Tolkien Encyclopedia > Elves > Elven-wise

Who are the Elven-wise?

by Varda-(Valar)
September 29, 2014
Written for the 17th Anniversary of the Valar Guild


    Gandalf told this to Frodo after the hobbit woke from having the shard of the morgul-blade removed and asked if Rivendell was safe from the the Dark Lord's influence:

    "Yes, at present, until all else is conquered. The Elves may fear the Dark Lord, and they may fly before him, but never again will they listen to him or serve him. And here in Rivendell there live still some of his chief foes: the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the furthest seas. They do not fear the Ringwraiths, for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power."
    "I thought that I saw a white figure that shone and did not grow dim like the others. Was that Glorfindel then?"
    "Yes, you saw him for a moment as he is upon the other side: one of the mighty of the Firstborn. He is an Elf-lord of a house of princes. Indeed there is a power in Rivendell to withstand the might of Mordor, for a while; and elsewhere other powers still dwell. There is power, too, of another kind in the Shire." 1

Reference:
    1. "Many Meetings", The Fellowship of the Ring