The Tolkien Dictionary — Part 3

This is the third part of the Tolkien Dictionary, a series where I examine uncommon words from The Fellowship of the Ring.

 

*****

Dale: a valley

Freshet: a rush of fresh water

Following Gandalf’s demise, the remaining members of the Fellowship successfully fled from the attacks of their enemies in Moria. Afterward, the Fellowship  continued on their journey to Mordor, to destroy the Ruling Ring.

 

The road now turned south and went quickly downwards, running out from between the arms of the dale.

Some way below the mere they came on a deep well of water, clear as crystal, from which a freshet fell over a stone lip and ran glistening and gurgling down a steep rocky channel.

'Here is the spring from which the Silverlode rises.' said Gimli. 'Do not drink of it! It is icy cold.'

'Soon it becomes a swift river, and it gathers water from many other mountain-streams,' said Aragorn. 'Our road leads beside it for many miles.’ (Book Two, Chapter 6)

 

The Fellowship’s path took them through a valley. The adventurers observed a spring of fresh water that flowed into the Silverlode River, which would accompany their path for several miles.  

 

*****

Fir-trees: a type of evergreen tree

Harts-tounge: a type of evergreen fern

Whortle-berry: a common name for any of several different types of berries

 

Soon afterwards, they came upon another stream that ran down from the west, and joined its bubbling water with the hurrying Silverlode. Together they plunged over a fall of green-hued stone, and foamed down into a dell. About it stood fir-trees, short and bent, and its sides were steep and clothed with harts-tounge and shrubs of whortle-berry. (Book Two, Chapter 6)

  

The river dropped down into a valley, where it was surrounded by evergreen trees, leafy ferns, and berry-laden shrubs. 

 

***** 

Fosse: a long, narrow trench, especially in a fortification 

Elves led the Fellowship to Caras Galadhon, the City of Trees, in the beautiful forest kingdom of Lorien, to meet their king and queen. Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel ruled Lorien together.

 

Suddenly they came out into the open again and found themselves under a pale evening sky pricked by a few early stars. 

There was a wide treeless space before them, running in a great circle and bending away on either hand. Beyond it was a deep fosse lost in soft shadow, but the grass upon its brink was green, as if it glowed still in memory of the sun that had gone. (Book Two, Chapter 7)

 

The City of Trees was surrounded by a protective trench. The grass surrounding the trench glowed green, even though the sun had already set.

 

***** 

Ewer: a large jug with a wide mouth  

Lady Galadriel took Frodo and Sam to see the Mirror of Galadriel, which can show an observer visions of things that have been, things that are currently happening, or things that may happen in the future.

 

Down a long flight of steps the Lady went into a deep green hollow, through which ran murmuring the silver stream that issued from the fountain on the hill. 

At the bottom, upon a low pedestal carved like a branching tree, stood a basin of silver, wide and shallow, and beside it stood a silver ewer.  

With water from the stream Galadriel filled the basin to the brim, and breathed on it, and when the water was still again she spoke. 

'Here is the Mirror of Galadriel,' she said. 'I have brought you here so that you may look in it, if you will.' (Book Two, Chapter 7)

 

Lady Galadriel took Frodo and Sam into a garden, where she showed them a stream, a basin, and a large jug. Using the jug, she filled the basin with water from the stream. 

Galadriel breathed onto the water to activate her mystical mirror. 

 

***** 

Twilit: illuminated by twilight

Frodo decided to peer into the mysterious Mirror of Galadriel.

  

‘I will look,’ said Frodo, and he climbed on the pedestal and bent over the dark water. At once the Mirror cleared and he saw a twilit land. Maintains loomed dark in the distance against a pale sky. (Book Two, Chapter 7)

 

When Frodo looked into the mirror, he saw a mountainous land illuminated by twilight.   

*****

Worshipful: (archaic) entitled to honor or respect 

The word is now commonly used to refer to someone who feels or shows reverence or adoration.  

Previously, the term could refer to the person being worshiped. Today, it is used primarily to refer to the person worshiping.

Frodo offered to give the Ring of Power to Lady Galadriel. She considered his offer, and described her conflicting thoughts. 

Galadriel said she partly wished to receive the ring. She described how wonderful, powerful, and frightening she could be if she wielded the power of the Ruling Ring.

Even her appearance changed as she discussed what she might become if she commanded the power of the One Ring.  

But she already wore one of the three Elven Rings, from which considerable power arose.

 

'And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!' 

She lifted up her hand, and from the ring that she wore there issued a great light that illuminated her alone and left all else dark.

She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful. Then she let her hand fall, and the light faded, and suddenly she laughed again, and lo! she was shrunken: a slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad.

'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West and remain Galadriel.' (Book Two, Chapter 7)

 

For a moment, Galadriel appeared tall, beautiful, and terrible. She appeared as a powerful ruler worthy of being worshiped.  

Then she shrank into the form of a simple elf who wore modest clothes.

Galadriel declined Frodo’s offer and chose not to receive the Ring of Power. 

  

*****

Fen: a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land  

Celeborn, who ruled Lorien alongside his wife Galadriel, gave directions to members of the Fellowship before they departed Lorien to continue along their journey.

Celeborn directed his guidance largely to Boromir and Aragorn, who were more familiar with the region of Middle Earth where the Fellowship would soon travel. 

  

'As you go down the water,' he said, 'you will find that the trees will fail, and you will come to a barren country. There the River flows in stony vale amid high moors, until at last after many leagues it comes to the tall island of the Tindrock, that we call Tol Brandir.’

‘There it casts its arms about the steep shores of the isle, and falls then with a great noise and smoke over the cataracts of Rauros down into the Nindalf, the Wetwang as it is called in your tongue. That is a wide region of sluggish fen where the stream becomes tortuous and much divided.’ 

‘There the Entwash flows in by many mouths from the Forest of Fangorn in the west. About that stream, on this side of the Great River, lies Rohan. On the further side are the bleak hills of the Emyn Muil.’ (Book Two, Chapter 8)

 

Celeborn warned members of the Fellowship of a place where the River they would soon sail would become difficult to travel.

As someone who is unfamiliar with the places Celeborn is referencing, his directions appear confusing and hard to follow.

I’m sure the Hobbits, who were unfamiliar with parts of the world far from the Shire, were similarly confused during Celeborn’s directions.

But it also makes for difficult reading, except for readers who are intimately familiar with the geography of Middle Earth.

  

*****

Phial: vial

Lady Galadriel gave gifts to the members of the Fellowship as they departed Lorien.

  

‘And you, Ring-bearer,’ she said, turning to Frodo. ‘I come to you last who are not last in my thoughts. For you I have prepared this.’ She held up a small crystal phial: it glittered as she moved it, and rays of white light sprang from her hand.

‘In this phial,’ she said, ‘is caught the light of Earendil’s star, set amid the waters of my fountain. It will shine still brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out. Remember Galadriel and her Mirror!’  

Frodo took the phial, and for a moment as it shone between them, he saw her again standing like a queen, great and beautiful, but no longer terrible.

He bowed, but found no words to say. (Book Two, Chapter 8)

  

Galadriel gave Frodo a vial that contained light from a star that was of great importance to the Elves. She hoped it would aid Frodo and bring him comfort during his dangerous quest.