Telperion

From Tolkien Gateway
(Redirected from Silpion)
The name White Tree refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see White Tree (disambiguation).
Telperion
Tree/source of light
Ralph Damiani - Telperion.jpg
"Telperion" by Ralph Damiani
Pronunciationtel-pair-ee-on
Other namesIbrīniðilpathānezel (V)
LocationEzellohar
AppearanceLeaves of dark green, shining silver beneath; boughs decked with brilliant flowers that shed a rain of silver dew
CreatorYavanna
V.Y. 3450–3500
DestroyerMelkor and Ungoliant
Y.T. 1495
GalleryImages of Telperion

Telperion was the elder of the Two Trees of Valinor, called the White Tree, which shed silver light on the domain of the Valar. His leaves were of dark green, shining silver beneath, and his boughs were decked with brilliant flowers that shed a rain of silver dew, which was collected as a source of water and of light.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

Telperion was the elder of the Two Trees, and bloomed during the first part of the Valian day, followed by Laurelin. It endured throughout the Years of the Trees, but came to an end in the dreadful Darkening of Valinor.

However one of Telperion's flowers survived the Darkening, and was set aloft by the Valar; this was the light of the Moon, carried by Tilion the Maia.[2]

In the First Age, Turgon made images of the Two Trees that stood in his court of Gondolin, and the one made in memory of Telperion was Belthil.[3]

Telperion's descendants[edit | edit source]

Even though the elder tree did not survive, he was not the last of the White Trees. Because the Elves that first came to Valinor especially loved Telperion, Yavanna made a second tree like it to stand in the city of Tirion where the Vanyar and Noldor dwelt together at first. This tree, named Galathilion, was identical to Telperion except that it gave no light of its own. It had many seedlings, one of which was Celeborn on the isle of Tol Eressëa.[4]

In the Second Age, a seedling of Celeborn was brought as a gift to the Númenoreans — that was Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor. It lasted through the vast majority of the realm's duration, but when Sauron took control of the island he had king Ar-Pharazôn chop it down. Fortunately, Isildur managed to save a single fruit of that tree. Of this fruit later came the White Tree of Gondor.[5]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Telperion comes from the root telepi/telpë ("silver").[6] The exact etymology of the ending -rion is not clear. Latter elements may include ("garland, wreath"),[7] and/or ere ("the one" or "first")[8][9] along with the suffix -on or -ion.

The Quenya form was actually Tyelperion but Quenya adopted telpë from Telerin.[10]

Other names[edit | edit source]

Another Quenya name for Telperion was Silpion.[11] It is derived from the root SIL (shine (with white or silver light))"[12] or from the extended root SILIP,[13] and the suffix -ion.[14] It was sometimes glossed the "White Tree of Valinor",[13] or simply the "White Tree".

Ninquelótë was a Quenya title of Telperion.[1] Ninquelótë means "White Flower" or (perhaps more likely in this context) "White Blossom". The Sindarin equivalent of this Quenya name was Nimloth, and indeed that name was inherited by the White Tree that grew in the King's Court of Númenor.

Ibrīniðilpathānezel was the name in Valarin of Telperion.[15]

In early writings of Tolkien Telperion's names were Silpion, Bansil and Belthil.[source?]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

 
 
 
Telperion
Destroyed by Morgoth and Ungoliant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Galathilion on Túna
Made in the image of Telperion
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Celeborn of Tol Eressëa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nimloth of Númenor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First Tree of Gondor (Minas Ithil)
S.A. 3320 - 3429 (planted by Isildur)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Second Tree of Gondor (Minas Anor)
T.A. 2 - 1636 (planted by Isildur)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Third Tree of Gondor (Minas Tirith)
T.A. 1640 - 2872 (planted by Tarondor)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fourth Tree of Gondor (Minas Tirith)
Since T.A. 3019 (planted by Elessar)
 
 
 
 


See also[edit | edit source]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Beginning of Days"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor"
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names" celeb-
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names"kal-
  8. "ereb", Eldamo (accessed 20 August 2020)
  9. "ereg", Eldamo (accessed 20 August 2020)
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Appendix E: The Names of Celeborn and Galadriel", p. 266
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Two. The Annals of Aman: Commentary on the first section of the Annals of Aman", p. 59 (commentary to §5)
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", sil-
  13. 13.0 13.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", entry "SIL"
  14. https://eldamo.org/content/words/word-4167656007.html?neo
  15. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Four. Quendi and Eldar: Appendix D. *Kwen, Quenya, and the Elvish (especially Ñoldorin) words for 'Language': Note on the 'Language of the Valar'", p. 401