 | |
| City | |
| Caras Galadhon | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Pronunciation | [ˈkaras ˈɡalaðon] |
| Other names | Caras (i)Ngelelaið/Caras i-Ngelaidh |
| Location | The Naith, Lothlórien |
| Type | City |
| People and History | |
| Inhabitants | Galadhrim |
| Created | Second millennium of the Third Age |
| Gallery | Images of Caras Galadhon |
| Audio | |
| Timeline | |
Caras Galadhon was the city and fortress of the Galadhrim of Lothlórien.[1]
Overview
Caras Galadhon was in the Naith of Lothlórien, in the angle between the rivers Celebrant and Anduin known as Egladil.[1]
The city was located on a green hill surrounded by a fosse and a wall whose gates lay to the south-west. The inhabitants dwelt in large flets in the trees, reached by white ladders. On the top of the hill, in the greatest of trees, were the house of Celeborn and Galadriel.[1] In the same tree were the highest point in the land.[2]
History
The city was founded in the second millennium of the Third Age due to the growing threat of Dol Guldur.[2]
During the War of the Ring, the Fellowship of the Ring was brought through Lothlórien to Caras Galadhon, and there met the lords of the Galadhrim. They stayed in the city for a month, recovering from their journey through Moria.
In the Fourth Age, after Galadriel had gone into the West, Caras Galadhon was ruled by a lonely Celeborn as lord of Lothlórien which now spanned both sides of the river Anduin. Later he left for Imladris as well, and few Galadhrim remained in Lórien; Caras Galadhon became an empty place.[3]
Etymology
The name Caras Galadhon is said to be Silvan Elvish.[2] However, the word caras is also attested as Sindarin, being adapted from the native speech of the Nandor[4]. Tolkien mentions the proper meaning of this word was "a built fort or dwelling surrounded by bulwarks", deriving from the root √CAR "make, build",[5] or a "circular earthwall with dike".[6] The city would be named Caras (i)Ngelelaið In pure Sindarin form.[4][note 1]
Galadhon can be interpreted as genitive plural "of trees", showing a case ending not existing in Sindarin but known from Quenya. Tolkien's earliest version of Sindarin, called Goldogrin, also possessed this ending. In that case, Caras Galadhon means "moated fortress of the trees".
The name could also refer in some way to Galadhon, whom Tolkien conceived to be the father of Celeborn. In that case, the name would mean *"Galadhon's fortress".
Other versions of the legendarium
In the first edition of The Fellowship of the Ring, Caras Galadhon was misspelled Caras Galadon.
Portrayal in adaptations
Caras Galadhon in adaptations
-
The Fellowship arriving at Caras Galadhon in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
-
Caras Galadhon in The Lord of the Rings Online
2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- A view of Caras Galadhon from Cerin Amroth is only present in the Extended Edition. The Fellowship's stay in the city is a significant portion of the film.
2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game):
- Caras Galadhon scenes are rather brief, mostly limited to the Mirror of Galadriel scene.
2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:
- Caras Galadhon is the main inhabited area in Lothlórien, where players cannot enter until they prove their friendship to Galadhrim. The map and general layout of the city is replicated from the map in The Atlas of Middle-earth. The city hosts most major gameplay facilities and is composed of a large number of flets on different levels, connected by multiple ladders and staircases. It is rather hard to navigate and thus several quests consist solely of directing the player to various point of interest, then challenging him to find them again. The Company Pavilion, Galadriel's Garden and the House of Celeborn are also located there.
Notes
- ↑ it appears as Caras (i)Ngelelaið in Tolkien's original text, but Christopher Gilson suggested the final word was probably a slip for Ngelaið, which would be the ordinary nasal mutation of the plural of galadh "tree", thus making the pure Sindarin form Caras i-Ngelaidh.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Lothlórien"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 60
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 84
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. 311