 | |
| Tree/source of light | |
| Laurelin | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | low-re-lin |
| Other names | Tulukhedelgorūs (V) Culúrien (Q) Galadlóriel (S) See Other names |
| Location | Ezellohar |
| Appearance | Gold-trimmed leaves |
| Creator | Yavanna |
| Created in | V.Y. 3450–3500 |
| Destroyer | Melkor and Ungoliant |
| Destroyed in | Y.T. 1495 |
| Gallery | Images of Laurelin |
Laurelin was the Golden Tree of Aman, the female mate of Telperion, and the younger of the Two Trees of Valinor. Laurelin had gold-trimmed leaves and her dew was collected by Varda in her Wells.[1]
History
Laurelin was created by the Valier Yavanna and Nienna on the hill of Ezellohar, where the Tree shed her light on the realm of Valinor in the long years before the making of the Sun and Moon. Laurelin, the younger of the Two Trees, flowered second after Telperion, and bloomed during the latter part of each Valian day.[1]
Laurelin was destroyed by Melkor, who used the giant spider spirit Ungoliant to his evil purpose during the theft of the Silmarils, which caused the Darkening of Valinor.[2] However, through the power of Nienna and Yavanna, Laurelin produced a single fiery fruit before she died. This golden fire was set in a vessel made by Aulë and his people, and was steered through Ilmen by the Maia Arien, making the Sun.[3]
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 Laurelin was called Glingal.[4]
Etymology
Laurelin is said to mean "Song of Gold".[5] The name Laurelin appears to be Quenya and contains laurë ("gold") and lindë ("song").[5][6]
Other names
Culúrien, likely containing the Quenya elements cul- ("golden-red")[7] and riende ("garland").[8] Robert Ireland suggests it might rather contain úr ("fire, heat"), while the suffix is uncertain.[9]
Malinalda ("Tree of Gold"),[5] composed of the words malina ("yellow, of golden colour") + alda ("tree").[10][11]
In The Later Quenta Silmarillion manuscript, the Sindarin name of Laurelin is Galadlóriel. In a footnote to the same page three other Sindarin names of Laurelin are given: Glewellin ("song of gold", the same as Laurelin), Lasgalen ("green of leaf"[12]), Melthinorn ("tree of gold").[13]
Other versions of the legendarium
...It is a long tale...
Vána named the tree Lindeloksë ("singing cluster").[15]
Among the early names of Laurelin was Glingal (Noldorin, emmended from Glingol), which was later used for the golden tree of Gondolin.[16]
Inspiration
On a note referred to Laurelin's spilth, Tolkien explains it is meant to indicate that the tree is founded on the laburnum as described by Francis Thompson in a poem:[17]
Mark yonder, how the long laburnum drips
its jocund spilth of fire, its honey of wild flame!
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Beginning of Days"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Darkening of Valinor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", pp. 358, 368
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entry cul-
- ↑ . "Culúrien". Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon. Retrieved 27 Nov 2024
- ↑ Robert Ireland, "Silmarillion Dictionary C-E", A Tolkien Dictionary, accessed 20 August 2020
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entries alda, mal-
- ↑ Paul Strack, "Q. Malinalda pn.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon, accessed 30 June 2020
- ↑ Cf. also Eryn Lasgalen, "Wood of Greenleaves".
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Three. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: (I) The First Phase: 2. Of Valinor and the Two Trees", p. 155
- ↑ 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
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "III. The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor", p. 72
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin: III. Failivrin", pp. 80-81
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Three. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: (I) The First Phase: 2. Of Valinor and the Two Trees", p. 157-158