Silvan elf of Lothlorien, who together with his brothers Orophin
and Rúmil guarded the western frontiers of that land during the War of the Ring.
Haldir: An Elf of Lorien and brother to Orophin and Rumil.
He met with the Fellowship of the Ring and escorted them to Caras Galadon.
Haldir could speak Westron and had traveled outside Lorien.
Reference:
The Fellowship of the Ring
Haldir, Elf
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Haldir (work in progress)
Haldir and his two brothers, Rumil and Orophin,
stopped the Fellowship at the border of Lothlorien. They allowed the
company to cross because they heard Legolas talk and sing. They knew
his voice for one of their Northern kindred, and noted that he was
friendly with the rest of those approaching Lothlorien.
The three brothers were on a
flet, called a
talan by the elves, a round
platform with a hole in the center for the mallorn tree, having no
walls nor rails. On one side of the talan was a light, plaited screen
that could be moved to block the wind. Stars could be seen through the
"roof" of quivering leaves. Through the talan's hole, they let down a
ladder made of elven rope.
They had fur cloaks and wore shadowy-grey with
hoods.
They could only be
seen when they moved suddenly. "
The
woodland folk were altogether noiseless in their movements."
They had a small lamp that when uncovered let off a
slender silver beam, used to look at the faces of the hobbits.
Haldir told a little of why the Lorien elves did not
use the Common Speech much, incidentally telling a little about
himself:
"We
seldom use any tongue but our
own; for we dwell now in the heart of the forest, and do not willingly
have dealings with any other folk. Even our own kindred in the North
are sundered from us. But there are some of us who still go abroad for
the gathering of news and the watching of our enemies, and they speak
the languages of other lands. I am one."
-Fellowship,
"Lothlorien"
Messengers of Elrond on their way home up the
Dimrill Stair had warned the three brothers of the coming of the
Fellowship.
Haldir seemed to trust Legolas, questioning him in
their own language and seeming to believe that he meant what he said.
Haldir had not heard of hobbits in many years and
did not know they still lived on Middle-earth. He said emphatically
that they did not look evil. He also allowed the hobbits to stay in the
talan with them. "
We do not fear them!"
He commented on the lack of skill hobbits had in trees.
Haldir, when Legolas told him that the Fellowship
included a dwarf, was not pleased:
"A dwarf!" said
Haldir. "That is not well. We have not had dealings with the Dwarves
since the Dark Days. They are not permitted in our land. I cannot allow
him to pass."
-Fellowship,
"Lothlorien"
Since it was time to sleep and because the guards
expected orcs to follow the Fellowship, Haldir put the responsibility
for the non-hobbits of the Fellowship's behavior on Legolas and did not
give Legolas a chance to rest:
"There is another
talan in the next tree. 'There the others must take refuge. You,
Legolas, must answer to us for them. Call us, if anything is amiss! And
have an eye on that dwarf!"
-Fellowship,
"Lothlorien"
Haldir and his brothers left the tree when orcs
came. Haldir popped back up, saying he saw something that fled when he
touched the tree-stem, not an orc but like a hobbit, except that it had
skill in trees.
Only the three elves were present to challenge a
hundred orcs, so Haldir and Rumil led the orcs where they wished with
feigned voices, while Orophin went to give warning to their people.
Many elves would be hidden on the northern border before the next
night, and no orcs survived their trip to Lothlorien.
The next morning Haldir led the Fellowship to a
stream called the Celebrant, where they met a young elf with hair that
"glinted like gold in the morning sun". Haldir tossed one end of his
rope to the elf who caught it. Both ends were tied to trees, and this
is how they made bridges because those were "days of watchfulness". He
ran lightly over and back as if he were on a road. When Legolas voiced
concern that although he could use it, the others could not, Haldir
rigged two more ropes for handrails. Rumil remained behind and kept one
rope, while the other two were left coiled on the other side.
When they
came to the Naith, or Gore, on the other side, they were coming into
the area controlled by Galadriel's ring, its power becoming stronger as
they
walked deeper. The Dwarf had to be blindfolded, but since he objected
unless Legolas was too, and the elf objected to that, Aragorn said to
blindfold the entire Fellowship. Haldir promised to lead them so no one
even stubbed a toe. The other elf walked behind. The Lorien elves
feared and distrusted the outside world, but no shadow lay on Lorien.
They walked all day.
Reference:
Fellowship,
"Lothlorien"
Haldir, Elf
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Images of Haldir of Lorien:
Image: "Haldir". Haldir and one of his brothers, probably Rumil, watching orcs from a flet/talan. Artist: Maria Lombide Ezpeleta.
Rolozo Tolkien site
Image: "Haldir in Lorien" Watermarked. Artist:Soni Alcorn-Hender. Rolozo Tolkien site
Image: "Lorien". Haldir with the blindfolded Fellowship. Artist: Catherine Karina Chmiel. Rolozo Tolkien site
Image:"An Allegiance Honored". Artist: Soni Alcorn-Hender. Rolozo Tolkien site
Image collection: Artist: The Bohemian Weasel aka Soni Alcorn-Hender. Glittering Caves of Aglarond (The Valar Guild's Tolkien art site).
Haldir, Elf
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