benefit of Thranduil (the Elvenqueen)--or that's her plan, anyway. This story is so sexy, so funny, and honestly so touching. I just adore this ship as a happy ending for Maglor and their relationship is gorgeously fleshed out here.

Cousin, Sister, Lover, Queen by broken_pencils - Lesbian Éowyn discovers desire... through Éomer's betrothed Lothíriel. Lothíriel is a stealth fav for me from the Éomer fics I used to read as a kid and I really enjoyed her here, and the lush atmosphere of this story.

His Return by @danmeiljie - Beautiful, tender scene of Maedhros and Maglor reuniting as per @tari-cua's art. Such lovely descriptions in this one and so cozy.

[lassieposting]

Lassie's Fic Prompts: Tolkien Edition

Usually I haunt mutuals or the prompt channels of Discord communities but the Tolkien ones are all massive and I have anxiety, so I'm gonna shove them in the tag instead! Fic concepts from your friendly local prompt goblin, because god knows my ass will never get around to writing them. This post will get updated as ideas occur to me. Tags are mostly to help express The Vibe™. Anyway feel free to come talk to me about this shit I have feelings.

Bagginshield

T+ || Fluffy || Post-Canon, Reunion Fic

When the ringbearers arrive in the Blessed Realm, as a reward for the great peril they have suffered on behalf of all of Middle Earth, they are granted a single boon by the Valar.

Bilbo Baggins knows that elves, dwarves and men go to different realms after death. But Mahal's halls are vast and grand, and he is only a very small Hobbit. Surely room can be found for a single burglar in the dwarven afterlife?

Barduil

G+ || Angsty || Post-Canon, Loss, Closure, Bonus Points For Bard's Memorial Surviving To Be Unearthed In The Modern Day

Before leaving Middle Earth, Thranduil pays a final visit to the memorial he had carved for Bard.

Saurondriel

T+ || || Debates & Bickering, Sauron Drawing Parallels Between His Life & 'Halbrand's', Sauron As A Calming Influence On Morgoth's Genocidal Tendencies, Galadriel's Black & White Thinking, Small Moments Of Goodness

Halbrand takes Galadriel out to eat with his first week's wages from the forge in Armenelos, but the puppetry performance going on in the plaza - in which she is the heroine and he one of the villains - proves a distraction from their definitely-not-a-date.

When Halbrand admits that he's never seen the Sauron/Morgoth duo portrayed as utterly evil before, coming as he does from a land of their allies, Galadriel asks him what kind of stories the Southlanders tell. Sensing an opportunity to humanise himself in her mind, Halbrand dredges up some painful memories to introduce her to Mairon, Melkor and the path to hell paved with twisted love and good intentions.

T+ || Comedy || 5+1 Fic, Sauron Doing His Best, He's Not Spectacular At Being A Human But He's Trying, Galadriel Is Suspicious But Doesn't Know Enough About Humans To Call Him Out, Entirely Normal Mannish Behaviour™, Galadriel Will See A Guy Leave Scorchmarks On The Bedsheets When He Comes & Be Like 'It's Fine They Probably All Do That'

Halbrand is quite possibly the most realistic fana Sauron has ever created. He's designed to be so believably human he'll fly completely under the radar. But ultimately, a disguise is only ever as good as the actor wearing it. Halbrand is a fire spirit piloting an exquisitely crafted meat suit, and Sauron's idea of Totally Normal Mannish Behaviour is sometimes...slightly off base.

Galadriel is beginning to suspect the truth: her new significant annoyance is many things, but human is not one of them. But that's a terrifying prospect. And - and she hasn't spent all that much time around the race of Men herself, really. She's used to other elves. So it's probably fine. It's totally fine. Men are just Like That, is all.

AKA, five times Galadriel notices Halbrand's weird-as-fuck Maia traits/behaviours, but deliberately excuses them as Just Human Stuff because she doesn't want to deal with who and what he really is.

And one time where she already knows who and what he is. Many years into their marriage, Galadriel is mostly accustomed to her king's more unusual quirks. But sometimes, Mairon can be so human it almost breaks her heart.

T+ || Future Fic || Redemption Arc, Sort Of, Ainur Family Drama, Where Is Celeborn? Who Knows, Sauron Slouching Less Into The Light Of Goodness & More Into The Mist Of Moral Ambiguity, For Galadriel™, Dagor Dagorath

At the close of the Third Age, the last of Arda's elves take ship for Valinor, leaving Middle Earth - and the disembodied spirit of its former Dark Lord - to the race of Men. For thousands upon thousands of years, the Undying Lands enjoy a hard-won peace.

But when Morgoth manages to escape the Void, that peace is shattered, and with Valinor itself under threat, Ossë is dispatched to the world left behind to find the one soul who knows the enemy as well as Morgoth knows himself. He tracks Sauron to the deep south, where he's managed to claw back a physical form and has been living out his powerless exile as Hal Brand, old-timey blacksmith to the local ranchers.

When Ossë appears on his doorstep with news of Morgoth's escape, offering clemency in exchange for information, Sauron suspects a trap, and turns the offer down, intending to go into hiding rather than face his old master's rage at what's become of his dark kingdom and faithful servants. To sweeten the pot, Ossë leverages Sauron's greatest regret: the knowledge that Galadriel is in Valinor, and the implication that she'd like to see her old enemy again. Unable to resist the opportunity to reconcile with her, Sauron agrees to finally go home and share what he knows of Morgoth's plans and likely next moves with the Valar.

But with age-old grudges and rivalries causing trouble in Valinor, and Morgoth determined to retrieve his wayward lieutenant at any cost, can Sauron really turn back from the darkness long enough to hand victory to the Valar in the Last Battle?

T+ || Hurt/Comfort || Trauma, Nightmares, Identity Reveal, Sauron Has Seen Some Shit, He Probably Has Impressive Telepathy Defenses Most Of The Time But Shh, He Loves Her & He Wants To Be The Person She Thinks He Is,

Fighting for his life on the road to Eregion, Halbrand slowly succumbs to a murky world of fever dreams and infection-addled hallucinations. Trying to ease his restless sleep, Galadriel reaches out to to touch his mind...and finds herself dragged into a disjointed maelstrom of her most hated enemy's worst moments and greatest fears: Morgoth's bitter rage, the judgment of the Valar, the agony of bleeding out in the snow at Adar's feet, the inevitable pain of her own rejection if ever he's discovered.

Too weak to repel her or even really realise what he's sharing, Sauron lets her in, taking comfort from her presence. Presented with an opportunity she never thought she'd have - to look through the mind of her enemy unhindered - Galadriel stays her hand long enough to look for closure, for confirmation that he is the monster she's been hunting, that he's been manipulating her all along. Instead, she might just find something worth saving.

T+ || AU || Enemies To Lovers To Enemies To Friends To Lovers Again, Yelling At Sauron As Therapy, Halbrand!Mairon, Probably Because He Feels The Most Himself With Her Or Something, Aulë Knows Whats Up, He 100% Lets Slip On Purpose, Healing

After the destruction of the One Ring, what's left of Sauron's spirit is rounded up by the Valar and imprisoned in Valinor.

Galadriel does not find peace in the Undying Lands. After everything she has seen and done, she struggles to settle back into the realm of winterless spring. When a slip of the tongue from Aulë gives her the location of Sauron's prison, her restless nighttime wanderings begin to take her there to see him.

Sometimes, she is incandescent with rage and betrayal, and she vents her age-old anger on him without expecting any answers. Sometimes, she comes for information, and her questions are cold, cruel, demanding things flung through the bars. Sometimes, she is just sad and tired, and her questions are quiet things passed between them as they sit either side of the door. At first, there is no fight left in him: he takes what she throws at him in defeated silence. But the more she visits - to berate him, to needle him, to call him names, to ask him why, to reminisce - the more he starts to respond to her. And as her anger finally begins to die out, and their time together is increasingly spent remembering, and talking, and getting to know one another anew, the more the broken, amorphous creature in the cell begins to resemble the Man she once thought she knew.

M+ || Shameless Smut || Romance, Sauron's Complicated Relationship With Sexuality, Service Top Galadriel, Maybe Grayspec Maiar, The Mortifying Ordeal Of Emotional Intimacy, He Thinks She Wants To Subjugate Her Enemy, She Actually Wants To Love Her Idiot

Millennia ago, Mairon learned the value of sex as a bargaining chip, and he's been using it to get what he wants from the Incarnates - and Melkor - ever since. It's become a well-honed staple of his negotiation toolkit, a performance so well-rehearsed he barely needs to think about it. It's almost unheard of for anyone to notice that he tends to zone out partway through.

Almost.

Halbrand's tendency to seduce his way out of the doghouse hasn't gone unnoticed by his new queen, and nor has the way his eyes glaze over just as things start to get interesting. She's beginning to wonder whether anyone ever actually told him that intimacy is supposed to be fun. Determined to keep him in the moment with her, she decides she'll just have to teach him that herself.

AKA, Galadriel notices that Halbrand tends to dissociate and put on the act he thinks she wants from him in the bedroom. Concerned, she makes it her mission to show him he's safe to relax and enjoy himself with her - and absolutely wrecks him to make her point.

T+ || Canon Divergence || Galadriel Says Yes, Ainur Family Drama, Mairon's Aulë-Shaped Daddy Issues, Arondir & Theo, Could Be 5+1, Angst & Fluff, Maybe Comedy, Lucifer-Style Therapeutic Breakthrough, Aulë & Mairon Have Different Love Languages/Communication Styles, Galadriel Eyeing Sauron Suspiciously: What Are You Scheming Now, Meanwhile Sauron To Arondir: IDK Man I Just Never Felt Like I Was Good Enough YK? Why Wasn't I Good Enough?, Arondir Just: Your Majesty Have You Considered Therapy

Galadriel names Bronwyn advisor to the newly-restored crown of the Southlands, which means the new king and queen start seeing a lot of her husband and child. Mairon seems fascinated by the little family, and the pseudo-paternal relationship developing between Arondir and Theo - suddenly, he's full of questions about family dynamics for humans and elves. Gradually, the advice of his new wife and friends helps Mairon realise a few things about his own relationship with Aulë.

Alternatively, five times watching Arondir and Theo interact recontextualises a memory for Mairon, and one time he makes a parenting choice with Celebrían and saltily realises Aulë had a point in doing the same thing to him

T+ || Time Travel/Time Loop || Sauron Fucks Up The Timeline, Then Tries To Fix It Without Killing Finrod, Bonus Points If Halbrand Finds He Begrudgingly Likes Finrod, Alternate Meeting, Maybe She's Still A Soldier But Doesn't Remember Him, Maybe He Has To Go Back To Valinor To Even Meet Her, IDK Lots Of Options

The thing about Galadriel's rejection is that it all goes back to the death of her brother.

Either by his own power, or by the power of a Vala who wants to teach him a lesson, Sauron finds himself transported back to shortly before everything fell apart, and realises that, as Halbrand, he has an opportunity to fix everything...by breaking Finrod Felagund out of his own dungeon.

But he's surrounded by dangers, not least of which is his own former self, and time travel is tricky. Saving Felagund's life may have unexpected consequences - without her quest for vengeance, would he ever have met Galadriel at all?

Angbang

T+ || Angsty || Outsider Perspective, Ainur Family Drama, Melkor Is A Mess But He's Mairon's Mess, Even Evil Has Loved Ones, The Valar Concept Of Love & Melkor's Concept Of Love As Very Different Things

Angband is a smoking ruin. The Enemy is a captive of the Valar. The war, it would seem, is over.

But the Ainur are uneasy. Not all of Morgoth's forces have been subdued. The Enemy's favourite servant has slipped the net, and getting information out of Melkor is like pulling teeth. Under questioning - and even the threat of the Void - in Valinor, he still refuses to tell them where his devoted lieutenant Sauron has gone into hiding.

Aulë, waiting for news of his wayward Maia, tries to make sense of how even the most corrupted of them all can be beholden to forces like love and loyalty, and how it can be that none of them ever saw this coming.

T+ || Fluff & Comedy || Epistolary Fic, Long-Distance Relationship, Leading Armies Means Being Apart A Lot, First Age, Love Letters, Complaint Letters As Well Lbh They Probably Bitch To Each Other A Lot About Everyone Else

Melkor's rise and fall, as told by the orders Melkor sends to Mairon, the reports Mairon sends back, and the informal postscripts attached to both.

M+ || PWP || Creative Use Of The Mind Palace, Telepathy, I Could Not Find A Mention On The Wiki Of Where Sauron Was During This Siege, So Let's Assume He Wasn't Like. Also Stuck In Angband

During the 400 year Siege of Angband, Melkor uses ósanwë to leave the surrounded fortress and spend some quality time with Mairon.

T+ || Angsty || Sanity Slippage, Hallucinations, Melkor Trying To Envision His Happily Ever After Even Though He Doesn't Know What Happily Ever After Looks Like

Sentenced to eternity in the Void, and slowly losing his mind to the isolation and sensory deprivation, Melkor comforts himself with visions of his little fire spirit.

Silvergifting

G+ || Fluffy || Celebrimbor Has A Crush, But He's Very Sweet About It, Possible Angst, Celebrimbor Probably Needs Closure Too, Halbrand Should Not Be Forging But He Can Still Hang Out

Celebrimbor likes to work late. Flattered by the admiration of a handsome young king, and delighted to have a fellow passionate smith to bounce ideas off, he takes to letting Halbrand join him in his workshop in the evenings while the latter is healing. One night, while swapping theories about the mithril and definitely not watching the candlelight catch on Halbrand's hair, he finds himself making a gift of his own. After all, a king should have a crown, and what better crown than one made by 'the Celebrimbor'?

(Possible angsty bonus scene: many thousands of years later, Galadriel seeks closure and a final goodbye in Mordor after Sauron's downfall. In the ruins of Barad-Dur she finds the crown that Celebrimbor made for a king who never existed, kept in Sauron's quarters as though treasured. Maybe she rescues it to take back to Valinor)

Poly/Multiple Ships

M+ || Saurondriel/Angbang || Past Abuse, Telepathy, The Mortifying Ordeal Of Learning To Make Better Romantic Choices, Sauron Loves & Fears Melkor Equally, Letting Go, Saurondriel Is Not Healthy But In This Case It Is HealthIER, So Like. That's Something

Sauron and Morgoth were still telepathically connected when Morgoth was thrown into the Void. A fragment of his consciousness remains in Sauron's mind, manifesting as a hallucination that only he can see and hear. At first, he is Melkor, the doting lover Sauron chooses to remember, amusing and affectionate and comforting and so, so missed. But, as rage and fear take over and the Void begins to drive Melkor mad, he increasingly behaves like Morgoth, the side of himself Sauron would rather forget - the cruel master whose wrath he fled after his defeat at Tol-in-Gaurhoth. With 'his' Melkor appearing less and less, Sauron becomes more and more burned out under the slew of criticism and mockery, and his confidence in his own ability to lead takes an additional battering when his subordinate turns on him at Forodwaith. When he happens to cross paths with Galadriel, he realises almost immediately that the light in her silences Morgoth's voice in his mind. As they grow closer, her unwavering belief in him - or, at least, in "Halbrand" - makes him want to do good, to please her and prove he's worthy of her support. But Morgoth is not the only voice silenced by proximity to Galadriel, and letting Melkor go is an agony he's not sure he can survive.

T+ || Angbang, Saurondriel, Galadriel/Celeborn || Having The Same Conversation While Thinking About Entirely Different People, She's Thinking About Celeborn, He's Thinking About Melkor, Halbrand's Species Has A Mayfly Lifespan & A Casual Approach To Intimacy So She Is Not Expecting Him To Understand At All, But He Really Really Does

When their flirty banter turns to their respective races' romantic customs, Galadriel finds herself opening up to Halbrand about elven marriage, about her long-lost husband, and about her feelings of guilt over her attraction to him.

Halbrand empathises. More than she ever thought he could.

[a-manda-lorian]

Rings of Power Headcanon time…….

It’s pretty clear in that last episode that the writers WANT us to want Halbrand (Sauron) and Galadriel to be a thing 😬 And they did a REALLY good job of making us. It feels strange, for sure, but I can’t fight jumping on the Saurondriel ship…… So here goes nothin-

I think in the coming seasons they are going to have Galadriel briefly give in to Sauron. She will “touch the darkness” one more time and we will ultimately find out that Celebrian is actually the daughter of Sauron. Before her birth, Celeborn will return from wherever he is (because we know he ain’t dead) and Galadriel will play it off as though Celebrian is his daughter. And no one, not even her future husband, Elrond, will know that she’s Sauron’s daughter. All we know of her life is that she eventually gets captured by orcs, tortured, and never mentally recovers from her experience, so she decides to leave Middle Earth. Well, what if during her captivity she learns the truth of her parentage?! That would be a tough pill to swallow. And! This lineage would further explain later on why Arwen, Celebrian’s daughter, is so affected and nearly dies because of the growing power of Sauron in the LOTR trilogy. If she is actually the granddaughter of Sauron, naturally she would have a very strong connection to him.

I could go on and on, but let me know if I seem too off base here… Or maybe I need to get my butt in gear and just write this as a fanfic 😂

[anipologist]

Ok, I'm watching Rings of Power (in small doses)...first impressions below.

(Part 1)

Valinor is not Heaven anymore than Galadriel or Luthien are the Virgin Mary...does no one understand what subcreation is?

Bullying in Valinor...unlikely as portrayed. The elves are mostly unfallen at this point and most of the issues are between the adults and after Morgoth starts roaming freely spreading lies. Galadriel is also from a high position in society (a princess) she is hardly an outsider.

Noldor elves absolutely delighted in color and jewelry why is everyone wearing sheets? In fact the Noldor in general just loved making stuff...

To everyone that thinks that the mean elf children are her cousins, Artanis is the youngest child of the youngest son of Finwe...even Amrod and Amras are probably a fair bit older than her.

FINROD"S HAIR! I know it's been said before but wow...ugh. Suspension of disbelief shatters every time it shows up...

Also elves died in Middle Earth before they all moved to the undying lands...so yeah they definitely knew what death was. In fact Artanis and Finderato's uncle was among those presumed lost or dead. (He wasn't, but that's a whole story itself)

And yes, I am using Artanis/Nerwen and Findarato/Artafinde/Ingoldo because nobody is speaking Sindarin in Valinor...and Galadriel hasn't met Celeborn yet (and seems unlikely to at this point) so he hasn't given her the name Galadriel.

moving on....

Wow....that is the most heavily redacted account of the Flight of the Noldor ever...

Where do I start?

Artanis spoke out against Feanor and he personally led his people in an attack on her mother's people...on her grandparents! This is something deeply important to her...in some accounts Tolkien actually has her fighting her cousins and uncle in Alqualondë in defense of the Teleri.

This also makes it look like Finrod is swearing Feanor's oath!...there is one image that Tolkien gives of an oath sworn at this time alongside drawn swords and Finrod is another specifically mentioned by name as having opposed it!

(On a side note given that Finrod is later betrayed because of that oath this is rather sick...almost like releasing a bad Tolkien adaption on the anniversary of his death...)

Once again...Finrod and Galadriel along with Fingolfin and many others spent years crossing the Helcaraxë to get to Middle Earth, THEY DID NOT SAIL THERE.

So far the dialogue is consistently atrocious. The landscapes are pretty but feel cgi and the costumes are uninspired...this was the perfect opportunity to go full panoply of ancient kings...and they didn't. I am not seeing "most expensive tv show in history" anywhere.

NB: I fully intend to criticize blatant betrayals of what Tolkien actually wrote. Tolkien has been a huge part of my life and his writing and the world he created has been a light in many dark places. The characters he wrote have made me want to be a better person and seeing them diminished and twisted is just awful.

So yes, I take it somewhat personally when they are maligned and given that the Silm is my favorite of all Tolkien's writing so this hits very close to home.

That being said, I don't blame people for wanting to see Middle Earth again. I desperately wanted this to be good. And I don't blame the actors who were handed once in a lifetime roles and were clearly very let down by the production itself.

SO why do I feel the need to complain? Well, why do people complain about any bad adaption? Nobody thinks people are wrong to criticize the Percy Jackson movies or that Avatar: The Last Airbender movie that no one talks about about....

So no I am not going to attack people who watch it but I am going to plant my flag here and make my stand. Because this is something that means a great deal to me and I hate seeing to ruined.

[swanmaids]

original character-focussed fic recs

One of the best feelings for me as a fic writer in this fandom is when somebody tells me that they liked one of my original characters. Character creation can be hard work and nerve-wracking, so it’s really rewarding whenever people tell me that it’s paid off. This fandom has a wealth of fantastic, memorable original characters, so I wanted to make a recommendation list of some of my favourite fics that feature them. The fics in this list are a range of lengths, ratings, warnings, and themes, and I’m hoping everyone will be able to find something to their taste here.

Of course this list is not exhaustive, and I’m always open to more recommendations!

All the splendour they could bear by asterisq; t, 1k, cntw.

The Ar-Pharazôn (& Sauron) regime commissions art for the temple. The artist tries to survive the assignment.

Bitter Heart, Bitter Heart by thegreatpumpkin; f!Galathil/OFC, t, 20k, nawa.

She had loved her brother better once. She had loved them all better once; but too many times she had swallowed bitterness, and now her heart was all sown with ashes and salt. Noble Celeborn, wise Celeborn, shining in his place beside the king! Galathil was reminded at every turn of the ways in which she did not measure up.

The Bread Maker’s Lament by havisham; Morwen & OFC, t, 1k, nawa.

A young woman, living in First Age Hithlum, grapples with grief and loss, and bakes bread.

The Carpenter’s Son by @kareenvorbarra; OFC/OMC, m, 9k, rape/noncon.

An untold story of conquered Dor-lómin, in which an Easterling carpenter has a child by his Hadorian slave.

The Constant Gardner by tehta; OFC & Egalmoth, t, 4k, nawa.

Running Yavanna’s errands in First Age Middle-earth is a tough job, but someone has to do it.

To die in the light by @skyeventide; Maedhros & OFC, m, 6k, violence.

A thrall escapes Angband. This is the journey of what comes after.

Dwell in death’s shadow by @undercat-overdog; Curufin/Wife, g, 3.5k, nawa.

A child eavesdrops on an argument he was never meant to hear.

an ecstatic accident by void and fire by Chestnut_Pod; g, 0.5k, nawa.

Follow the blue roads of Arda.

The Elf Who Circumnavigated Arda in a Ship of Their Own Making by @arofili​; OC & OFC, g, 1k, nawa

Three letters home from a Telerin adventurer.

Far Too Many of You Dying by @starspray; OFC & Teleri, t, 1k, cntw.

After the Noldor depart, Alqualondë is left reeling.

Four Winters by @aipilosse; Celegorm & OFC, t, 6k, nawa.

Four winters in the life of Gwíneth, daughter of Urthel. A rescue, a hunt, a fall, and the abyss.

His Hour Had Come by @polutrope; Saeros & OFC, g, 1k, nawa.

Saeros' daughter reflects on the life and actions of her father.

Lost at Sea by starspray, Uinen & OFC, 0.4k, g, nawa.

An Avarin elf accidentally gets lost at sea and gets stuck halfway onto the Straight Road. Uinen helps out.

These Newborn Shores by @kazaera; t, 14k, nawa.

It's the early Second Age and the Host of the Valar have just departed. The disparate refugees now sitting on the new shores of Lindon, tasked with building the fleet of Númenor even as they are still reeling from Beleriand's destruction, must find a way to move forward despite their losses.

Figuring out where to get their clothes from would be a good place to start.

Not by the Hand of Man by Sath, Tar-Miriel/OFC, e, 7k, nawa.

After his chief priestess is assassinated, Sauron summons his most powerful servant, a woman of Far Harad, to Númenor.

on a long road (miles to go) by Solanaceae, g, 5k, cntw.

Andreth in the House of Adanel.

One Who Holds by @slightnettles Elrond & OFC, g, 4k, nawa.

As the War of Wrath and the breaking of Beleriand approach, a woman of the Easterlings meets a young Elrond.

SeaLight by Anerea; g, 0.3k, nawa.

A Telerin Elf's first experience of the waters of Belegaer, at the end of the Great Journey.

A Seduction by The_Wavesinger; Tar-Miriel/OFC, e, 2k, cntw.

Tar-Míriel attempts to take revenge on her husband by seducing his sister.

Si la mar fuera de leche by Chestnut_Pod, Elros/OFC, Elros & OCs, t, 23k, nawa.

Ten years after the Valar pulled Númenor dripping from the sea, Elros receives a visitor.

Starlit Waves by raiyana; Cirdan/OFC, m, 2k, nawa.

“Congratulations, my love, you have made a plank. Yet again.”   Dry tones teased his ears softly, the silent footsteps of his beloved Ngilith giving him no warning of her approach.

Talathien by maerzkindt; Haleth & OFCs g, 7k, nawa.

Linnoril, a woman from the group later known as House of Hador, returns to her mother's folk of the Haladin and joins the guard. An exploration of reconnecting, forming new bonds and playing fast and loose with First Age Edain lore.

The Thousand Stories by herenortherenearnorfar; OFC/OFC, t, 19k, mcd.

They're important, the myths people tell about themselves, about their histories. You can learn a lot from a tale or seven.

A Traitor’s Issue by herenortherenearnorfar; OFC & OFC,t, 16k, violence.

Ulfang's daughters(in-law) seek aid in the aftermath. Reckoning with their own grief and choices (or lack thereof) they navigate Angband, the nightmare they grew up with, now the only place they can turn for help.

The “Unmarried” Queen - Deficiencies in Numenorean Scholarship by Sath; Tar-Telperien/OFC, g, 1k, nawa.

Rosie Cotton and Samwise Gamgee's granddaughter, a scholar of short stature and lofty goals, finds an earth-shattering document being used to steady a table leg in Minas Tirith.

Willow-Meads by Narya_Flame; g, 5k, nawa.

a willow-spirit, some places she went, and the people she met.

the wind that shakes the mountain by platinum_firebird; OFC/OFC, t, 2k, nawa.

The tale of Mazlav, daughter of Temolv, chieftain of the Uzba clan; and of how she met her lover and companion-in-arms, Aalta of Ishahú.

With the Stars in the Darkness and the Love in the Light by Zdenka; Haleth/OFC, Haleth/Goldberry, Nellas/Goldberry, t, 3k, nawa.

At Nienor's request, the women of Brethil share stories and songs about Haleth, the river's daughter, and those they loved.

[ceescedasticity]

Unforsaken, 11b

(All sections on tumblr)

(AO3, lagging behind but more polished)

As rattling as this development is, there isn't much they can do with it until the Geese condescend to approach them.

So: Wizard's Clay demonstration.

Celegorm has dug an impressively deep hole considering the limited time involved and his lack of proper tools.

Celeborn bites his tongue on a 'at the bottom of a hole, keeps digging' joke, only for Turgon to make the exact same joke. Celegorm throws a rock at him.

Gimli and Dyn direct the others in placing the Wizard's Clay carefully in the hole and laying fuses back up out of it. Legolas directs the others in stopping up their ears.

…The elves can get by with ósanwë, but they'll probably want to come up with some hand signals.

The ensuing explosion is loud and moderately impressive, but would be more impressive in rock.

Estimated sticks of Wizard's Clay left behind to threaten the peace of Middle-earth (counting the 25 left in Emyn Arnen): 5574

They repeat a few times, so everyone can get a chance handling the fuses, and Dyn demonstrates joining fuses for multiple emplacements.

"Although these are so close they'd set each other off anyway."

Estimated sticks of Wizard's Clay left behind to threaten the peace of Middle-earth (counting the 25 left in Emyn Arnen): 5560

Elrohir asks about the possibility of lighting a fuse from farther away with fire-arrows? Okay, good idea; more Wizard's Clay, more fuses — shorter this time, though they back up even farther.

The first attempt severs the fuse rather than lighting it. The second one lights the fuse, but also a small grassfire. (Fortunately the grass is green and the fire easily extinguished, even though they have to wait until after the explosion to rush forward and deal with it.) The experiment is tentatively declared a success.

Estimated sticks of Wizard's Clay left behind to threaten the peace of Middle-earth (counting the 25 left in Emyn Arnen): 5552

Gimli hopes they come across some exposed rock so he can run everyone through boring holes to place the explosives.

Risyind asks how concerned they should be about the warden coming out and attacking them as soon as they start boring holes in its house.

No one is sure. However, Glorfindel is of the opinion that if there's an umaia in there and it didn't make an appearance at any point in the Second or Third Ages when Sauron needed backup, there's probably a reason for that — maybe it can't leave without breaking something.

"Or it just didn't like Sauron," Elladan suggests.

Celeborn is of the opinion that per their palantír viewing the physical outside of the the Crucible has been weathered, so it can be weathered, so crude physical impacts short of explosives should hopefully pass as more weathering. At least assuming there aren't any windows.

The orcs agree there are definitely no windows.

****

The Geese continue to hang back.

"Do you think they're planning to fight as swans?" Elrohir asks, as they try to catch a glimpse of their great-uncles.

"…Maybe?"

Neither of them has been attacked by a swan — as with geese, it's about respecting them — but they have witnessed a few unfortunate incidents among the Dúnedain.

A large swan could probably inflict some moderate-to-serious bludgeoning damage? Which doesn't sound like the right thing to fight an umaia, but then, they've never heard anything about umaia in general being immune to blunt force, they're just… presumably durable.

"I mean, it's likely any battle with an umaia wouldn't be entirely physical, anyway…"

"Would they know how to do that instinctively?"

(Elladan and Elrohir definitely don't.)

*****

After being quieter than usual for most of a morning, Maglor guides his horse to walk beside the wagon Turgon is driving and says, grimly, "I need you to tell me more details."

"Meaning…?"

"If I'm supposed to sing to free orcs or fight an orc-warden, I need more to build on than what I know now. Tell me about Bellow, tell me about Squint — tell me about Goblin-town."

Turgon can see how that would make sense. "I can, but — when you say details—"

"None of the editing I'm sure you're doing for Glorfindel," Maglor says. "All the awful things you want to leave out to spare me."

"Maglor—"

"If I can't handle it from you, I won't be able to handle it from Celegorm, and I need to do that, so I will handle it."

Honestly Turgon would just as soon leave some things out to spare himself, but when Maglor puts it that way… "Fine. But we have to make sure Glorfindel and the kids don't hear it."

(By "kids" he means everyone born in the Third Age. Maglor considers pointing out that Elladan, Elrohir, Khitwê, and Risyind are all older than Turgon was when he died in Gondolin. Then he feels sick at the thought that Turgon and Celegorm and Curufin have all spent so much longer trapped as orcs than they got to live—)

The discussion takes up the entire rest of the day and into the night, and leaves them both rattled.

Everyone else courteously does not listen, but there is a lot of intense staring.

The next day Maglor talks to Sharlinnu.

*****

(An incomplete list of things Turgon has been editing out when speaking to Glorfindel:

Squint's suicides when he remembers the truth.

Bellow's suicides-by-orcs-or-whatever's-handy.

The cannibalism. Bellow discouraged it in Goblin-town and it was rarely anyone's first choice, but it was unavoidable in the armies — and orclings get fed dead orclings before they're old enough to make their own choices.

(The opinion that as long as you're scavenging a battlefield and they're all already dead anyway, Men are more nutritious than orcs, so.)

Knowing your body is not your own. Starting out in a shape like an elven child and growing those bone spurs and permanent bruises and painful scars.

Knowing your mind is not your own. The burn of the Shadow's influence in your mind, subtle until it isn't, calling you to serve, calling you to kill, calling you to hate, seeking to consume every other thought or feeling…

The ugly mockery of desire that summons orcs to multiplication duties. There's no pleasure. It's just an unpleasant itch. The horror of facing it with your memory intact — and how the horror fades away, because at least it doesn't make you feel anything.

That he's almost as sad about the fall of Goblin-town as he is for the fall of Gondolin. Possibly more so at this point, actually, because even if Gondolin hadn't fallen to Morgoth it would have fallen literally with the rest of Beleriand, and there have been and are many other perfectly acceptable large elven communities. Goblin-town was one-of-a-kind.

Just not caring anymore, sometimes.

Talking to Celegorm is going to be a challenge.)

[tethysresort]

⭐⭐

Reblog this if you want readers to come into your ask box and ask for the “director’s commentary” on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines. 

Or, send in a ⭐star⭐  to have the author select a section they’ve been dying to talk about!

Yay!  Author’s choice on what to tell you about!  Lol, since it’s on my brain today you get to hear about the deal with Elrond and Galadriel in “Horizons of the World”.  (This is all head canons that came about because I was left thinking about Elrond booking it out of Middle Earth and leaving Arwen behind.)

Warning for a ton of worldbuilding. 

Elrond and Galadriel almost didn’t make it out of Middle Earth alive. 

They had worn the Rings so long that when the One Ring was destroyed the backlash caught them as well – damaging the Rings and knocking them flat.  They thought they were fine, and Elrond went on with work and battle plans to protect Imladris while Galadriel went on her offensive to Dol Guldur.  But they got slowly sicker in that “today is just a bad day” sort of way that disguised that they were doing a progressively worse and worse job of absorbing the power of the world as adult elves should. 

Eventually, they simply collapse and Erestor/Glorfindel/Celeborn figure it out at about the same time.  It’s reached the point where they must be fed energy like elflings lest they Fade.  There is frantic discussion, and it becomes apparent that Elrond and Galadriel MUST leave.  Now.  Neither of them is okay with this but everyone else is even less okay with watching them Fade.  Celeborn, Maglor, Erestor, and Glorfindel make a deal: Celeborn must stay, Maglor will stay to watch over the kids, Glorfindel and Erestor will make sure Elrond and Galadriel reach Valinor safely and make sure they are cared for there. 

In this story, they are doing a bit better but it hasn’t been that long since their arrival.  (And it is pre Glorfindel and Erestor getting into a fistfight in Aqualonde, getting arrested, and then being told to stay out of the city for 50 years.)

Want to play?  Here is the link for the ask!  https://www.tumblr.com/tethysresort/751392283760427008/fanfic-writers-directors-cut?source=share

[lesbiansforboromir]

Okay listen... RoP Galadriel portrayal actually elevated to a substantially excellent adaptation in my eyes. Like she’s such a massive hassle of a character whose major arc is both commonly misunderstood by fandom whilst having this utterly unwieldy reputation which is a DIRECT result of the fact that Tolkien never figured out what to do with her. He wanted her to be so powerful and perfect and beautiful and the best ever and good but also! She’s power hungry and self righteous and prideful enough to even defy the Valar and not return to Valinor AND she hates Feanor but doesn’t get how similar they are aND THEN she doesn’t even do anything with all of this, she is fundamentally impotent in most of the things that happen in Arda and seems complacent in the whole ring fiasco because of the NOTHING she does to combat it. 

So? How do you adapt all that chafe into a character that’s likeable for television? LIKE THIS! Like they’ve kept most of it! She’s powerful! Loved! Everyone who doesn’t know her personally thinks she’s amazing! But then those who do, know her to be self righteous, incapable of seeing her own faults, erratic and reckless. And she hates Sauron so much, he is her mortal enemy she defies the Valar just because of how much she wants him dead, and cannot begin to see their similarities (Feanor traded for Saubrand.) 

And now, as guilt and self doubt finally hit her in this tidal wave of blame, she finally begins to question herself and set out on the path that will eventually see her content to ‘diminish’ and return to the west. But it ALSO gives her a reason to doubt her own convictions where Sauron as Annatar is concerned AND be far more cautious in exerting her force on various situations down the road. Like eventually she will find Celeborn and they will see that they have to step back and just deal with these traumas (because they HAVEN’T been up until now in the show, Galadriel has been an active participant in Arda’s defense, it will be a choice for a different life in Lothlorien rather than just a continual habit of isolationism and callousness for the rest of middle earth as it feels in canon). 

Like!! That’s good! They’ve put thought into how to adapt her base arc and characteristics whilst giving her sympathetic motives that don’t conflict with it and lend to her eventual end point in LotR. It’s still Galadriel propeganda but it’s not a total change to her whole character (unlike Peej Aragon) and I like it. 

[elerrinacrownedwithstars]

Galadriel in the Rings of Power, part 4: A savvy politician or a silly brash youth?

This post is the continuation of my analysis of Galadriel as she is portrayed in the Amazon series The Rings of Power - and why I think it is so very bad. Part 1 focused on the the portrayal of her being a warrior, and the many problems it creates for her character and possibly even for LOTR, whereas part 2 argued that what is supposed to be war trauma is actually just an awful personality. Part 3 focuses on the ways ROP undermines Galadriel's story as a woman, wife, and mother.

Part 1 x Part 2 x Part 3

This post will discuss the various ways Galadriel's portrayal in ROP is wrong when comparing the mental qualities she expresses in canon and in the show, the depiction of her age, and whether she is well cast in the show.

I will post my arguments in a few different posts, because that should make the whole much more readable. I will use the tags #anti rop and #anti rings of power for the benefit of those who may want to filter my posts.

If you like Amazon Rings of Power, I have no issue with that; I only take issue with how a character I've loved for over a decade is portrayed in this show.

6. ROP!Galadriel does not have the mental capacity and abilities she should have.

In Tolkien's versions of Galadriel's story, she is consistently portrayed as an individual of high intellect and wisdom, matching even the loremasters of her people. She is insightful and astute, seeing into the hearts of people around her, and recognising evil even under a fair form. She is collected and resilient after great ordeals and suffering. She never is persuaded to follow or even like Fëanor, and when Sauron comes to Eregion as Annatar, she knows him immediately for what he is. She learns to check her ambition and when she's offered the rule of Lothlórien, she won't become a queen after King Amroth, but assumes more of a regent's role as the Lady of the Wood. Galadriel is also a strong and wise leader, respected by her subordinates and other Elven communities, which implies great diplomatic skill. As I have argued before, it is striking that she, a Noldo and blood-relation of Kinslayers, is revered among the Elves of MIddle-earth. It's hard to believe this would be possible if she did not build and maintain a connection with them throughout the First and Second Ages. When the Istari arrive in Middle-earth, she rightly recognises Gandalf as the greatest of them. She travels through Khazad-dûm with her daughter, and does so while her husband Celeborn refuses the journey due to his prejudices for Dwarves, thus showing her tolerance and ability to deal with the other peoples of Middle-earth. She makes allies among the peoples of Middle-earth, is the instigator of the White Council and even invokes love in the heart of Gimli the dwarf, who has every reason to be mistrustful of her. Specifically, it is her eloquence and respect for his culture that wins him over. She is one of the very few noble Noldorin Elves to survive the First Age and endure until the end of the Third. 

I don't find any of these qualities in ROP!Galadriel. The most glaring difference is how blind and gullible she is to Sauron/Halbrand's deceptions - a direct contradiction of how canonically Galadriel immediately saw through his disguise and was his enemy from the start. ROP!Galadriel doesn't seem particularly intelligent, what with jumping out of a ship and trying to swim across an ocean, and spending centuries fruitlessly hunting Sauron. And as I argued in the part 3, it doesn't seem like she ever had a very good plan of how to bring down Sauron, if she ever found him - unless her intention always was to self-destruct by Sauron.

She has no wisdom whatsoever, doesn't see her own faults and doesn't try to check herself. She is a princess of Noldor and in her youth witnessed all the tensions and rivalries at her grandfather's court, but still she has no skill in politics, diplomacy or negotiation. She lets herself be manipulated by Gil-galad, stepping on the ship that sails for Valinor and only jumps out at the point when there is no way she could possibly swim back to Middle-earth (only to be saved by idiot plot). She is antagonising against potential allies. She waltzes into the court of Númenor, yells platitudes at the regent, makes arrogant demands and gets herself thrown in jail - which she gets out of not by eloquence and persuasion, but by aggression and violence. The only reason Míriel seems to help her is because Míriel's own foreboding, not because Galadriel's diplomatic skill. She is a blunt weapon of no artistry or subtlety. She is rude even when her circumstances require tact and caution, and continues to act in a coarse way even though the Númenóreans' prejudices against Elves are already causing tensions and the smart thing to do would be to show discretion and courtesy. For her community, she is a problem to be dealt with, not a great asset and ally. She has no personal dignity and people around have no respect for her. And why would they? She is not nice even to her so called friends and mostly she is bothered to care about people around her when they can somehow serve her vengeance. Pride is maybe the only thing ROP!Galadriel has in common with her canon counterpart, but it's combined with an already awful personality and no redeeming qualities.

7. Depiction of Galadriel's age is nonsensical.

This argument has not just to do with Galadriel, but is linked with the show's larger problems with portraying Elves and the compression of time - although it is telling that it's the female character that gets this treatment, not one of the male Elves. However, this is another discussion altogether and I will cover it in the final part of my analysis.

According to Tolkien's lore, Elves reach maturity at the age of a hundred years. Galadriel at the end of the Second Age is already thousands of years old. At this point in canon, she has been married for an age and has a grown daughter. She is one of the oldest and most powerful elves of Middle-earth, and is senior to Gil-galad and Celebrimbor. 

Although ROP still maintains that Galadriel was born in Valinor during the years of the Trees and is thus exactly as old as in canon, you would not guess it from the way she presents herself. She is so brash and immature in her behaviour that Elendil, a mortal who can't even comprehend the ages she has lived, actually says she reminds him of his children (is this some convoluted way of saying that only parenthood will bring out one's full potential?). Meanwhile, Gil-galad and Celebrimbor, who are both her junior, are portrayed as older and more mature. In canon, Galadriel is wise already as a young elf and her wisdom grows only greater during her long life, but ROP!Galadriel has absolutely no wisdom and despite her great age, acts like a hot-headed teenager. It seems the show wants to portray her as "young Galadriel", never mind the fact that this character cannot in any way be considered young at the end of the Second Age. Heck, it would be a reach even if the show began at the start of SA.

8. Galadriel is not well cast

I will admit that this argument is partly a matter of taste, but there is also a more objective observation to be made: Galadriel is described as a very tall woman, as tall as most male Elves. She is also an athlete in her youth, and also physically strong. Combining this with her high intellect, her ability to read the hearts and minds of others, and heritage as a High Elf who saw the light of the Trees, Galadriel should be played by a tall, imposing and striking woman. 

The actress Amazon cast in the role does not have these qualities. She is diminutive and does not stand out in any scene as an ancient and powerful Elf. The weight of the role would be humongous for anyone after Cate Blanchett's widely beloved portrayal, and it is certainly not helpful that the show creators have made some very controversial choices about the character.

On a more subjective note, in my opinion the actress is not particularly good in the role. Most of the time, she has only two expressions, sullenness and angry sneer. Her delivery is not very good or convincing. But maybe this is not the actress' fault: the problems could stem from the script and direction, which are at times laughably bad. I don't know of the actress' previous work - I'm under the impression that she is a new face in the business and ROP is her first major role - so it may be also a question of experience.

Also we should cast tall women in more roles. 

&&&&&&

The next and the final part will attempt to tie in my arguments and also point out some problems with the show that are not necessarily about Galadriel, but affect nonetheless the way she's portrayed in the show.

[sotwk]

Hi! I saw you mention that you have some headcanons about why Celebrían left Middle-earth. I'd love to hear them if you want to share them! I love hearing people's headcanons about her 💕 — @emyn-arnens

The Fate of Celebrían

According to the "Sons of the Woodland King" AU

In the SotWK AU, Celebrían is perhaps the most beloved friend of Thranduil's wife, Elvenqueen Maereth (more info on that here), so she is a significant supporting character in the stories I have planned for the Greenwood royal family. (She's already appeared in a couple of my fics, if you look closely.)

Canon details are sparse when it comes to Celebrían's abduction, torture, and passing over the Sea. Here are the headcanons I have developed to fill in the blanks of the "how's" and "why's":

Content warning: Brief but non-graphic discussions of violence, torture, and character death.

SotWK Fancast: Connie Nielsen as Celebrían ("older" version)

The Abduction and Attack

Celebrían was not alone when she was abducted by the orcs at the Redhorn Pass. Besides having the strong escort of Rivendell guards, her cousin Nimeithel (oc, younger sister of Nimloth and niece of Celeborn) was with her.

The attack was not random; Celebrían was specifically targeted by these orcs under the orders of Sauron himself. Hurting her was a strategic blow to two of the Dark Lord's most hated and feared enemies: Galadriel and Elrond. However, there is reason to believe that Sauron hated and feared the power and light of the Lady of Imladris herself.

Nimeithel and half the escort were killed fighting in the initial ambush, while the rest were incapacitated.

The orcs took special care to immediately drug and weaken Celebrían, for they wanted to keep her alive but also prevent her from using the powers they feared her to have. They were afraid of her, except they feared Sauron more.

Poisoned and bound, Celebrían was certainly physically tortured to the brink of death, but what has been less mentioned is the emotional/psychological torture of the orcs methodically torturing and killing her friends one by one in front of her.

The Rescue and Aftermath

Celebrían was found on the third day of her abduction which, all things considered, was a swift rescue. But by the time her sons Elladan and Elrohir got to her, unspeakable damage had been done. She was also the sole survivor of the travel party.

Needless to say, not a single one of those orcs made it out alive either, as the wrath of the Peredhil fell upon them.

As has been canonically stated, Elrond succeeded in healing his wife of all physical injuries she sustained. Additional help came from Galadriel and Elvenqueen Maereth. Within weeks, Celebrían's body was healthy again, albeit scarred.

In regards to how she "lost all delight in Middle-earth", I think this is most commonly interpreted as an unshakable and deadly depression. My AU's take however, is that Celebrían felt herself becoming overwhelmed not by grief and despair, but by bitterness and hatred and rage.

The experience did not leave Celebrían weepy and quailing, but angry, vengeful, and vindictive--a very far cry from her peaceful, compassionate self.

The Decision to Leave

Celebrían had always been spiritually strong and very "emotionally intelligent" (high E.Q.); arguably more so than even Elrond. She was quick to realize that her heart and the core of her personality had been compromised and irreversibly damaged.

Memories and nightmares of her abduction plagued her, and despite her best efforts, she could barely contain their effects on her behavior and demeanor. She became prone to angry outbursts, sullen and withdrawn, and tempted by violent thoughts and fantasies.

Elladan and Elrohir, the children most closely bonded to her, were most affected by this, and it drove their unquenchable hatred towards orcs for the rest of their lives, long after their mother departed.

With her intuition and foresight, Celebrían saw that the growing darkness inside her that she could not restrain would only poison the rest of her family (parents, husband, children), if they continued to watch her suffer and struggle.

She knew they all had very important parts to play in the coming battles and the final stand against the Dark Lord, and she refused to distract them or become a hindrance to their destinies.

Celebrían made the difficult decision to ask Elrond to let her sail to the Blessed Realm, where she would be incapable of hurting or adversely influencing anyone, and where she could rest and wait for him in peace.

At first Elrond could not bring himself to let his beloved wife go, but Galadriel's counsel about the future and advice to trust Celebrían's judgement eventually convinced him.

Elladan and Elrohir had to be persuaded by their mother NOT to sail with her, but both vowed that they "will see her again", hinting that they had already decided on their own fates.

Celebrían consoled her grieving family by telling them that in staying, they will "know the joy of seeing Hope reborn"--her foretelling of Aragorn's birth 400 years later.

Thank you for the thoughtful Ask, @emyn-arnens! <3 I loved sharing these with you and I am honored you care to know about my headcanons/AU.

I have many happier ones about our beloved Lady of Imladris, including how powerful and skilled and talented she was, and her tremendous influence and contributions to the foundation and growth of the Last Homely House. Not to discredit Elrond or anything, but I refuse to believe that was all just HIS doing. :)

For more SotWK AU headcanons: SotWK HC Masterlist

Elves HC Tag List: Tags be added in comments temporarily while Tumblr tags are malfunctioning.

[conundrumoftime]

I don't know why, but I love how—at least to me—your Celeborn seems always at the edge of losing his mind. I don't always agree with your headcanons, but this is so funny to me. Boy acts like he is going mad with these powers that are beyond him.

Well thank you, heh! I have to say that I don’t always agree with my own headcanons either, as such, but I keep writing them so long as they’re interesting, and the ones around him have definitely stuck a lot longer than I expected them to.

Because. If you put yourself in his position, as a prince of Doriath (which I’m assuming because I find the other versions of him less interesting): You were born after the Fence went up, and Doriath the protected, isolated, safe and magical place is all you’ve ever known. Your grandparents’ generation remember the First Battle and you maybe got some tales, growing up, of what that was like, but you had to beg and pester to hear those because you’re one of the young ones - you’re one of the ones who doesn’t need to worry about this. You’re probably told that a lot. Beleriand is dark and brutal and cruel, but in Doriath everything is fine. You have everything you ever want, and if you question this your very questioning is seen as proof of your youth and inexperience.

By the time you’re old enough to start asking pointed questions about all the Sindar who live outside the Fence, Doriath has been so isolated for so long that they don’t even sound like you.

You aren’t content with this. Everyone assumes you’ll grow out of it as you get old enough to gain some perspective and be grateful for how protected you are, but you don’t, not really. You want to hear of other lands and other peoples. You pester Melian to tell you tales of Valinor and Almaren, you pounce on any news that filters through from beyond Doriath’s borders. There is so much in the world to know, and you’re frustrated that those who know it - who saw it - aren’t interested in telling you about it now they’ve built this refuge for themselves. It doesn’t feel quite like a refuge to you, though.

(When you’re older you’ll collect tales of Gondolin, hidden and protected and beautiful. In Gondolin nobody was permitted to leave. In Doriath, nobody was permitted to want to.)

When the Noldor return you’re fascinated with them, to the point where your brother rolls his eyes and says Galadriel’s going to find you embarrassing. She doesn’t, though. She seems to quite like you. She tells you about Valinor, about the ice she crossed in the north, about how she plans to rule lands of her own one day. She speaks to Melian like she knows countless Maiar; she speaks to Thingol like she knows plenty of kings. She is bold and bright and fearless and you are helplessly in love.

When you hear about the horror at Alqualondë, you are, of course, appalled. For a while everything that you thought you knew is shaken. You do not blame Thingol for banning the rest of the Noldor from Doriath or for refusing to allow Quenya spoken anywhere. But when you hear that Maedhros laughed, of all things, and dismissed your great-uncle’s authority, some part of you is darkly fascinated all the same. No-one questions Thingol’s authority in your world. No-one. And yet… and yet.

You start finding Doriath more tolerable after all, now Galadriel is there; and her brothers come and go, and you are not short of people who will tell you about the world beyond the Fence. You don’t leave yourself, though. It hasn’t truly occurred to you that you even could.

And then something happens that changes it all. Or a confluence of somethings. Perhaps it’s the dwarves killing Thingol. Perhaps it’s Melian leaving Middle-earth after that, and the horror of realising along with all the others that much of Doriath’s protection will go with her. Perhaps you beg her to stay; perhaps she can’t even hear you, she’s so lost in grief. And then Galadriel’s cousins destroy Doriath and you realise it’s all lost and you can’t ever, ever go back.

(Or in Rings of Power canon - you go off at some point, presumably from Doriath, to fight a war you are very obviously unprepared for both practically and psychologically. You leave your enchanted, perfect magical forest kingdom where nobody ever wants for anything and find yourself in Middle-earth’s equivalent of the Somme. You realise that everything you thought you knew about the world has been not only incomplete but wrong. You don’t know where to go or what to do when the battle’s over and you’re somehow still breathing, but when you realise everyone at home will assume you’re dead, you think it’s maybe for the best you don’t correct them.)

And you spend the next five thousand years or so married to Galadriel, who is more terrifying and more powerful than you had ever, ever appreciated and even more so after she gets Nenya. You’re glad you can stand at her side for this fight you never realised you’d be fighting, but sometimes you wonder how much help you’re even being. Oropher, who has dealt with everything by withdrawing to the Greenwood in an attempt to return to the life the elves knew before the Valar came to them, takes you aside at one point and asks you very quietly - in the Doriathrin you both grew up speaking - if this is really, truly what you thought you had chosen. It isn’t. But you chose it all the same.

Lothlórien is protected, isolated, safe and magical, a beautiful golden refuge in the middle of a dark land. It’s hundreds of years before you realise that Galadriel has re-made Doriath for you.

[buffyfan145]

Morfydd gave a new interview at the Canneseries TV Festival about "Rings of Power" and teased season 2!!! :D It's in French but my browser translated it and I'll post behind a cut and a link in the comments to the article, but she actually mentioned how she and Charlie played Galadriel and Halbrand/Sauron's relationship as ambiguous so that it could be interpreted however the audience wanted to see it including romantically!!! LOL :D And it was Charlie's idea. LOL Could be the translation but that seems to be what she said which contradicts the press tour and what Charlie said in interviews. Then she also went into how she's been playing Galadriel being so sad and lonely and how devastated she is about what Halbrand/Sauron did to her, but is happy to know thanks to the LOTR movies and books she loved her whole life that she'll be ok and reunited with Celeborn at some point!!! It's the first time she's mentioned Celeborn in an interview too. She also then went on to say she's excited to see Charlie fully as Sauron in season 2, which seems to confirm like the other spoilers he's still the main form going forward. Again full translation behind the cut but I'm even more excited for s2 and honestly this confirms to me Galadriel really was in love with Halbrand/Sauron and still loves her husband too like I thought all along.

The Canneséries festival awarded the Welsh actress, who carries on her shoulders the prelude to Amazon Prime's Lord of the Rings, the Madame Figaro Rising Star Award. Meeting.

Floated Friday night on the Croisette, an air of Middle-earth. To open its sixth edition, the Canneséries festival presented its revelation prize to Morfydd Clark. In the Amazon Prime blockbuster series The Rings of Power, a prelude to the events described by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings, the Welsh actress appropriates the character of Galadriel. The future great and wise elf queen of Peter Jackson's trilogy, played by Cate Blanchett. For her first recurring role in a series, the 32-year-old actress rose to the top. But remains in interview of disarming spontaneity and enthusiasm.

Le Figaro - What inspires you about this Madame Figaro Rising Star Award? Morfydd Clark. - I can't believe it. I am deeply grateful. It's a crazy chance to headline a program watched all over the world. At school, I was a calamity in French. Having been unable to unravel this mystery, I have always had the impression that your culture and language were phenomenal. This prize of a French festival so young, so warm touches me more than you imagined.

The Rings of Power ended with the thunderous revelation that Galadriel's Halbrand's alluring traveling companion was none other than the devious and dangerous Sauron in human form. Which unleashed the fans. Did you follow their turbulent debates? I've never been more anxious in my life than in the weeks leading up to the show's launch. Until that moment, The Rings of Power belonged to me in its entirety. Once online, it becomes the property of the fans. I love their imagination. I don't go on the Internet. But my sister scours the forums and selects me the theories that I might like. Some extraordinary ones defy comprehension. Others are aiming for the nail on the head. But I can't tell you more. I did not expect that the relationship between Galadriel, Elrond and Halbrand would be so dissected even if I imagine that the slightest perfume of prohibition - and still I am afraid with this word to say something I should not - can only stir passions. Halbrand's hold on Galadriel was less connoted in the scripts. It was Charlie Vickers who plays Halbrand who had the idea to make it ambiguous. Supposing that these quasi-divine beings can feel human emotions. Were we in a relationship of seduction or power? It's up to the viewer to decide. Extremely kind, Charlie was the best partner to play it. I can't wait to see what he does with his Sauron.

Looking back, how do you view Galadriel's trajectory? In The Lord of the Rings, Galadriel is at peace with her and rules Lothlorien. The series takes this path backwards by imagining the most extreme starting point. It's soothing to know that no matter how sad, her loneliness consumes her soul entirely and obliterates the rest in this first season, to which is added Halbrand's betrayal, she will overcome these trials. For the immortal beings that are the elves, the course of time is different. One can be separated for a lifetime and find oneself like Galadriel and her husband Celeborn, currently missing but present in The Lord of the Rings. That's what I love about fantasy: through magic pierce human experiences.

You've said it over and over again, Tolkien's writings rocked your childhood. I was born in Sweden. It was first the stories of Astrid Lindgreen, creator of Fifi brindacier, who accompanied me. It was my gateway into fantasy. Suffering from attention disorders that made my schooling trying, the fantasy characters, who managed to exist differently, were a great source of comfort. Wandering the Misty Mountains with the Hobbits, who have always had my heart because of their benevolence and vulnerability, was a wonderful escape. Peter Jackson's trilogy came out when I was 12. I was spellbound. During a bad time at school, I even watched The Two Towers every day. My parents were a little worried (laughs). When I realized that I was auditioning for The Rings of Power, I said to myself: "No room for failure, you must succeed". To find myself in the New Zealand landscapes was an enchantment.

What was the tipping point that made you embrace your acting career? I had to leave school at 16. I absolutely did not know how to endure and manage the stress of exams. I auditioned to join the Welsh Youth Theatre Company. I couldn't believe that after so much criticism at school, they finally wanted me. On stage, no one scolded me anymore. I made people laugh. For the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged. I went on to get a place in a conservatory. I was incredibly lucky that my first steps in front of the camera were in 2014 in front of Carol Morley's historical drama The Falling. She protected us, made us feel safe. It is no coincidence that the actresses of this project Maisie Williams (Game Of Thrones) and Florence Pugh (Don't Worry Darling) are nowadays so much in demand. The psychological horror film Saint Maud which was my first experience of a leading role was also a special experience. I discovered that I loved horror, a mind-blowing testing ground with an audience that still appreciates risk-taking, even if it doesn't work.

What can you tell us about season 2 of the Rings of Power that you are filming? Nothing, except that it's exciting! I'm too afraid to accidentally let slip a spoiler. It's amazing to be able to reconnect with your character and your playing partners. It was also necessary to get back in shape: horseback riding, fight sequence and stunts. I kind of let myself go on that (laughs). One of the most surreal moments was the passage of Prince Williams on our sets. It's amazing to think that this public figure is a fan of our work. We even chatted in Welsh!