...there is much else that may be told.
| Plant | |
| Golden Tree | |
|---|---|
| Location | Party Field, The Shire |
| Notable for | Being the only mellyrn west of the Misty Mountains |
| Family | Mellyrn |
She put into his hand a little box of plain grey wood, unadorned save for a single silver rune upon the lid.
The Golden Tree[2] was one of the most magnificent mellyrn in Middle-earth, silver-barked and golden-leafed, and the only one of its kind to be found to the west of the Misty Mountains.[3]
History
During the Quest of Mount Doom[4], Samwise Gamgee was given a silver nut by Galadriel in Lórien.[1] This was the seed of a mallorn tree.[3] These trees were only found in in Lórien.[5]
After the Battle of Bywater that marked the end of the War of the Ring,[6] however, a single mallorn tree could be found elsewhere beside Lórien. During Lotho Sackville-Baggins's and Sharkey's takeover of the Shire, the Party Tree in the Party Field was cut down.[7] Some weeks after 3 November T.A. 3019[6], Sam chose to plant his silver seed in its place. It quickly sprouted into a sapling the next spring and flowered on 6 April T.A. 3020[8]. Years later, tales spread far about the only mallorn found west of the Misty Mountains, causing people to make long journeys just to see it.[3]
At some unspecified time later, the Shire-folk living in the Westfarthing, especially those close to Hobbiton Hill, developed a custom of celebrating 6 April in the Party Field during clear weather. One of the reasons given is that it may have been the exact day when the Golden Tree first flowered.[2]
Other versions of the legendarium
In an early version of the chapter "The Grey Havens, the silver nut was originally described as being "like a nut or a dried berry".[9]
External links
- Mark Fisher, "Golden Tree" 16 October 2016, The Encyclopedia of Arda, accessed 1 November 2024
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Farewell to Lórien", p. 375
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix D, "The Calendars", p. 1112
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Grey Havens", p. 1023
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Ring Goes South", p. 281
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "A Description of the Island of Númenor"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Chief Days from the Fall of Barad-dûr to the End of the Third Age", "3019 S.R. 1419", entry for November
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Scouring of the Shire", p. 1330
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Chief Days from the Fall of Barad-dûr to the End of the Third Age", "3020 S.R. 1420: The Great Year of Plenty", entry for April
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part One: The End of the Third Age: X. The Grey Havens", p. 108