# Galadriel's test and departure from ME



## Rasec

*Galadriel - ?!?!?*

I have a doubt.
Do u people know that part of the book that Frodo and Galadriel meet and then Frodo looks in her mirror? Then he offers the ring to her, but she doesnt get it.
THE DOUBT IS: why does Galadriel say "I passed the test". which test is this?  

well, if someone could help me i would be much thankful.
hugs to all,

Cesar, Brazil.


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## Goldberry344

the ring is the test. she didnt take the ring, so she passed the test. the test of temptation that the ring put in front of her. She could have become allpowerful etc. but she said no.


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## Mormegil

Ok, this is going to be sort of confusing if you haven't read the Silmarillion.

About 7000 years before LOTR takes place, the majority of the Elves, including Galadriel lived in Valinor, the undying lands in the west where the Valar and Maia (gods) live.
In this time, the Noldor rebelled against the gods and came to Middle Earth, following Feanor to reclaim the Silmarils that had been stolen by Morgoth. Galadriel was one of the leaders of the Noldor.
After the War of Wrath and the fall of Morgoth, the Valar set a ban upon Galadriel's return to Valinor, she was the only surviving leader of the rebellion. Galadriel was forced to remain in Middle Earth.

Galadriel did a lot of good throughout the 2nd and 3rd ages, and when Frodo offered her the ring, it was a test to see if she could turn down the power. She did, so she passed the test, proving that she was worthy of forgiveness from the Valar, and allowing her to sail west to Valinor.

I hope that makes sense. If you read the Silmarillion it makes more sense over all.


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## Thorin

> _Originally posted by Mormegil _
> *Galadriel did a lot of good throughout the 2nd and 3rd ages, and when Frodo offered her the ring, it was a test to see if she could turn down the power. She did, so she passed the test, proving that she was worthy of forgiveness from the Valar, and allowing her to sail west to Valinor.*



Actually, the ban on the Noldor was lifted a long time before that. The test was to refuse the ring and "remain Galadriel" and go to the West, or to take the ring and establish her kingdom on ME. Going to the west was already an option for her.


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## tasar

Perhaps 'the test' simply ment the everongoing struggle between good and evil. The Point is, that it's hard to tell the difference. So when Galadriel refused the ring, she did it because she was wise enough to understand what the ring was all about (you know - suffering, death, horrible stuff). So it was like an exam. And she passed it and realised that there's absolutely nothing else to do in Middle-Earth. So she left...


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## Rangerdave

> _Originally posted by tasar _
> *Perhaps 'the test' simply ment the everongoing struggle between good and evil. *




Good theory, I like it.

I had always felt that the test was not so much Good vs Evil, but the choice between passion and wisdom. Having the wisdom to deny her passions for power,Galadriel proved herself the master (mistress?) or her own mind. The choice to deny the ring was a bitter one. But in the end, She chose to deny her passions and help bring about the end of the Elves mastery of Middle Earth.

RD


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## Rasec

*Thanks to all*

Thanks to all who answered me about galadriel and the test. 
i didnt read te silmarillion and i didnt even know that it exists, well, hope i read it soon.
thanks people.

Cesar.


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## Theoden

wow, interesting. this is making my hands itch for the Silmarillion.


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## Gil-Galad

Well,Galadriel wasn't allowed to go back in Valinor.The other version which I have read in UT says that she was too proud to go back in Valinor.But in that case the first version is what is important.The test is whether she will take the ring.She manages to pass this test and later is allowed to back in Valinor with the last ships .


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## Niniel

The UT says that the whole story about Galadriel is quite complicated; apparently Tolkien wanted to change all kinds of things in the story, but never got around to it. But it does say that Galadriel was allowed at the end of the First Age to return to Valinor, but that she refused; either because she was too proud, or because she still wanted a realm for herself which she couldn't get there.


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## Ithrynluin

> _Originally posted by Niniel _
> *either because she was too proud, or because she still wanted a realm for herself which she couldn't get there. *



Or because she felt she had some unfinished business, and that it was her duty to stay in Middle Earth until evil was vanquished.

From _Unfinished Tales; The History of Galadriel and Celeborn_:



> Or rather, since Sauron had as yet no single name, and his operations had not been perceived to proceed from a single evil spirit, prime servant of Melkor, she perceived that there was an evil controlling purpose abroad in the world, and that it seemed to proceed from a source further to the East, beyond Eriador and the Misty Mountains.



She also stayed for Celeborn's sake: 



> For love of Celeborn, who would not leave Middle-earth (and probably with some pride of her own, for she had been one of those eager to adventure there), she did not go West at the Downfall of Melkor, but crossed Ered Lindon with Celeborn and came into Eriador.


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## Lantarion

Great quotes, ithryn; even though there must be at least three different versions of the History of Galadriel and Celeborn..


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## Beleg

Their used to be a thread in GOS where Galadriel's motives for staying in Middle-Earth were discussed in Great detail. It would have been helpful to read that. 

Sadly I cant find a link.


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## Ithrynluin

Here it is, Beleg: Galadriel's love for her brother. One of my personal favourites.


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## Arvedui

When I read through this thread, a passage from _HoME 12 - The Peoples of Middle-earth_ came to my mind:


> So it came to pass that when the light of Valinor failed, for ever as the Noldor thought, she joined the rebellion against the Valar who commanded them to stay; and once she had set foot upon that road of exile, she would not relent, but rejected the last message of the Valar, and came under the Doom of Mandos. Even after the merciless assault upon the Teleri and the rape of their ships, though she fought fiercely against Fëanor in defence of her mother's kin, she did not turn back. Her pride was unwilling to return, a defeated suppliant for pardon; but now she burned with desire to follow Fëanor with her anger to whatever lands he might come, and to thwart him in all ways she could. Pride still moved her when, at the end of the Elder Days after the final overthrow of Morgoth, she refused the pardon of the Valar for all who had fought against him, and remained in Middle-earth. It was not until two long ages more had passed, when at last all that she had desired in her youth came to her hand, *the Ring of Power and the dominion of Middle-earth of which she had dreamed, that her wisdom was full grown and she rejected it, and passing the last test departed from Middle-earth for ever*


From _The Shibboleth of Fëanor._

IMO, this should give the full account of what the test was.


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## Celebthôl

*How is it that Galadriel can....*

How is it that Galadriel can go back to Valinor?

In the Curse of Mandos towards all those that left Aman it was said that none may ever come back, and that they should all reciede into shadows if they are not slain, and soon enough they would end up in the Halls of Mandos.

But at the end of the third age Galadriel goes back to Valinor, how? How is she allowed to? Does this mean that the Valar do not make good on their own curses and profecies?

Thôl


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## Lantarion

This has been discussed before, but I can't remember what the conclusion was.. 
I think the Ban was lifted long before Galadriel actually left Middle-earth. And she was the only surviving member of Fëanor's mob at the time; and she had worked so hard and successfully against Sauron throughout her stay in M-e that I think she was redeemed on their merit.


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## Eriol

if I remember correctly (?), the wording of the Curse at that point ("You will not be allowed to come back") is preceded by "Valinor will be hidden, and ...". Well, I take this to mean the Enchanted Isles, and how they would not be allowed to come back _physically_, not by reason of any ban. It follows that when the way is opened and made accessible to all Elves the Curse is lifted. 

Galadriel is a special case in so far as in some versions of her story she went to M-E by herself, without taking part in the rebellion. But UT has a lot of information about that.


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## Ithrynluin

From _Unfinished Tales; The History of Galadriel and Celeborn_:



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



Galadriel was pardoned for her rejection of the Ring and her contributions in the war against Sauron.


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## Celebthôl

hey someone merged my thread  im guessing it was ithy


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## LadyRanger

Hey Resac! I was wondering the same thing you were wondering too. Glad I finally came by this thread.


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## darkG

I'd say it is not complicated. Gandalf also had the choice, and responded similarly. The Power is tempting. Refusing it, informed by knowing what it will imply, is "passing a test". Saruman didn't get the ring, but made a similar (but opposite) choice. Boromir, as well, is relevant to this choice of paths.

In our world, maybe getting atom bombs or not is somewhat similar? Pardon the politics implied, I think it's not too far fetched.

Can the Good wield any weapon and still be Good? Galadriel doesn't think so. Corrupted power is worse than power dimished. And power, it is known, will corrupt.


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## Elthir

Thorin said:


> Actually, the ban on the Noldor was lifted a long time before that. The test was to refuse the ring and "remain Galadriel" and go to the West, or to take the ring and establish her kingdom on ME. Going to the west was already an option for her.



Mormegil has related the tale of Galadriel that Tolkien himself published in _The Road Goes Ever On_: when the Ban of the Noldor was lifted, Galadriel's special ban was not, although she proudly answered that she had no wish to return in any case.

The various confusions regarding Galadriel's motives and so on, found in _Unfinished Tales,_ must bow to author-published text in my opinion -- which however, still leaves a relevant statement in _The Lord of the Rings_ in question -- as, directly after passing the test, Galadriel seems to speak as if she can go back, before her pardon is (seemingly) known to her. I have thought about the pardon arriving swiftly to Galadriel's mind from a Vala, but this doesn't sit too well with her song (or songs?) that come after.

And it's the song (or songs) that Tolkien speaks to in _The Road Goes Ever On,_ published in the 1960s, where it is expressly stated that Galadriel was uniquely banned for her role as a leader over the Grinding Ice. A letter of similar date also notes Galadriel's extended Ban.

And as I read the runes, it is easier to interpret Galadriel's words in TLOTR to fit the very clear statements in RGEO -- though some might find a given interpretation "too" strained (while others might not), explaining away RGEO seems more difficult here.

Again, the wider complications/confusions only came when Christopher Tolkien published stuff about Galadriel and Celeborn in UT (and Letters), stuff that JRRT himself never published.

And then came "canon" debates. I remember simpler times.

Of course back then I also didn't have a PC with which to debate anything 

We debated face to face! Or more slowly, by pigeon post.


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