Gildor

2009-05-22T19:15:57Z

74.62.87.26: /* Life */

{{noldor infobox
| image=[[Image:Alan Lee - Frodo meets Gildor.jpg|250px]]
| name=Gildor Inglorion
| quenya=
| titles=Of the House of Finrod
| birth=[[First Age]]
| realm=[[Rivendell]]
| death=
| age=
| gender=Male
| parentage=
| spouse=
| children=
| hair=
|}}
<center>{{quote|Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.|Gildor Inglorion<ref name="3IC">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', "'[[Three is Company]]"</ref>}}</center>
'''Gildor Inglorion''' was a [[Noldor|Noldorin]] [[Elves|Elf]] of the House of [[Finrod Felagund|Finrod]], who in the [[Third Age]] lived in [[Rivendell]].

==Life==
Gildor was one of the [[Exiles]] of the [[House of Finrod]]. He could have been born on [[Valinor]] and then followed [[Fëanor]] under [[Finrod]], or simply born later on [[Beleriand]] during the [[First Age]]. During the [[Second Age|Second]] or [[Third Age]], he followed [[Elrond]] and lived in [[Rivendell]].{{fact}}

In September [[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]], he traveled with a [[Wandering Companies|company]] to Rivendell. They returned from the [[Emyn Beraid]], where they went to see [[Elbereth]] in the ''[[Elostirion-stone|palantír]]'' that was kept there. On the [[September 24|24th]], they met [[Frodo Baggins]], [[Samwise Gamgee]] and [[Peregrin Took]] on the road near the [[Woody End]]. They ate and sang, and Gildor discussed the peril that haunted the three [[hobbits]]. This peril, a [[Black Riders|Black Rider]], was near, but fled as he heard the Elves chant of Elbereth. After seperating from the hobbits, he went to the house of [[Tom Bombadil]]; this must have happened before the [[September 26|26th]]. He also sent a message to [[Elrond]].<ref name="3IC"/>

Nothing else is known to have befallen him, and two years later, on [[September 22]], [[Third Age 3021|T.A. 3021]], he met the Hobbits once again. He accompanied a riding of great Lords and Ladies, that planned to sail [[West]] on board the [[White Ship]]. Whether Gildor joined them is uncertain.<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Return of the King]]'', "'[[The Grey Havens]]"</ref>

== Gildor's Ancestry ==
Gildor is one of the less prominently featured Elves, yet he seems important enough to raise questions concerning his lineage, or the identity of this character. Gildor calls himself "Gildor Inglorion of the House of Finrod". He also says: "We are Exiles, and most of our kindred have long departed and we too are only tarrying here a while, ere we return over the [[Great Sea]]."<ref name="3IC"/>

It should be noted that Tolkien initially used names from his (unpublished) ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' writings rather at random in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and the first drafts of the sequel which would become ''The Lord of the Rings'': other examples are the mention of [[Gondolin]] and the appearance of [[Elrond]] in ''The Hobbit'', which were only later brought into alignment with ''The Lord of the Rings'' and the unpublished mythology by a third edition of the book.<ref name="L257">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 257]] (dated [[July 16]], [[1964]])</ref> This therefore is the case of the reference to the name "Finrod".

The name "Gildor" first appeared in the outlines of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' in February [[1938]],<ref name="FHttWE">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (ed.), ''[[The Return of the Shadow]]'', "[[From Hobbiton to the Woody End]]", page 45</ref> and in Tolkien's notes of that time, "Finrod" still meant the character later known as [[Finarfin]]<ref name="RC3IC">[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', "[[Three is Company]]", pages 103-4</ref> and [[Finrod|his son]] had the older name "[[Inglor]]".
===Son of Finrod?===
It could be argued that the name "Inglorion", which means "son of Inglor", suggests that he was in fact the son of Finrod Felagund himself, who was at that time still called Inglor. There are, however, strong arguments against it:
* There were only two children — [[Idril]] and [[Orodreth of Nargothrond|Orodreth]] — of "the third generation from [[Finwë]] to go with the exiles".{{fact}}. While on Middle-earth]], Finrod Felagund had no wife since he loved [[Amarië]] of the [[Vanyar]], who refused to go with him to the exile,<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Christopher Tolkien]], ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', "[[Of the Noldor in Beleriand]]"</ref> and did not meet her again until after his reincarnation on [[Valinor]].
* If Gildor were Finrod's son, he would have right to claim High Kingship of the Noldor instead of [[Gil-galad]] after [[Turgon of Gondolin|Turgon's]] death.
* Since Gildor mentions he is of the Exiles<ref name="3IC"/> (meaning those who originally followed [[Fëanor]]), it is very unlikely that he was reincarnated Finrod's son born in Valinor and allowed to visit Middle-earth in a later time. Only one "return" to Middle-earth is explicitly mentioned - that of [[Glorfindel]].<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (ed.), ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', "[[Last Writings]]"</ref>

===Connection to Finarfin===
However the name [[Inglor]] reappeared, in [[Quenya]] form, for Finarfin (who in the earlier legendarium, was named Finrod). Finarfin's [[mother-name]] was ''Ingalaurë''.<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Christopher Tolkien]], ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', "[[The Shibboleth of Fëanor]]", note 30</ref> If Ingalaurë is to be translated in [[Sindarin]] according to the [[Sindarization|sound-changing rules]], this would become ''Inglor''. Thus, the connection of Gildor to the house of Finrod/Finarfin still remains in the updated legendarium.

This all suggests that, while Gildor might have been initially intended to be Felagund's son, in the final version he probably became a member of the House of Finrod as one of its servants, not one of its sons — perhaps one of the knights of [[Nargothrond]].

It is also possible that he was a son of a supposed "Inglor" — a character unconnected to Finrod Felagund.

==Portrayal in Adaptations==
Gildor is generally left out of adaptations. This may cause some problems when two characters the hobbits meet later - Bombadil and [[Glorfindel]] (or [[Glorfindel#Portrayal in Adaptations|his replacement]]) - are introduced.

'''1978: ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:[[Legolas of Mirkwood|Legolas]], here an Elf of Rivendell, tells Strider that Elrond had received news of the burden, but it is left unexplained how.

'''1981: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:Adapter [[Brian Sibley]] wanted to use as much of the original Elvish lines as possible. This ment that the heavily wounded Frodo told the line ''Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo'' to Glorfindel instead.

[[Image:Peter Jackson's Elves.jpg|thumb|The band of Elves in Peter Jackson's movie]]
'''2001: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:A scene that was shot on the third day of principal photography, "[[The Passing of the Elves]]", is a reference to this passage in the book. It was eventually cut from the theatrical release to postpone the introduction of [[Elves]] to [[Rivendell]].<ref name="PJ">[[Peter Jackson]], [[Fran Walsh]], [[Philippa Boyens]] (adaptors), ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Special Extended DVD Edition]]'', "[[The Passing of the Elves]]", Directors' Commentary</ref> In the scene, Frodo and Sam have a meal when Frodo notices Elves in the distance. No interaction is made, and the Elves travel ''to'' the Grey Havens, not from the [[Emyn Beraid]] to [[Rivendell]].<ref>[[Peter Jackson]], [[Fran Walsh]], [[Philippa Boyens]] (adaptors), ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Special Extended DVD Edition]]'', "[[The Passing of the Elves]]"</ref> They overhear the Elves singing a sad song, which is in fact a translation into [[Sindarin]] of [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s ''[[Elven Hymn to Elbereth]]''.<ref> [[Ryszard Derdzinski]] (ed.), "[http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie_soundtrack_fotr.htm#elbereth The Fellowship of the Ring Soundtrack Analysis]", [[Gwaith i-Phethdain]]</ref> Jackson meant for this scene to invoke the sadness of the Elves leaving Middle-earth.<ref name="PJ"/>

'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:This video game features both [[Tom Bombadil]] and [[Glorfindel]]. Tom apparently knows nothing of Frodo carrying the Ring, yet Glorfindel does - he is sent out by Elrond. Elrond had received a message, but from whom this message came is left untold.

==References==
<small><references/></small>
[[Category:High Elves]]
[[Category:Noldor]]
[[de:Gildor Inglorion]]
[[fi:Gildor (haltia)]]

Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Gildor