A Elbereth Gilthoniel
Encyclopedia
A Elbereth Gilthoniel is an Elvish hymn
to Varda
in J. R. R. Tolkien
's The Lord of the Rings
.
found in the novel:
published a musical rendition in the musical score of the song cycle The Road Goes Ever On
. He and Donald Elvin also recorded this song cycle on an LP record. The LP also included a recording of Tolkien reading this prayer. The Road Goes Ever On was republished in 1978 and 1993, and the recording was released as a CD in 1993. The CD contained only the song cycle (including "A Elbereth Gilthoniel"), but not Tolkien's reading of the prayer.
The 1981 dramatisation by BBC Radio of the Lord of the Rings
, included a version composed by Stephen Oliver which was released as the second track of soundtrack album, which itself is included in some commercial versions of the BBC's production.
The German heavy metal band Ibn Ghalad also wrote a ballad of that name. The refrain is made of the Sindarin text and of its English translation while the verse is loosely on the same topic.
A rendition composed by David Long with Plan 9 (David Donaldson, Steve Roche
, and Janet Roddick) is briefly heard in the Extended Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, where Sam and Frodo
encounter "wood elves" who are singing the hymn while leaving Middle-earth
. The complete song ("Passing of the Elves" / "Elvish Lament") is included in The Complete Recordings edition of the soundtrack for the film.
The Russian fantasy music band Aira & Saruman recorded their own version of this hymn. The first stanza of Aira & Saruman's version is the original Sindarin, and the two other are sung in Russian.
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
to Varda
Varda
Varda Elentári is a deity in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium to whom the hymn A Elbereth Gilthoniel is directed..-Character overview:Varda is one of the Valar, a group of semi-divine beings similar to archangels. Also known as "Queen of the stars", she is said to be too beautiful for words; within...
in J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
.
The Hymn
There are three versions of this hymn, the first of which being the largest portion of SindarinSindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
found in the novel:
Musical Versions
In 1967 Donald SwannDonald Swann
Donald Ibrahím Swann was a British composer, musician and entertainer. He is best known to the general public for his partnership of writing and performing comic songs with Michael Flanders .-Life:...
published a musical rendition in the musical score of the song cycle The Road Goes Ever On
The Road Goes Ever On
The Road Goes Ever On is a song cycle that has been published as sheet music and as an audio recording. The music was written by Donald Swann, and the words are taken from poems in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, especially The Lord of the Rings.The title of this opus is taken from "The...
. He and Donald Elvin also recorded this song cycle on an LP record. The LP also included a recording of Tolkien reading this prayer. The Road Goes Ever On was republished in 1978 and 1993, and the recording was released as a CD in 1993. The CD contained only the song cycle (including "A Elbereth Gilthoniel"), but not Tolkien's reading of the prayer.
The 1981 dramatisation by BBC Radio of the Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)
In 1981 the UK radio station BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in 26 half-hour stereo instalments...
, included a version composed by Stephen Oliver which was released as the second track of soundtrack album, which itself is included in some commercial versions of the BBC's production.
The German heavy metal band Ibn Ghalad also wrote a ballad of that name. The refrain is made of the Sindarin text and of its English translation while the verse is loosely on the same topic.
A rendition composed by David Long with Plan 9 (David Donaldson, Steve Roche
Steve Roche
Steve Roche is a New Zealand composer and performer. He is principally known for his involvement in film music and as a creator of film soundtrack and ambient music.-Composing:...
, and Janet Roddick) is briefly heard in the Extended Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, where Sam and Frodo
Frodo
Frodo may mean:*Frodo Baggins, a character in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien*"Frodo", a song by New Zealand folk-duo Flight of the Conchords*Fróði, the name of a number of Danish kings, Latinized as Frodo*Frodo...
encounter "wood elves" who are singing the hymn while leaving Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
. The complete song ("Passing of the Elves" / "Elvish Lament") is included in The Complete Recordings edition of the soundtrack for the film.
The Russian fantasy music band Aira & Saruman recorded their own version of this hymn. The first stanza of Aira & Saruman's version is the original Sindarin, and the two other are sung in Russian.