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{{Short description|Fictional elf in Tolkien's Middle-Earth}}
{|align=right
{{good article}}
|-
{{Use British English|date=May 2022}}
|{{Tolkienchar |
{{Infobox character
character_birth = |
| name = Glorfindel
character_death = |
| series = [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]
character_realm = |
| aliases = Lord of the [[Heraldry of Middle-earth#Houses of Gondolin|House of the Golden Flower]] of [[Gondolin]]
Book(s) = ''[[The Silmarillion]], <br/>[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', <br/>''[[Children of Húrin]]''|
| race = [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]]
character_name = Glorfindel |
| lbl24 = Book(s)
character_alias = |
| data24 = ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' (1954)<br/>''[[The Silmarillion]]'' (1977)<br/>''[[Children of Húrin]]'' (2007)<br/>''[[The Fall of Gondolin]]'' (2018)
character_title = Lord of the House of the Golden Flower|
character_race = [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]]|
character_culture = [[Noldor]] |
character_gender = male |
character_realm = [[Beleriand]], [[Valinor]], [[Eriador]] |
character_sub_realm = [[Gondolin]], [[Imladris]] |
character_lifespan = Unknown |
}}
}}
'''Glorfindel''' ({{IPA-art|ɡlɔrˈfindɛl}}) is a fictional character in [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]] [[Tolkien's legendarium|legendarium]]. He is a member of the [[Noldor]], one of the three groups of [[Sundering of the Elves|High Elves]]. The character and his name, which means "[[blond]]" or "golden-haired", were among the first created for what would become part of his Middle-earth legendarium in 1916–17, beginning with the initial draft of ''[[The Fall of Gondolin]]''. His name indicates his hair as a mark of his distinction, as the Noldor were generally dark-haired. A character of the same name appears in the first book of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', which takes place in Middle-earth's [[Third Age]]. Within the story, he is depicted as a powerful Elf-lord who could withstand the [[Nazgûl]], wraith-like servants of [[Sauron]], and holds his own against some of them single-handedly. Glorfindel and a version of the story of the Fall of Gondolin appear in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', posthumously published in 1977.
|}


In later writings, Tolkien explored Glorfindel's backstory in various material relating to the [[First Age]] of Middle-earth. He worked out how both characters named Glorfindel could be one and the same, something not evident from the published version of ''The Lord of the Rings''; the question has been debated by scholars. The incremental changes made to Glorfindel's character, most notably the introduction of the [[Reincarnation in popular culture|theme of reincarnation]], as part of the ongoing development of [[Tolkien's legendarium]] have been analysed by scholars.
In the fiction of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], '''Glorfindel''' appears twice as a name of an [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elf]] who appears in the tales of [[Middle-earth]]. The first appears in various material relating to the [[First Age]] of Middle-earth, including ''[[The Silmarillion]]''. The second appears in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', which takes place in Middle-earth's [[Third Age]]. In later writings, Tolkien states they were one and the same, though this is not evident from ''The Silmarillion'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.


In [[Peter Jackson]]'s 2001 live-action film ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', Glorfindel's role of rescuing [[Frodo]] from the pursuing [[Nazgûl]] by lending his horse is given to the elf-woman [[Arwen]]. He has also featured in various video games.
The character and his name (meaning "blond, golden-haired") were among the first created, when Tolkien first conceived of what would become his [[Tolkien's legendarium|Middle-earth legendarium]] in 1916–17.


==Appearances==
==Development==
===Literature===
====Origins====
Glorfindel first appears in Tolkien's fantasy in ''The Fall of [[Gondolin]]''<ref name = "lt2">{{ME-ref|lt2|"The Fall of Gondolin"}}</ref> about the conquest of the Elven city Gondolin by the Dark Lord [[Morgoth]].<ref>Tolkien called Morgoth ''Melko'' at this stage; the original survived as ''Melkor'' in ''The Silmarillion''.</ref> It was the first part of "[[The Book of Lost Tales]]" to be written, in 1916–17.<ref name = "lt2" /> As his ideas evolved, Tolkien wrote about this event various times, and it appears in compressed form in ''The Silmarillion'', when much of Tolkien's original ideas had been superseded or abandoned.


===Conception and creation===
From the beginning, Glorfindel appears as a noble lord, known as one of King [[Turgon]]'s chief lieutenants. In the original ''Fall of Gondolin'', he is called the chief of the House of the Golden Flower. After fighting in the city's defence, Glorfindel escapes together with [[Tuor]], [[Idril]], [[Eärendil]] and many others. The survivors pass through the [[Echoriath|Encircling Mountains]] above Gondolin. However, they are ambushed by enemies, including a [[Balrog]] demon. Glorfindel duels and kills the Balrog, but is himself killed. His body is buried under a mound of stones. ''The Fall of Gondolin'' relates that "Glorfindel and the Balrog" became an Elven proverb to describe great skill and courage in battle.<ref name = "lt2" />
[[File:Bar-en-Lothglor.svg|upright|thumb|Coat of arms of Bar-en-Lothglor (House of the Golden Flower), borne on the shields of armed forces led by Glorfindel.<ref name="lt2" group=T/>]]
In ''[[The Fall of Gondolin]]'', which details the conquest of the Elven city [[Gondolin]] by the Dark Lord [[Morgoth]], Tolkien writes that Glorfindel's name "meaneth Goldtress for his hair was golden".<ref name="lt2" group=T/> It was the first part of ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'' to be written, circa 1916–17, and the story was read aloud by Tolkien to the [[Exeter College, Oxford|Exeter College]] Essay Club in the spring of 1920.<ref name="lt2" group=T/> ''The Fall of Gondolin'' appears in compressed form in ''The Silmarillion'', where the character is called "yellow-haired Glorfindel".<ref name="sil" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977|loc=}}</ref> According to Tolkien's son, [[Christopher Tolkien]], "this was from the beginning the meaning of his name".<ref name="lt2" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1984b|loc=III "The Fall of Gondolin"}}</ref> An Elf of the same name appears in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', written many years after the original draft of ''The Fall of Gondolin'': in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', he appears to assist the hobbit [[Frodo Baggins]] in his attempt to escape the servants of the Dark Lord [[Sauron]], Morgoth's successor.<ref name="Flight to the Ford" group=T/>


As his ideas changed and evolved over the years, Tolkien wrote about Glorfindel's backstory at various times.<ref name="Evolution"/> In the very first draft of the "[[Council of Elrond]]", which was to become ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', the members of the Fellowship were to be Frodo, [[Gandalf]], [[Trotter (Lord of the Rings)|Trotter]] (later Strider/[[Aragorn]]), Glorfindel, Durin son of [[Balin (Middle-earth)|Balin]] (who became [[Gimli (Middle-earth)|Gimli]] son of [[Glóin]]), [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]], [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]]; [[Boromir]] and [[Legolas]] did not come in until much later.<ref name="rots" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1988|loc=}}</ref> Early notes for the [[Council of Elrond]] state that Glorfindel "tells of his ancestry in Gondolin". In the final published version of ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', Legolas is the representative of the Elven people, though the power that Tolkien attributed to Glorfindel remains as he is depicted as being strong enough to stand against the [[Nazgûl]], and so he is chosen to guide Frodo to safety from them.<ref name="Flight to the Ford" group=T/>
In ''The Fall of Gondolin'' Tolkien writes that his name "meaneth Goldtress for his hair was golden".<ref name = "lt2" /> Editor Christopher Tolkien comments that "this was from the beginning the meaning of his name", as the character is called "yellow-haired Glorfindel"<ref name = "sil">{{ME-ref|sil}}</ref> in ''The Silmarillion''.<ref name = "lt2" />


Towards the end of his life, Tolkien would devote his last writings to the issue of Glorfindel and some related topics, as detailed in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]''.<ref name="POME Five Wizards" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1996|loc=ch. 13 "Last Writings", "The Five Wizards"}}</ref><ref name="Encyclopedia"/> [[Christopher Tolkien]] stated that his father had not conceived the Glorfindel of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' as the same person as the similarly named Elf of Gondolin, but had simply reused the name.<ref name="POME Glorfindel" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1996|loc=ch. 13 "Last Writings", "Glorfindel"}}</ref> The issue lay in Tolkien's original conception of the spirits of dead Elves as being re-embodied in their old bodies after a [[Purgatory]]-like period in the Halls of Mandos in [[Valinor]], the home of Tolkien's "gods", the [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Valar]] and [[Maia (Middle-earth)|Maiar]], where Elves previously lived before (re)migrating to Middle-earth. After being re-embodied, previously dead Elves stay in Valinor permanently.<ref name="Encyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Anger |first=Don A. |chapter=Glorfindel |editor-last=Drout |editor-first=Michael D. C. |editor-link=Michael D.C. Drout |title=[[The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]] |year=2013 |orig-year=2006 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-1358-8033-0 |pages=243–244}}</ref>
In ''The Silmarillion'' Glorfindel appears as one of Turgon's captains who oversaw his retreat during the [[Battle of Unnumbered Tears]].<ref name = "sil" />


Tolkien eventually decided that each Elf's name should be unique, and therefore the two Glorfindels should be one and the same.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> In 1972, he wrote an essay in which he explains how Glorfindel returns to Middle-earth following his death in the First Age. On Glorfindel's status as a Noldor Exile, Tolkien noted that Glorfindel left Valinor reluctantly and is blameless in the Kinslaying, and since his sacrifice in defeating the Balrog was deemed to be "of vital importance to the designs of the Valar", he is granted an exemption to the Exiles' ban and purged of any guilt. Once restored and allowed to dwell in Valinor, his spiritual power is greatly enhanced, almost an equal of the Maiar.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> Tolkien considered having Glorfindel as a companion to Gandalf during the latter's travel to Middle-earth in the Third Age,<ref name="Evolution"/> but changed his mind as breaching the divide between Valinor and the "Circles of the World" would make him "of greater power and importance than seems fitting".<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> He proposed that Glorfindel is sent back to Middle-earth by the [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Valar]] during the [[Second Age]] {{circa|1600}}, when [[Barad-dûr]] was completed and [[Sauron]] forged the [[One Ring]], and while [[Númenor]] was still friendly with the Elves under Tar-Minastir.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> In one version he is sent as a predecessor to the [[Wizard (Middle-earth)|Istari]] (Wizards); in a different version, he arrived in Middle-earth together with the [[Blue Wizards]]. At one point he was even considered as a possibility for the identity of one of the Wizards, but Tolkien abandoned the idea since the Elves were not initially conceived as possibilities for the Wizards, and he had come to the conclusion that they were exclusively [[Maia (Middle-earth)|Maiar]].<ref name="POME Five Wizards" group=T/>
====The Lord of the Rings====
An Elf of the same name appears in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', written many years after ''The Fall of Gondolin'' and usually published in three volumes. He figures in the main story of ''The Lord of the Rings'', about the hobbit [[Frodo Baggins]] and the [[One Ring]] of the Dark Lord [[Sauron]] (himself a servant of Morgoth).


==Biography==
One of the Appendices usually published with the third volume, ''[[The Return of the King]]'', relates that during the [[Third Age]], Glorfindel leads the Elvish forces of [[Imladris|Rivendell]], [[Mithlond|the Grey Havens]], and [[Lothlórien]] against [[Angmar]] in the [[Battle of Fornost]]. There he fights alongside [[Eärnur]], the future king of [[Gondor]], along with the remnants of Gondor's sister kingdom [[Arnor]]. When the [[Witch-king of Angmar]], Lord of the Ringwraiths ([[Nazgûl]]) and chief servant of Sauron, rides out to defend his ruling seat at the captured Fornost, his presence spooks Eärnur's horse and sends the prince backwards, and the Witch-king mocks him for this. Glorfindel confronts the Witch-king, who flees into the night. Eärnur wishes to pursue him, but Glorfindel bids him not to and prophesies the Witch-king will fall in the far future, but not by "the hand of man".<ref>{{ME-ref|rotk}}</ref> Many years later, [[Éowyn]] (a woman) kills the Witch-king during the [[Battle of Pelennor Fields]], assisted by [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] (a [[hobbit]]<ref>In Letter #31 of ''[[The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien]]'', Tolkien does say that Hobbits were strictly a sub-group of Men rather than a distinct race.</ref>). Prior to this event, the prophecy had been interpreted to mean mankind in general, not a man in the sense of gender.<ref>{{ME-ref|rotk|"The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"}}</ref>


===The First Age===
As told in the first volume, ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', Glorfindel is sent by [[Elrond]] of [[Imladris|Rivendell]] many years later to help the hobbit [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] reach Rivendell as he is pursued by the [[Nazgûl]]. He sets Frodo on his horse, [[Asfaloth]], and Frodo rides ahead to the other side of the Ford of Bruinen, where he defies his pursuers. He is nearly captured, but Glorfindel, [[Aragorn|Strider]] and Frodo's hobbit companions come from behind and drive the Nazgûl into the water, where they are swept away by a wave of water resembling charging horses (an enchantment of Elrond's and Gandalf's). Strider and the hobbits bear torches, but Glorfindel reveals himself as a mighty Elf-lord terrible in his wrath; Frodo sees him as a shining figure.<ref>{{ME-ref|fotr|"Flight to the Ford"}}</ref>
[[File:The Fall of Turgon's Tower cropped.jpg|thumb|The collapse of Turgon's Tower during the Fall of Gondolin. Artwork by [[Tom Loback]]]]


According to ''The Silmarillion'', Glorfindel was born around the time of the [[Years of the Trees]] in [[Valinor]]. He was part of the host of Turgon, but only followed Turgon because of their kinship. He took no part in the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, but followed the rest of the Noldor host in their exile. Glorfindel later appears as a noble lord, one of King Turgon's chief lieutenants who oversees his retreat during the [[Battle of Unnumbered Tears]].<ref name="sil" group=T/> After fighting in the city's defence, Glorfindel escaped together with [[Tuor]], [[Tuor and Idril|Idril]], [[Eärendil]] and others. The survivors passed through the Encircling Mountains above [[Gondolin]]. However, they were ambushed by enemies, including a [[Balrog]]. Glorfindel fought the Balrog and succeeded in slaying the monster, but was himself mortally wounded. His body was recovered by the great eagle Thorondor and buried under a stone cairn, where afterward grew yellow flowers.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> ''The Fall of Gondolin'' relates that "Glorfindel and the Balrog" became an in-universe proverb used in Elven culture to describe great skill and courage in battle.<ref name="lt2" group=T/>
Later, when Frodo asks about the safety of Imladris from Sauron's forces, Gandalf explains:


Following his death in the First Age, Glorfindel's spirit passed to the halls of Mandos in Valinor. The [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Valar]] eventually sent him back to [[Middle-earth|Middle-Earth]] on a similar mission to that of the [[Wizard (Middle-earth)|Istari]], who appeared several thousand years later.<ref name="POME Glorfindel" group=T/>
<blockquote>In Rivendell there live still some of his chief foes: the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the furthest seas. They do not fear the Ringwraiths, for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power.<ref name = "meetings">{{ME-ref|fotr|"Many Meetings"}}</ref></blockquote>


===The Third Age===
Gandalf points to Glorfindel as one of these, saying he is "one of the mighty of the Firstborn," "an Elf-lord of a house of princes." While enjoying the hospitality of the Elves, Frodo finds that his Wizard friend spoke true:


In ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', Glorfindel was sent by [[Elrond]] of [[Rivendell]] in the direction that the Nazgûl were most likely to come from, to help the hobbit [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] reach Rivendell. He set Frodo on his horse, Asfaloth, and has the hobbit riding ahead to the other side of the Ford of [[Bruinen]], where he defies his pursuers. During his confrontation with Nazgûl at the Bridge of Mitheithel, Glorfindel reveals himself as a mighty Elf-lord terrible in his wrath; Frodo saw him as a shining figure.<ref name="Flight to the Ford" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 1, ch. 12 "Flight to the Ford"}}</ref> He is nearly captured, but manages to drive the Nazgûl into the nearby river with the aid of [[Aragorn|Strider]] and Frodo's hobbit companions, where they were swept away by a wave of water resembling charging horses, an enchantment created by Elrond and [[Gandalf]]. While enjoying the hospitality of the Elves in Rivendell, Frodo was enchanted by the beauty and stature of Glorfindel and his kinfolk.<ref name="meetings" group=T/> He sat in honour next to Elrond and Gandalf in the Hall of Fire in Rivendell, and was part of [[the Council of Elrond]] which deliberated on their collective response to the discovery of the One Ring.<ref name="meetings" group=T/> He showed unusual wisdom by voicing caution about sending the Ring to the enigmatic [[Tom Bombadil]], and suggested that the Ring be destroyed and that the [[Three Rings]] of the Elves be sacrifice to accomplish this quest.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>
<blockquote>Frodo looked at them in wonder, for he had never before seen [[Elrond]], of whom so many tales spoke; and as they sat upon his right hand and his left, Glorfindel, and even Gandalf, whom he thought he knew so well, were revealed as lords of dignity and power... Glorfindel was tall and straight; his hair was of shining gold, his face fair and young and fearless and full of joy; his eyes were bright and keen, and his voice like music; on his brow sat wisdom, and in his hand was strength.<ref name = "meetings" /></blockquote>


Gandalf described Glorfindel as "one of the mighty of the Firstborn" and "an Elf-lord of a house of princes." When Frodo asks about the protection of Rivendell from Sauron's forces, Gandalf explains:<ref name="meetings" group=T/>
In the very first draft of the Council of Elrond of what was to become ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', there was a crucial difference in the members of the Fellowship. The Nine Walkers were to comprise Frodo, [[Gandalf]], [[Aragorn#Concept_and_creation|Trotter]] (later Strider/[[Aragorn]]), Glorfindel, [[Durin]] son of [[Balin (Middle-earth)|Balin]] (who became [[Gimli (Middle-earth)|Gimli]] son of [[Glóin]]), [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]], [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]], [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]]. [[Boromir]] and [[Legolas]] did not come in until much later.<ref name = "rots">{{ME-ref|rots}}</ref>


{{quote|In Rivendell there live still some of his chief foes: the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the furthest seas. They do not fear the Ringwraiths, for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power.<ref name="meetings" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 1 "Many Meetings"}}</ref>}}
Legolas replaced Glorfindel as the representation of the Elven people in later drafts, but this did not take away from the power that Tolkien attributed to Glorfindel. He sits in honour next to Elrond and Gandalf in the [[Hall of Fire]] in Rivendell,<ref name = "meetings" /> and is one of the few Elves of Imladris who was known to be strong enough to stand against the [[Ringwraiths]] and be sent out to guide Frodo to safety from them. Glorfindel is the strongest of these few, as he is sent in the direction that the Nazgûl are most likely to come from, and even holds the Bridge of [[Mitheithel]] against some of the [[Nazgûl]] single-handedly. Glorfindel is noted for his great power and strength, so much so that Gandalf refers to him in relation to the difficulty of the task of destroying the Ring, though in a rather unusual way. When Elrond seeks to fill the last two spots in the Fellowship with folk of his own house, Gandalf supports Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took by saying:


<blockquote>"I think, Elrond, that in this matter it would be well to trust rather to their friendship than to great wisdom. Even if you chose for us an elf-lord, such as Glorfindel, he could not storm the Dark Tower, nor open the road to the Fire by the power that is in him."<ref name = "south">{{ME-ref|fotr|"The Ring Goes South"}}</ref></blockquote>
When Elrond seeks to fill the last two spots in the Fellowship to destroy the [[One Ring]] with folk of his own house, Gandalf mentioned Glorfindel. He justified the inclusion of Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took by saying:<ref name="south" group=T/>


{{quote|I think, Elrond, that in this matter it would be well to trust rather to their friendship than to great wisdom. Even if you chose for us an elf-lord, such as Glorfindel, he could not storm the [[Barad-dur|Dark Tower]], nor open the road to the Fire by the power that is in him.<ref name="south" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 3 "The Ring Goes South"}}</ref>}}
====The special "matter of Glorfindel"====


One of the Appendices usually published with the third volume, ''[[The Return of the King]]'', relates that earlier in the [[Third Age]], Glorfindel led the Elvish forces of Rivendell, the Grey Havens, and [[Lothlórien]] against [[Angmar]] in the Battle of Fornost. There he fought alongside Eärnur, the future king of [[Gondor]], along with the remnants of Gondor's sister kingdom Arnor. When the [[Witch-king of Angmar]], Lord of the [[Nazgûl]] and chief servant of Sauron, rode out to defend his ruling seat at the captured Fornost, his presence frightened Eärnur's horse and sent the prince flying backwards, and the Witch-king mocked him. Glorfindel confronted the Witch-king, who fled into the night. Eärnur wished to pursue him, but Glorfindel bade him not to and prophesied the Witch-king would fall in the far future, but not by "the hand of man".<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=Appendix A, I, iv "Gondor and the heirs of Anarion"}}</ref> Many years later, during the [[War of the Ring]], [[Éowyn]] (a woman) slays the Witch-king during the [[Battle of Pelennor Fields]], assisted by [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] (a [[hobbit]]<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Carpenter|2023|loc=#31 to C.A. Furth of Allen & Unwin, 24 July 1938, states that Hobbits were a sub-group of Men rather than a distinct race. }}</ref>). Before Éowyn's slaying of the Witch-king, the reference to "man" in the prophecy had been interpreted to mean that no human at all would slay him, rather than that no male human would do so.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 5, ch. 6 "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"}}</ref>
In ''[[History of the Lord of the Rings|The Return of the Shadow]]'', [[Christopher Tolkien]] states that some time after the publication of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', his father "gave a great deal of thought to the matter of Glorfindel" in the book, and decided that it was a "somewhat random use" of a name from ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' that would probably have been changed, had it been noticed sooner.<ref name = "rots" />


==Analysis==
The problem lay in Tolkien's conception of the spirits of dead Elves being re-embodied in their old bodies after a [[Purgatory]]-like period in the [[Halls of Mandos]] in [[Valinor]], the home of Tolkien's "gods", the [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Valar]] and [[Maia (Middle-earth)|Maiar]] (more akin to [[angel]]s, though rulers and overseers), where Elves previously lived before (re)migrating to Middle-earth. After being re-embodied, previously dead Elves stayed in Valinor. Tolkien decided that each Elf's name should be unique, and therefore the two Glorfindels should be one and the same.


{{further|Death and immortality in Middle-earth#Men and Elves}}
Tolkien had a well-documented (and confusing) habit of inventing and changing character names while writing drafts, so this is not too surprising. On the other hand, early notes for the [[Council of Elrond]] state ''"Glorfindel tells of his ancestry in Gondolin"'', indicating that the character was early on already intended to be the same Elf. This may be reconciled by the fact that Tolkien was known for being disorganized, misplacing his notes and having to work from memory alone on several occasions. Nevertheless, seeing that the reintroduction of the name had been made, and that it would require some explanation, Tolkien devised a solution. He would, at the end of his life, devote his last writings to the issue of Glorfindel and some related topics, as detailed in ''[[The History of Middle-earth|The Peoples of Middle-earth]]''.<ref name = "pome">{{ME-ref|pome}}</ref>


Alexander Lewis and Elizabeth Currie wrote that Glorfindel was a "chance reuse of no significance", and argued that Tolkien "tied himself, as well as readers and critics, in knots over the question of whether there were one or two characters of the name".<ref name="Forsaken">{{cite book |first=Alexander |last=Lewis |first2=Elizabeth |last2=Currie |title=The Forsaken Realm of Tolkien: Tolkien and the Medieval Tradition |year=2005 |publisher=Medea |isbn=978-0-9543-2071-3 |page=53}}</ref> Don Anger speculated that Glorfindel's unequivocal death in ''The Fall of Gondolin'' may have prevented Tolkien from making an explicit connection between this Silmarillion character and the Elf with the same name in the published version of ''The Lord of the Rings''.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> Anger took the view that Tolkien's idea of a resolved story for the character was only "possibly realized" with the complete publication of the 12-volume book series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' by 1996. He explained that as much of the background material for Glorfindel was unpublished when ''The Silmarillion'' was posthumously released, various Tolkien compendiums were forced into speculation to sate the curiosity of readers concerning the mystery of the character's death and sudden reappearance in ''The Lord of the Rings'', citing ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth|The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion]]'' as an example.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>
Tolkien wrote that Glorfindel is sent back to Middle-earth by the [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Valar]] during the [[Second Age]] circa 1600, when [[Barad-dûr]] was completed and [[Sauron]] forged the [[One Ring]], and while [[Númenor]] was still friendly with the Elves under [[Tar-Minastir]]. He is sent as a kind of predecessor to the [[Wizard (Middle-earth)|Istari]] (Wizards), or in a different version, together with the [[Blue Wizards]]. At one point he was even considered as a possibility for the identity of one of them, though this was immediately rejected since the Eldar were not initially conceived as possibilities for the Wizards, and he had come to the conclusion that they were exclusively [[Maia (Middle-earth)|Maiar]].<ref name = "pome" />


The theme of reincarnation and the concept of Elves being divinely empowered is explored in its fullest extent within [[Tolkien's legendarium]] through the character Glorfindel. Edmund Wainwright noted that Glorfindel is the best example of a male Elf in ''The Lord of the Rings'' who embodies his people's aspect as semi-divine beings, given his immense power.<ref name="England">{{cite book |first=Edmund |last=Wainwright |title=Tolkien's Mythology for England: A Middle-Earth Companion |year=2004 |publisher=Anglo-Saxon |isbn=978-1-8982-8136-8 |page=50}}</ref> [[Verlyn Flieger]] noted that the concept of Elven incarnation had been considered by the time of the publication of ''The Lord of the Rings''. She suggested that being a devout [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], Tolkien initially found the idea to be theologically problematic and biologically difficult; he eventually reached the conclusion that "it is a biological dictum" in his imaginary world, and its purpose "largely literary".<ref name="Question">{{cite book |editor-first=Verlyn |editor-last=Flieger |editor-link=Verlyn Flieger |title=[[A Question of Time|A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faërie]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Kent State University Press]] |page=119 |isbn=978-0-8733-8699-9 }}</ref>
Conceivably the problem of Glorfindel's resurrection could easily have been resolved by changing the name of Glorfindel of Gondolin to another name, but Tolkien was unwilling to do this, as he now associated the name with the character.


The Tolkien scholar [[Elizabeth Whittingham]] cited correspondence from readers, particularly Catholics like Father Murray and Peter Hastings. This raised questions that ultimately prompted changes to the mythology of Middle-earth, as acknowledged by Tolkien and his son Christopher. Whittingham noted that Tolkien sought to make his "secondary world" compatible with his "primary world", reconsidering his focus on metaphysical and philosophical explorations from the 1950s onwards. His revisions gradually moved the texts of his [[Christianity in Middle-earth|legendarium into closer alignment with Christianity]]. She observed that Glorfindel is a notable exception to Tolkien's later stance on abandoning one of his oldest concepts, reincarnation through rebirth, and that he is Tolkien's first attempt of contemplating the portrayal of a reincarnated elf.<ref name="Evolution">{{cite book |first=Elizabeth |last=Whittingham |author-link=Elizabeth Whittingham |title=The Evolution of Tolkien's Mythology: A Study of the History of Middle-earth |year=2017 |publisher=[[McFarland and Company|McFarland]] |isbn=978-1-4766-1174-7 |page=153}}</ref>
===Adaptations===
Glorfindel is not prominently featured in film versions of ''The Lord of the Rings''.


In ''[[Tor.com]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s bi-weekly series on "Exploring the People of Middle-earth", Megan Fontenot described Glorfindel's role in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' as a [[shaman]]-like figure, a [[Mediumship|medium]] who has direct access to both the spiritual (Valinor) and physical (Middle-earth) worlds, and that his purpose is to protect those who are threatened by the powers of the Shadow. She noted that his previous battle with the Balrog in the First Age essentially serves as an "initiation" to a shamanic trial and journey.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fontenot |first=Megan N. |url=https://www.tor.com/2019/04/18/exploring-the-people-of-middle-earth-glorfindel-resurrected-hero-and-spiritual-warrior/ |title=Exploring the People of Middle-earth: Glorfindel, Resurrected Hero and Spiritual Warrior |date=18 April 2019 |website=[[Tor.com]] |access-date=23 January 2020}}</ref>
In Ralph Bakshi's 1978 [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|animated version]], his role and lines are given to [[Legolas]], who is apparently not a Wood-elf here.


== In other media ==
In Peter Jackson's live-action ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' (2001), his role is given to [[Arwen]], who even takes Frodo to the Ford herself and summons the horses of water through an incantation, which is not present in the book. However, in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' (2003), there are some blond Elves background extras present at Aragorn's coronation at Minas Tirith. One of them is identified in promotional material as Glorfindel; he is played by [[Jarl Benzon]].<ref>[http://www.theargonath.cc/cast/jbenzon/jbenzon.html http://www.theargonath.cc/cast/jbenzon/jbenzon.html]</ref>


===Other media===
=== Film and stage ===
Glorfindel, as depicted by Benzon, appears on a trading card in [[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]], based on the Jackson films.


In [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s 1978 [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|animated version]], his role and lines from the narrative are given to [[Legolas]]. In [[Peter Jackson]]'s 2001 live-action film ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', his role is given to [[Arwen]], who takes Frodo to the Ford and summons the floodwaters to disperse the Nazgûl through an incantation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shippey |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Shippey |title=[[The Road to Middle-Earth]] |date=2005 |edition=Third |orig-year=1982 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=978-0261102750 |pages=413, 418–419}}</ref>
Glorfindel is also playable in the older [[Middle-earth Collectible Card Game]]. Here he is one of the most powerful characters outside the circle of the Wizards and Haven-elves (Elrond, Galadriel and Círdan).
In the British musical stage adaptation of ''[[The Lord of the Rings (theatre)|The Lord of the Rings]]'', which ran from June 2007 to July 2008 at the [[Theatre Royal Drury Lane]] in London's West End, the character was reimagined as a dark-haired elf-woman, played by Alma Ferović.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bennett |first=Ray|title=Theater Reviews |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/theater-reviews-158752 |website=Hollywood Reporter |access-date=19 January 2021 |date=25 June 2007}}</ref>
In the 2015 film ''[[The Martian (film)|The Martian]]'', NASA Director Teddy Sanders asks to be called Glorfindel during the discussion of Project [[Elrond]], a secret meeting about plans to rescue stranded astronaut [[Mark Watney]].<ref name="Buzzfeed">{{Cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/the-martian-page-to-screen-drew-goddard |title=How "The Martian" Went From A Best-Selling Novel To A Blockbuster Film|date=6 October 2015 |website=Buzzfeed News |access-date=23 January 2021}}</ref> The film's writer [[Drew Goddard]] claimed that the [[easter egg (media)|reference]] was his proudest moment in the film.<ref name="Buzzfeed"/>


=== Games ===
He also is a playable hero unit in the real-time strategy game, ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'', also based on the Jackson films, where his hair is silver-blond (as opposed to his eponymous colour golden-blond) (see [[:Image:BfmeIIbox.jpg|image]]). There he is depicted as one of the heroes available on the Elvish faction and is able to mount his steed Asfaloth.


Glorfindel appears as a [[non player character]] in the 2002 video game ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)#Plot|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. He is voiced by [[Steve Staley]].
The good campaign of the game begins shortly after the Council of Elrond and has Glorfindel and Glóin fight their way west, slaying Gorkil the Goblin king and Drogoth the Dragon Lord (two invented villains) and saving the Grey Havens from a naval assault. Then, they travel east in time to break the siege of Erebor and participate in the destruction of Dol Guldur.
In the 2006 real-time strategy game, ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'', Glorfindel's hair is silver-blond as opposed to his trademark golden-blond colour. He is featured on the game's box art, and is one of the playable hero units of the Elvish faction who rides his steed Asfaloth.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rorie |first=Matthew |title=The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II Walkthrough |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-battle-for-middle-earth-ii-walkthrough/1100-6146219/ |website=Gamespot |access-date=19 January 2021 |date=17 July 2006}}</ref>
In the ''[[Lord of the Rings Online]]'', Glorfindel appeared as a [[non-player character]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Cross |first=Keith |title=Characters of Middle-earth: Glorfindel |url=https://www.mmorpg.com/news/characters-of-middle-earth-glorfindel-2000062597 |website=MMORPG.com |access-date=19 January 2021 |date=15 May 2007}}</ref>
The [[Games Workshop]] [[Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game|tabletop strategy battle game adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings'']] features two versions of Glorfindel: In one form, he is fully clad in armour, while the other has Glorfindel clad in robes and riding Asfaloth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Glorfindel and Erestor |url=https://www.games-workshop.com/en-FI/Glorfindel-And-Erestor-2019?_requestid=13425422 |website=Games Workshop |access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Gildor Inglorion & Glorfindel |url=https://www.games-workshop.com/en-FI/Gildor-Inglorion-and-Glorfindel-2020 |website=Games Workshop |access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref>
<!--Glorfindel appears in the ''[[Middle-earth Collectible Card Game]]'', and is depicted as one of the most powerful characters in the set. Glorfindel is depicted on a trading card in ''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]'' which is based on the Jackson film adaptations, and in two versions in the ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game|Lord of the Rings Living Card Game]]'' by Fantasy Flight Games.{{cn|date=January 2021}} unable to find RS for these-->
A version of Glorfindel appears in the ''[[Lego The Lord of the Rings (video game)|Lego Lord of the Rings]]'' video game, where he is available as [[downloadable content]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Asif |first=Ali |title=LEGO: Lord of the Rings Characters Unlock Guide |url=https://segmentnext.com/2012/11/18/lego-lord-of-the-rings-characters-unlock-codes-guide-how-to/ |website=Segment Next |access-date=19 January 2021 |date=21 October 2020}}</ref>


== References ==
In the popular mod The Last Days for the independent game [[Mount&Blade]], Glorfindel is the most powerful recruitable hero from Lothlórien, who is available to the player only after having accumulated a great amount of influence.


=== Primary ===
Glorfindel can also be found in the [[Lord of the Rings Online]] (LotRO), as a non player character (NPC) giving several quests to the players that visit him. In the game he is in a white robe with purple belt, his hair is blonde, and he gives hope to the players around him.


{{reflist|group=T|28em}}
The Games Workshop tabletop strategy battle game of The Lord of the Rings features two versions of Glorfindel: In one form, he is dressed in armour and named as 'Glorfindel, Lord of the West' (a possible reference to his elf lordship). The other is Glorfindel clad in robes (alluding to his description in The Fellowship of the Ring)


==Characteristics==
=== Secondary ===


{{reflist|28em}}
Glorfindel was one of the [[Calaquendi]] (High Elves) and one of the [[Noldor]], one of the three groups of the [[Eldar (Middle-earth)|Eldar]]. As his very name indicates, he was [[blond]]. The Noldor were dark-haired, so this must mean he was related somehow to the [[Vanyar]], Eldar who were blond. His blond hair is considered a mark of his distinction.


=== Sources ===
Blond hair was also found in the Noldor royal family (House of Finwë), among the descendants of [[Indis]] of the [[Vanyar]], second wife of their High King [[Finwë]] — namely in the ''Golden House'' of [[Finarfin]], his third son, which included [[Galadriel]], who appears in ''The Lord of the Rings''. Both the Vanyar and the Noldor kindreds lived in the fair city of [[Tirion]] upon the hill of [[Túna]] in [[Valinor]] for a time, and in other parts of the royal family tree it has been shown that other Vanyar married in, so it is conceivable that the two groups mingled in more than just the royal line.


* {{ME-ref|Letters}} <!--Carpenter 1981-->
We know that he cannot be fully Vanyar for it is stated in ''The Silmarillion'' that 'no full Vanyar left Aman'.
* {{ME-ref|FOTR}} <!--Tolkien 1954a-->
* {{ME-ref|ROTK}} <!--Tolkien 1955-->
* {{ME-ref|Silm}} <!--Tolkien 1977-->
* {{ME-ref|BOLT2}} <!--Tolkien 1984b-->
* {{ME-ref|ROTS}} <!--Tolkien 1988-->
* {{ME-ref|POME}} <!--Tolkien 1996-->


{{Middle-earth}}
==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{tgw|Glorfindel}}
{{Lotr}}
{{Lotr}}
{{Elves}}


[[Category:High Elves]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who use magic]]
[[Category:Fictional military captains]]
[[Category:High Elves (Middle-earth)]]
[[Category:Noldor]]
[[Category:Noldor]]
[[Category:Fiction about reincarnation]]
[[Category:The Lord of the Rings characters]]


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Latest revision as of 19:23, 29 October 2024

Glorfindel
Tolkien character
In-universe information
AliasesLord of the House of the Golden Flower of Gondolin
RaceElves
Book(s)The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
The Silmarillion (1977)
Children of Húrin (2007)
The Fall of Gondolin (2018)

Glorfindel (IPA: [ɡlɔrˈfindɛl]) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a member of the Noldor, one of the three groups of High Elves. The character and his name, which means "blond" or "golden-haired", were among the first created for what would become part of his Middle-earth legendarium in 1916–17, beginning with the initial draft of The Fall of Gondolin. His name indicates his hair as a mark of his distinction, as the Noldor were generally dark-haired. A character of the same name appears in the first book of The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, which takes place in Middle-earth's Third Age. Within the story, he is depicted as a powerful Elf-lord who could withstand the Nazgûl, wraith-like servants of Sauron, and holds his own against some of them single-handedly. Glorfindel and a version of the story of the Fall of Gondolin appear in The Silmarillion, posthumously published in 1977.

In later writings, Tolkien explored Glorfindel's backstory in various material relating to the First Age of Middle-earth. He worked out how both characters named Glorfindel could be one and the same, something not evident from the published version of The Lord of the Rings; the question has been debated by scholars. The incremental changes made to Glorfindel's character, most notably the introduction of the theme of reincarnation, as part of the ongoing development of Tolkien's legendarium have been analysed by scholars.

In Peter Jackson's 2001 live-action film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Glorfindel's role of rescuing Frodo from the pursuing Nazgûl by lending his horse is given to the elf-woman Arwen. He has also featured in various video games.

Development

[edit]

Conception and creation

[edit]
Coat of arms of Bar-en-Lothglor (House of the Golden Flower), borne on the shields of armed forces led by Glorfindel.[T 1]

In The Fall of Gondolin, which details the conquest of the Elven city Gondolin by the Dark Lord Morgoth, Tolkien writes that Glorfindel's name "meaneth Goldtress for his hair was golden".[T 1] It was the first part of The Book of Lost Tales to be written, circa 1916–17, and the story was read aloud by Tolkien to the Exeter College Essay Club in the spring of 1920.[T 1] The Fall of Gondolin appears in compressed form in The Silmarillion, where the character is called "yellow-haired Glorfindel".[T 2] According to Tolkien's son, Christopher Tolkien, "this was from the beginning the meaning of his name".[T 1] An Elf of the same name appears in The Lord of the Rings, written many years after the original draft of The Fall of Gondolin: in The Fellowship of the Ring, he appears to assist the hobbit Frodo Baggins in his attempt to escape the servants of the Dark Lord Sauron, Morgoth's successor.[T 3]

As his ideas changed and evolved over the years, Tolkien wrote about Glorfindel's backstory at various times.[1] In the very first draft of the "Council of Elrond", which was to become The Fellowship of the Ring, the members of the Fellowship were to be Frodo, Gandalf, Trotter (later Strider/Aragorn), Glorfindel, Durin son of Balin (who became Gimli son of Glóin), Sam, Merry and Pippin; Boromir and Legolas did not come in until much later.[T 4] Early notes for the Council of Elrond state that Glorfindel "tells of his ancestry in Gondolin". In the final published version of The Fellowship of the Ring, Legolas is the representative of the Elven people, though the power that Tolkien attributed to Glorfindel remains as he is depicted as being strong enough to stand against the Nazgûl, and so he is chosen to guide Frodo to safety from them.[T 3]

Towards the end of his life, Tolkien would devote his last writings to the issue of Glorfindel and some related topics, as detailed in The Peoples of Middle-earth.[T 5][2] Christopher Tolkien stated that his father had not conceived the Glorfindel of The Lord of the Rings as the same person as the similarly named Elf of Gondolin, but had simply reused the name.[T 6] The issue lay in Tolkien's original conception of the spirits of dead Elves as being re-embodied in their old bodies after a Purgatory-like period in the Halls of Mandos in Valinor, the home of Tolkien's "gods", the Valar and Maiar, where Elves previously lived before (re)migrating to Middle-earth. After being re-embodied, previously dead Elves stay in Valinor permanently.[2]

Tolkien eventually decided that each Elf's name should be unique, and therefore the two Glorfindels should be one and the same.[2] In 1972, he wrote an essay in which he explains how Glorfindel returns to Middle-earth following his death in the First Age. On Glorfindel's status as a Noldor Exile, Tolkien noted that Glorfindel left Valinor reluctantly and is blameless in the Kinslaying, and since his sacrifice in defeating the Balrog was deemed to be "of vital importance to the designs of the Valar", he is granted an exemption to the Exiles' ban and purged of any guilt. Once restored and allowed to dwell in Valinor, his spiritual power is greatly enhanced, almost an equal of the Maiar.[2] Tolkien considered having Glorfindel as a companion to Gandalf during the latter's travel to Middle-earth in the Third Age,[1] but changed his mind as breaching the divide between Valinor and the "Circles of the World" would make him "of greater power and importance than seems fitting".[2] He proposed that Glorfindel is sent back to Middle-earth by the Valar during the Second Age c. 1600, when Barad-dûr was completed and Sauron forged the One Ring, and while Númenor was still friendly with the Elves under Tar-Minastir.[2] In one version he is sent as a predecessor to the Istari (Wizards); in a different version, he arrived in Middle-earth together with the Blue Wizards. At one point he was even considered as a possibility for the identity of one of the Wizards, but Tolkien abandoned the idea since the Elves were not initially conceived as possibilities for the Wizards, and he had come to the conclusion that they were exclusively Maiar.[T 5]

Biography

[edit]

The First Age

[edit]
The collapse of Turgon's Tower during the Fall of Gondolin. Artwork by Tom Loback

According to The Silmarillion, Glorfindel was born around the time of the Years of the Trees in Valinor. He was part of the host of Turgon, but only followed Turgon because of their kinship. He took no part in the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, but followed the rest of the Noldor host in their exile. Glorfindel later appears as a noble lord, one of King Turgon's chief lieutenants who oversees his retreat during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears.[T 2] After fighting in the city's defence, Glorfindel escaped together with Tuor, Idril, Eärendil and others. The survivors passed through the Encircling Mountains above Gondolin. However, they were ambushed by enemies, including a Balrog. Glorfindel fought the Balrog and succeeded in slaying the monster, but was himself mortally wounded. His body was recovered by the great eagle Thorondor and buried under a stone cairn, where afterward grew yellow flowers.[2] The Fall of Gondolin relates that "Glorfindel and the Balrog" became an in-universe proverb used in Elven culture to describe great skill and courage in battle.[T 1]

Following his death in the First Age, Glorfindel's spirit passed to the halls of Mandos in Valinor. The Valar eventually sent him back to Middle-Earth on a similar mission to that of the Istari, who appeared several thousand years later.[T 6]

The Third Age

[edit]

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Glorfindel was sent by Elrond of Rivendell in the direction that the Nazgûl were most likely to come from, to help the hobbit Frodo reach Rivendell. He set Frodo on his horse, Asfaloth, and has the hobbit riding ahead to the other side of the Ford of Bruinen, where he defies his pursuers. During his confrontation with Nazgûl at the Bridge of Mitheithel, Glorfindel reveals himself as a mighty Elf-lord terrible in his wrath; Frodo saw him as a shining figure.[T 3] He is nearly captured, but manages to drive the Nazgûl into the nearby river with the aid of Strider and Frodo's hobbit companions, where they were swept away by a wave of water resembling charging horses, an enchantment created by Elrond and Gandalf. While enjoying the hospitality of the Elves in Rivendell, Frodo was enchanted by the beauty and stature of Glorfindel and his kinfolk.[T 7] He sat in honour next to Elrond and Gandalf in the Hall of Fire in Rivendell, and was part of the Council of Elrond which deliberated on their collective response to the discovery of the One Ring.[T 7] He showed unusual wisdom by voicing caution about sending the Ring to the enigmatic Tom Bombadil, and suggested that the Ring be destroyed and that the Three Rings of the Elves be sacrifice to accomplish this quest.[2]

Gandalf described Glorfindel as "one of the mighty of the Firstborn" and "an Elf-lord of a house of princes." When Frodo asks about the protection of Rivendell from Sauron's forces, Gandalf explains:[T 7]

In Rivendell there live still some of his chief foes: the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the furthest seas. They do not fear the Ringwraiths, for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power.[T 7]

When Elrond seeks to fill the last two spots in the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring with folk of his own house, Gandalf mentioned Glorfindel. He justified the inclusion of Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took by saying:[T 8]

I think, Elrond, that in this matter it would be well to trust rather to their friendship than to great wisdom. Even if you chose for us an elf-lord, such as Glorfindel, he could not storm the Dark Tower, nor open the road to the Fire by the power that is in him.[T 8]

One of the Appendices usually published with the third volume, The Return of the King, relates that earlier in the Third Age, Glorfindel led the Elvish forces of Rivendell, the Grey Havens, and Lothlórien against Angmar in the Battle of Fornost. There he fought alongside Eärnur, the future king of Gondor, along with the remnants of Gondor's sister kingdom Arnor. When the Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgûl and chief servant of Sauron, rode out to defend his ruling seat at the captured Fornost, his presence frightened Eärnur's horse and sent the prince flying backwards, and the Witch-king mocked him. Glorfindel confronted the Witch-king, who fled into the night. Eärnur wished to pursue him, but Glorfindel bade him not to and prophesied the Witch-king would fall in the far future, but not by "the hand of man".[T 9] Many years later, during the War of the Ring, Éowyn (a woman) slays the Witch-king during the Battle of Pelennor Fields, assisted by Meriadoc Brandybuck (a hobbit[T 10]). Before Éowyn's slaying of the Witch-king, the reference to "man" in the prophecy had been interpreted to mean that no human at all would slay him, rather than that no male human would do so.[T 11]

Analysis

[edit]
Further information: Death and immortality in Middle-earth § Men and Elves

Alexander Lewis and Elizabeth Currie wrote that Glorfindel was a "chance reuse of no significance", and argued that Tolkien "tied himself, as well as readers and critics, in knots over the question of whether there were one or two characters of the name".[3] Don Anger speculated that Glorfindel's unequivocal death in The Fall of Gondolin may have prevented Tolkien from making an explicit connection between this Silmarillion character and the Elf with the same name in the published version of The Lord of the Rings.[2] Anger took the view that Tolkien's idea of a resolved story for the character was only "possibly realized" with the complete publication of the 12-volume book series The History of Middle-earth by 1996. He explained that as much of the background material for Glorfindel was unpublished when The Silmarillion was posthumously released, various Tolkien compendiums were forced into speculation to sate the curiosity of readers concerning the mystery of the character's death and sudden reappearance in The Lord of the Rings, citing The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion as an example.[2]

The theme of reincarnation and the concept of Elves being divinely empowered is explored in its fullest extent within Tolkien's legendarium through the character Glorfindel. Edmund Wainwright noted that Glorfindel is the best example of a male Elf in The Lord of the Rings who embodies his people's aspect as semi-divine beings, given his immense power.[4] Verlyn Flieger noted that the concept of Elven incarnation had been considered by the time of the publication of The Lord of the Rings. She suggested that being a devout Catholic, Tolkien initially found the idea to be theologically problematic and biologically difficult; he eventually reached the conclusion that "it is a biological dictum" in his imaginary world, and its purpose "largely literary".[5]

The Tolkien scholar Elizabeth Whittingham cited correspondence from readers, particularly Catholics like Father Murray and Peter Hastings. This raised questions that ultimately prompted changes to the mythology of Middle-earth, as acknowledged by Tolkien and his son Christopher. Whittingham noted that Tolkien sought to make his "secondary world" compatible with his "primary world", reconsidering his focus on metaphysical and philosophical explorations from the 1950s onwards. His revisions gradually moved the texts of his legendarium into closer alignment with Christianity. She observed that Glorfindel is a notable exception to Tolkien's later stance on abandoning one of his oldest concepts, reincarnation through rebirth, and that he is Tolkien's first attempt of contemplating the portrayal of a reincarnated elf.[1]

In Tor.com's bi-weekly series on "Exploring the People of Middle-earth", Megan Fontenot described Glorfindel's role in The Fellowship of the Ring as a shaman-like figure, a medium who has direct access to both the spiritual (Valinor) and physical (Middle-earth) worlds, and that his purpose is to protect those who are threatened by the powers of the Shadow. She noted that his previous battle with the Balrog in the First Age essentially serves as an "initiation" to a shamanic trial and journey.[6]

In other media

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Film and stage

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In Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated version, his role and lines from the narrative are given to Legolas. In Peter Jackson's 2001 live-action film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, his role is given to Arwen, who takes Frodo to the Ford and summons the floodwaters to disperse the Nazgûl through an incantation.[7] In the British musical stage adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, which ran from June 2007 to July 2008 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London's West End, the character was reimagined as a dark-haired elf-woman, played by Alma Ferović.[8] In the 2015 film The Martian, NASA Director Teddy Sanders asks to be called Glorfindel during the discussion of Project Elrond, a secret meeting about plans to rescue stranded astronaut Mark Watney.[9] The film's writer Drew Goddard claimed that the reference was his proudest moment in the film.[9]

Games

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Glorfindel appears as a non player character in the 2002 video game The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He is voiced by Steve Staley. In the 2006 real-time strategy game, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, Glorfindel's hair is silver-blond as opposed to his trademark golden-blond colour. He is featured on the game's box art, and is one of the playable hero units of the Elvish faction who rides his steed Asfaloth.[10] In the Lord of the Rings Online, Glorfindel appeared as a non-player character.[11] The Games Workshop tabletop strategy battle game adaptation of The Lord of the Rings features two versions of Glorfindel: In one form, he is fully clad in armour, while the other has Glorfindel clad in robes and riding Asfaloth.[12][13] A version of Glorfindel appears in the Lego Lord of the Rings video game, where he is available as downloadable content.[14]

References

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Primary

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  1. ^ a b c d e Tolkien 1984b, III "The Fall of Gondolin"
  2. ^ a b Tolkien 1977
  3. ^ a b c Tolkien 1954a, book 1, ch. 12 "Flight to the Ford"
  4. ^ Tolkien 1988
  5. ^ a b Tolkien 1996, ch. 13 "Last Writings", "The Five Wizards"
  6. ^ a b Tolkien 1996, ch. 13 "Last Writings", "Glorfindel"
  7. ^ a b c d Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 1 "Many Meetings"
  8. ^ a b Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 3 "The Ring Goes South"
  9. ^ Tolkien 1955, Appendix A, I, iv "Gondor and the heirs of Anarion"
  10. ^ Carpenter 2023, #31 to C.A. Furth of Allen & Unwin, 24 July 1938, states that Hobbits were a sub-group of Men rather than a distinct race.
  11. ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 6 "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"

Secondary

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  1. ^ a b c Whittingham, Elizabeth (2017). The Evolution of Tolkien's Mythology: A Study of the History of Middle-earth. McFarland. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-4766-1174-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Anger, Don A. (2013) [2006]. "Glorfindel". In Drout, Michael D. C. (ed.). The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia. Routledge. pp. 243–244. ISBN 978-1-1358-8033-0.
  3. ^ Lewis, Alexander; Currie, Elizabeth (2005). The Forsaken Realm of Tolkien: Tolkien and the Medieval Tradition. Medea. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-9543-2071-3.
  4. ^ Wainwright, Edmund (2004). Tolkien's Mythology for England: A Middle-Earth Companion. Anglo-Saxon. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-8982-8136-8.
  5. ^ Flieger, Verlyn, ed. (1997). A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faërie. Kent State University Press. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-8733-8699-9.
  6. ^ Fontenot, Megan N. (18 April 2019). "Exploring the People of Middle-earth: Glorfindel, Resurrected Hero and Spiritual Warrior". Tor.com. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  7. ^ Shippey, Tom (2005) [1982]. The Road to Middle-Earth (Third ed.). HarperCollins. pp. 413, 418–419. ISBN 978-0261102750.
  8. ^ Bennett, Ray (25 June 2007). "Theater Reviews". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  9. ^ a b "How "The Martian" Went From A Best-Selling Novel To A Blockbuster Film". Buzzfeed News. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  10. ^ Rorie, Matthew (17 July 2006). "The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II Walkthrough". Gamespot. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  11. ^ Cross, Keith (15 May 2007). "Characters of Middle-earth: Glorfindel". MMORPG.com. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Glorfindel and Erestor". Games Workshop. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Gildor Inglorion & Glorfindel". Games Workshop. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  14. ^ Asif, Ali (21 October 2020). "LEGO: Lord of the Rings Characters Unlock Guide". Segment Next. Retrieved 19 January 2021.

Sources

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