# Diminish?



## balrog (Feb 22, 2003)

*dimish?*

In the Fellowship Of The Ring, after Galadriel says 'In place of a dark lord you would have a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn...ect....she states to Frodo:

'I will go into the west and diminish, and remain Galadriel'

what does she mean by deminish, as she is immortal?
and what does she mean by go to the west? Is she refering to leaving middle earth? to go where?

thanks for your help!


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## Goldberry (Feb 22, 2003)

Go into the west means go to the Undying Lands. Diminish, is harder to say, because JRRT does not really tell us. But I think it is to be less powerful, certainly so in Middle-earth.


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## Ravenna (Feb 22, 2003)

When Galadriel refers to diminishing, I would assume, rather than becoming less powerful in herself, apart from the obvious loss of the power of her Ring, but to the fact that she , by returning to Aman, will go from being the most esteemed and powerful elf in Middle Earth, to being nobody particularly special in the undying lands where there are elves who never left, and far more who saw the light of the Trees.
Not less in herself, just not as special as she appeared to mortal folk in Middle Earth.


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## Dáin Ironfoot I (Feb 23, 2003)

OK heres a better explanation. 

Galadriel and many other Elves came from the 'West' or Valinor, or the Undying Lands (it has many names) while the world was young. These Elves (the Noldor) were banished from Valinor and forbidden to come back. After the Dark Vala Morgoth (Sauron's boss) was defeated in the War of Wrath, the Elves were allowed to return to Valinor, but the remaining Noldor leaders were not allowed to come back. While she resided in Middle Earth, she recieved Nenya, the Ring of Water. This Ring was desired by Sauron, but she kept it in secret, and in safety. When Frodo brought the One Ring into her borders, she was tempted by its powerm hence the "Dark Queen" visage. However she resisted and the Valar (the Gods) saw this and allowed her access to Valinor once again. I will return to the West, and remain Galadriel. Ta da! The Diminishing can mean many things, but I believe she was referring to the loss of her Ring in the future, because I think she knew Frodo would succeed in destroying the Ring. When the One was gone, the others lost their powers as well.


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## reem (Feb 24, 2003)

err...i agree with whatever Ironfoot says! 
one question to Ironfoot, is this in the Silmarillion?
reem


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## Ithrynluin (Feb 24, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Ravenna _
> *When Galadriel refers to diminishing, I would assume, rather than becoming less powerful in herself, apart from the obvious loss of the power of her Ring, but to the fact that she , by returning to Aman, will go from being the most esteemed and powerful elf in Middle Earth, to being nobody particularly special in the undying lands where there are elves who never left, and far more who saw the light of the Trees.
> Not less in herself, just not as special as she appeared to mortal folk in Middle Earth. *



I agree with Ravenna. I definitely don't see this as a reference to the loss of her ring.


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## Dáin Ironfoot I (Feb 24, 2003)

It's all opinion... but I don't think Galadriel is referring to a diminishing in her status as wisest Elf for the reason in that she is not concieted. I know it is never stated in the book, but Tolkien made her character to be wise and compassionate, and thinking of others before herself. That is why she resisted the Ring, right? Even if she would become the most powerful Queen in all Middle-Earth, others would fall to her power and ultimately would be destroyed. She does not care what happens to her or her realm, as long as it benefits the free peoples of Middle-Earth in the end. After all she _did_ allow the company to enter her borders, and a Dwarf was with them! Not even Celeborn wanted Gimli to pass. Think about it... she would not have allowed them to enter her lands if she cared only about her status and power, as they inadvertantly brought the doom of Lothlorien with them.

It makes sense to me anyways...


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## Ravenna (Feb 26, 2003)

Dain. I never meant to imply that Galadriel was conceited in any way, but that she was simply stating a fact of life. In that respect, I concede that the loss of Nenya played a part. There is also the fact that the time of the Elves was ending and that they were, as a race, going to leave ME and diminish in stature, fading eventually perhaps to the status of myth and legend that pervades our own society. 
If she had taken the One Ring, she alone would not have been subject to that fading. In saying that she will diminish, she is acknowledging the power and status that COULD have been hers, but also accepting that by her rejection of temptation, she will no longer be even as much as she currently is.
This to my mind, is not proof of conceit, but of humility.


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## Dáin Ironfoot I (Feb 26, 2003)

OK no reason to get funny. That makes sense, but I think it has more to do with the ring, thats all. Her kingdom, her entire life is going to fade and utterly diminish. It saddens her.


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