After the War of Wrath the world is changed and Beleriand is sunk into
the see. Only a small strip called Lindon remains of what had been Ossiriand,
west of the Ered Luin. It is there that most Noldor and Sindar settle down,
with Gil-Galad as their king[1].
Elrond is Gil-Galad's master-at-arms, and Círdan establishes the Grey Havens at
Mithlond.
After a while Galadriel and Celeborn depart from Lindon to abide
around
Galadriel probably visits back to Lindon around the occasion of the visit
of Tar-Aldarion of Numenor around the 7th century. For she receives
from Gil-Galad the mallorn seeds given to him by the King of Westernesse[2].
It is around this time that Galadriel hears rumors of evil shadows
reawakening in the east. Then she and Celeborn move to inspect the seriousness
of the threat and move eastward. From time to time we see them in Eregion,
where Celebrimbor starts his Noldorin settlement of craftsmen, sometimes even
east of the Misty Mountains, in the land east of Khazad-dûm then called Lorinand,
and beyond, to the north and south.
In
Eregion the Noldor establish great friendship with the dwarves of
Khazad-dûm. Together they create marvels of art and technique, as
is shown in
the doors of Moria. It has been told that in these days Celebrimbor
succeeded
in recreating the Elessar, the elvenstone which he had made in Gondolin
but was
lost, and that he gave the new Elessar to Galadriel[3].
Then it came to pass that when Annatar, Lord of Gifts, came to Eregion
pretending to be an emissary of Aulë, sent by him to enhance further their
already illustrious achievements, he is welcomed by many. But not by Galadriel,
who does not trust him, and warns Celebrimbor against him. But not even Galadriel
perceives at that time the true identity of the Giftlord.
Since her warnings go unheeded Galadriel moves eastward again, to the
It is told in many stories what then came to pass, between the 15th
and 17th century SA. The rings of power were forged, and also - in
secret, for Celebrimbor still had the words of Galadriel in his ears - the
three Elven-rings. And then at last Celebrimbor perceives his error. The true
identity of Annatar is revealed as none other than Sauron, remaining lieutenant
of Morgoth, who by some scheme or fate had escaped the onslaught of Angband.
But then it is too late, for already Sauron has succeeded in creating the
master-ring, The One Ring to rule all others. Many Lords of Westernesse - wearing the Nine - become his
minions. Many Lords of Dwarves - wearing the Seven - become imprisoned. And nigh
all that elves, men and dwarves had created in those great centuries
was laid bare to Sauron, Lord of the Rings.
Thus starts the war between Sauron and the elves of Eregion, in which at last
Eregion is destroyed and Celebrimbor slain. But before his death Celebrimbor
seeks out Galadriel to ask advice what to do with the three Elven-rings,
unspoiled by Sauron. And while Nenya is given directly to Galadriel, Narya and
Vilya are sent to Gil-Galad in Lindon.
Many years later, before going to battle with Sauron in the Last Alliance,
Gil-Galad - having the gift of high-elves to foresee his ending - gives Narya
the Red to Círdan of the Grey Havens, and Vilya the Blue to his lieutenant Elrond.
But Nenya the White still is where it has been: with Galadriel. And thus it was
at it should be: for these were the noblest of elves left in Middle-earth.
We cannot be quite sure where Galadriel and Celeborn abode during the many
years between the fall of Eregion (around 1700) and the end (3441) of the
Second Age that came with the demise of Sauron and the death of Gil-Galad and
Elendil. But it is certain they still did not take any dominion of their own.
Galadriel felt it as her mission to unite the free peoples against Sauron and
to this end she visited many courts and places. But she had learned deeply from
the history of her people, and the Prophecy of the North was in her veins: not
by her fighting directly could evil ever be defeated. So she worked in secret,
in the background, helping many, dominating nobody[5].
[1] A fact which might raise questions. Why - for
instance - not Galadriel, who was the sole survivor of the earlier generations?
The explanation is that the high-kingship would follow the family trees. First
in line was the tree of Fëanor, who was eldest son, thus high-king after Finwë.
When Maedhros refused his rights (and other sons of Fëanor by their actions
were disqualified), the position went to Fingolfin, second son, who was
succeeded by his sons Fingon and after his death Turgon. After the sack of
Gondolin the title passes by right to Fingon's son Gil-Galad.
Note that if
Maedhros would not have refused his rights, then Celebrimbor would have been
high-king at the start of the 2nd Age. Note as well, that by these
rulings, Elrond as a descendant of Turgon would have had legitimate rights to
the high-kingship in the 3rd Age. But Elrond refused any such claim.
[2] This
little known fact is told in A Description of the Land of Numenor, Unfinished
Tales, p. 217. Lothlorien is the only place in Middle-earth where the mallorn -
originally existing in Aman - would grow, but that is later, well into the 3rd Age, when Galadriel starts making full use of her powers.
[3] In
other tales the Elessar was given to Galadriel by Olorin/Gandalf, Unfinished
Tales, pp. 321-326.
[4] In
another variant of the story Galadriel and Celeborn are actually the rulers of
Eregion, and only go east after its destruction.
These travels
between Eregion and the land later known as Lothlorien were - undoubtedly - a
bit of a torture for Celeborn, who had to travel the long way around the south
of Enedwaith. For he would always refuse to follow his wife into Khazad-dûm, by
his dislike of the dwarves who slew his kin.
[5] This is my interpretation of her motives. See "Third Age" next for further references.