Caras Galadhon
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's legendarium
, Caras Galadhon is a fictional city in his work The Lord of the Rings
. It appears mostly in The Fellowship of the Ring
, but it is also mentioned in the Appendices of The Return of the King
.
Built deep in the Forest Realm of Lothlórien, the city was created in the middle of, on top of, and out of Mallorn trees brought to that land by Galadriel.
Since it was built by Amroth in the Third Age
, it quickly became the most populated place of Lothlórien and by the end of that age also became the most important settlement of the Galadhrim in Middle-earth
.
In the First Edition of The Lord of the Rings
, Caras Galadhon was spelled as Caras Galadon, but the "h" was later added to distinguish the Sindarin
root galad ("light
") from galadh ("tree
").
Outside of Lothlórien or any other Elven
settlement, the Westron
(Common Speech used by most Men
and Hobbit
s during the Third Age) variant of Caras Galadhon, City of Trees, was also widely used amongst Men to talk about the city.
met, close to the eastern border of the realm.
Although its position at the end of the Egladil ("The Angle", name given to the lands between the two rivers and location of the forest) and consequently near the Anduin favoured communication through Middle-earth, it made the city more vulnerable to attacks from Dol Guldur
, a Fortress of Sauron
to the east of Caras Galadhon, something which eventually happened during the War of the Ring
. It is thought that the city was constructed to prevent such an event, but Tolkien never included an explanation for it in his books or appendices. The City was also called "The City of Light and Song".
To help navigation inside the city, several stairs were made around the main tree which was lit by green flames during the night. There were also constructed talans, tree-platforms built in close proximity to the stairs and the trees. These structures created horizontal surfaces which could be used for shelter and to guard the city from intruders.
There were no entrance doors to the city which faced North and the Fellowship had to be guided through a white road, which surrounded the city and its moat, to the southern part of Caras Galadhon, where its entrance was found.
Other interesting places inside the city were Caras Galadhon's fountain, the Palace of Galadriel
and Celeborn
and the Mirror of Galadriel, which Frodo Baggins
and Samwise Gamgee
looked at during their one-month stay in Caras Galadhon.
known as Durin's Bane, in the year 1981 of the Third Age.
In that same year, Amroth, the former Lord of Lórien, went to the south of Middle-earth with his beloved Nimrodel, but drowned in the Bay of Belfalas
after she went missing in the Ered Nimrais
and never returned home. After this loss, the control of Lothlórien passed to Galadriel and Celeborn, which put them in Caras Galadhon at the time these two events happened.
, the Fellowship of the Ring was brought through Lórien to Caras Galadhon, and there met the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim. The Fellowship spent roughly a month at Caras Galadhon (between 17 January 3019 and 16 February of the same year).
Around the time of the siege of Minas Tirith
, Lórien was besieged itself by Dol Guldur three times:
These three attacks were able to ruin several parts of the forest, mostly the borders to the North and East (which were more exposed to Dol Guldur's strength), but also the West border was hindered, because the main force was helped by Orcs
from Moria
.
After the fall of Sauron, Galadriel and Celeborn marched to Dol Guldur and managed to rid it from Sauron's past influence. By the beginning of the Fourth Age
, the place which was previously Sauron's stronghold was renamed Amon Lanc and became part of Celeborn's East Lórien realm.
to the East. This new realm, ruled solely by Celeborn after Galadriel left for Valinor at the end of the Third Age, was called East Lórien by the Galadhrim who lived there.
However, the city slowly became depopulated after Galadriel's absence and Celeborn left the city for Rivendell
after a while and supposedly to Valinor later; Although it was called, at the time of the War of Ring, a "great city" where thousands of Silvan Elves lived, by the time of Aragorn Elessar
's death in the year 120 the land of Lórien was reported as being "silent" and Caras Galadhon was wholly abandoned by then, meaning that the Silvan Elves deserted it either for Mirkwood or Valinor, although the latter seems to be a vague option, because the ships that were prepared by Círdan
and the last of the elves of Lindon
, were the last known instances of elves crossing to Valinor
(barring Legolas
and possibly Gimli
's journey to Valinor).
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
, Caras Galadhon is a fictional city in his work 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...
. It appears mostly in The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It takes place in the fictional universe Middle-earth. It was originally published on July 29, 1954 in the United Kingdom...
, but it is also mentioned in the Appendices of The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
.
Built deep in the Forest Realm of Lothlórien, the city was created in the middle of, on top of, and out of Mallorn trees brought to that land by Galadriel.
Since it was built by Amroth in the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
, it quickly became the most populated place of Lothlórien and by the end of that age also became the most important settlement of the Galadhrim in Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
.
In the First Edition of 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...
, Caras Galadhon was spelled as Caras Galadon, but the "h" was later added to distinguish the Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
root galad ("light
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
") from galadh ("tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
").
Names
As with the case of the forest surrounding it, Tolkien also gave the city several names:| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Caras Galadhon | Fortress of Trees | Sindarin name used during the Third Age |
| Caras | Fortress | Shortened form of Caras Galadhon |
| Nelennas | The Gore | Ancient name of the City |
Outside of Lothlórien or any other Elven
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
settlement, the Westron
Westron
Westron, or the Common Speech, is a fictional language in the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien.Westron is the closest thing to a lingua franca in Middle-earth, at least at the time during which The Lord of the Rings is set. "Westron" is an invented English word, derived from West...
(Common Speech used by most Men
Man (Middle-earth)
The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...
and Hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
s during the Third Age) variant of Caras Galadhon, City of Trees, was also widely used amongst Men to talk about the city.
Geography
The city was built inside the Forest of Lothlórien, near the point where the rivers Celebrant and AnduinAnduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
met, close to the eastern border of the realm.
Although its position at the end of the Egladil ("The Angle", name given to the lands between the two rivers and location of the forest) and consequently near the Anduin favoured communication through Middle-earth, it made the city more vulnerable to attacks from Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
, a Fortress of Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
to the east of Caras Galadhon, something which eventually happened during the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
. It is thought that the city was constructed to prevent such an event, but Tolkien never included an explanation for it in his books or appendices. The City was also called "The City of Light and Song".
Architecture
As every space available had to be used to create the residence of the Elves, the city was constructed inside and around the surrounding trees which gave it its common name (see above).To help navigation inside the city, several stairs were made around the main tree which was lit by green flames during the night. There were also constructed talans, tree-platforms built in close proximity to the stairs and the trees. These structures created horizontal surfaces which could be used for shelter and to guard the city from intruders.
There were no entrance doors to the city which faced North and the Fellowship had to be guided through a white road, which surrounded the city and its moat, to the southern part of Caras Galadhon, where its entrance was found.
Other interesting places inside the city were Caras Galadhon's fountain, the Palace of Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and Celeborn
Celeborn
Celeborn is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven husband of Galadriel, Lord of the Galadhrim; and co-ruler along with Galadriel of Lothlórien. He was the father of Celebrían — the wife of Elrond — and thus the...
and the Mirror of Galadriel, which Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
and Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
looked at during their one-month stay in Caras Galadhon.
Third Age
Although there is no substantial information regarding Caras Galadhon's chronological origin, Celeborn's statement seems to indicate that the city had already been built when Dwarves fled from Khazad-dûm after unleashing the BalrogBalrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
known as Durin's Bane, in the year 1981 of the Third Age.
In that same year, Amroth, the former Lord of Lórien, went to the south of Middle-earth with his beloved Nimrodel, but drowned in the Bay of Belfalas
Bay of Belfalas
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Bay of Belfalas was a large southern bay in the Great Sea.The Bay of Belfalas was the remainder of the eastern edge of the Great Gulf that had divided Beleriand from the Lands to the South in the First Age...
after she went missing in the Ered Nimrais
White Mountains (Middle-earth)
The White Mountains, a loose translation of the Sindarin Ered Nimrais "Whitehorn Mountains", is a fictional mountain range in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The mountains are named after the glaciers of their highest peaks...
and never returned home. After this loss, the control of Lothlórien passed to Galadriel and Celeborn, which put them in Caras Galadhon at the time these two events happened.
War of the Ring
During the War of the RingWar of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
, the Fellowship of the Ring was brought through Lórien to Caras Galadhon, and there met the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim. The Fellowship spent roughly a month at Caras Galadhon (between 17 January 3019 and 16 February of the same year).
Around the time of the siege of Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
, Lórien was besieged itself by Dol Guldur three times:
- The first, during 11 March 3019, happened one day before Frodo's crossing of ShelobShelobShelob is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She appears at the end of the fourth book, second volume , of The Lord of the Rings.-Literature:...
's lair;
- The second battle happened four days later, on the same day of the Battle of the Pelennor FieldsBattle of the Pelennor FieldsIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy fiction, the Battle of Pelennor Fields is the battle for the city of Minas Tirith between the forces of Gondor and its allies, and the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron...
;
- The last occurred on 22 March, three days before the destruction of the One RingOne RingThe One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
.
These three attacks were able to ruin several parts of the forest, mostly the borders to the North and East (which were more exposed to Dol Guldur's strength), but also the West border was hindered, because the main force was helped by Orcs
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
from Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
.
After the fall of Sauron, Galadriel and Celeborn marched to Dol Guldur and managed to rid it from Sauron's past influence. By the beginning of the Fourth Age
Fourth Age
In the fictional world of middle earth "'the fourth age'" and the ages that preceded it, are time periods from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth, described in his fantasy writings...
, the place which was previously Sauron's stronghold was renamed Amon Lanc and became part of Celeborn's East Lórien realm.
Fourth Age and Beyond
When the War of the Ring ended and Dol Guldur was destroyed, Caras Galadhon became the capital of a much wider realm, which at that time spanned both sides of the river Anduin and shared a border with MirkwoodMirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
to the East. This new realm, ruled solely by Celeborn after Galadriel left for Valinor at the end of the Third Age, was called East Lórien by the Galadhrim who lived there.
However, the city slowly became depopulated after Galadriel's absence and Celeborn left the city for Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
after a while and supposedly to Valinor later; Although it was called, at the time of the War of Ring, a "great city" where thousands of Silvan Elves lived, by the time of Aragorn Elessar
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
's death in the year 120 the land of Lórien was reported as being "silent" and Caras Galadhon was wholly abandoned by then, meaning that the Silvan Elves deserted it either for Mirkwood or Valinor, although the latter seems to be a vague option, because the ships that were prepared by Círdan
Círdan
Círdan the Shipwright is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. He was a Telerin Elf, a great mariner and shipwright, and lord of the Falas during much of the First Age. He was the bearer of the Great Ring Narya, which he in turn gave to Gandalf.He had a beard, which was rare for...
and the last of the elves of Lindon
Lindon (Middle-earth)
Lindon is the land beyond the Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, in the northwest of Middle-earth in the fictional universe of J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the westernmost land of the continent. The Gulf of Lune divides it into Forlindon and Harlindon...
, were the last known instances of elves crossing to Valinor
Valinor
Valinor is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the realm of the Valar in Aman. It was also known as the Undying Lands, along with Tol Eressëa and the outliers of Aman. This is something of a misnomer; only immortal beings were allowed to reside there, but the land itself,...
(barring Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
and possibly Gimli
Gimli (Middle-earth)
Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
's journey to Valinor).
See also
- Battle of Lothlórien
- Cerin Amroth
- Fate of the Elves of Middle-earth
- Haldir of Lórien
External links
- Caras Galadhon at the Encyclopedia of Arda
- Caras Galadhon at the Tolkien Gateway