The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring// First Time Watching!!!

Check out my full-length reactions and get early access to future videos on my Patreon: / ylvav
It took me 22 years... but I finally watched this movie!! I definitely noticed a lot of Norse mythology influences, and loved the theme of friendship and adventure throughout the movie! So excited to learn more about the production of this movie, fun facts about it, and of course to see the next one!! Up first, however, will be my reaction to The Godfather then followed by The Two Towers, so stay tuned!! I hope you enjoy this reaction, and if you did please leave a like, sub, comment, or even a super thanks/PayPal donation if you would like to support my channel further!

[@Ellis_Hugh]

Boromir is one of the best tragic heroes ever written. A particularly poignant moment in the film that is often overlooked is when he and Aragorn first meet in Rivendell - Boromir is fanboying over the shards of Narcil but when he notices Aragorn watching him he plays it off, going so far as to drop the blade... he's perpetually trapped between pride and shame, between hope and despair, with the survival of everything he has ever loved resting square on his shoulders while he gets to labor beside, even forced to be subordinate to, the man who was born to fill his role and has rejected it out of hand. Those words don't even begin to do him justice, it's just a brilliant character.

[@marcusfridh8489]

Just as he was torn between the love towards his father and the love towards his brother.

[@r.e.tucker3223]

You get it.

[@solongdentahlplaan7975]

Viggo knows how to ride horse, fish, and hunt. He was already a ranger.

[@marcusfridh8489]

and fence, the fencing instructor of this movies, said that he was the best swordsman in the actors guild that he had even worked with

[@nemesis4852]

@@marcusfridh8489 Yeah and he adopted Brego and at least one other plus buying one for the woman who rode it but couldn't afford to buy it. King of Gondor indeed.

[@arnoldlayne252]

"That's Steven Tyler's daughter", True rock queen 🤟🤟🤟🤟

[@robbob5302]

Arwen: We must take him to my father! Frodo: What’s Steven Tyler gonna do for me? Sing me a song?

[@Floydisgr8]

Nice profile pic

[@dondevice8182]

Rock Queen meets Elf Princess!

[@WoodysPickle]

You should watch the extended cuts for the next 2 films. In the 3rd Arwen sings and has a beautiful voice!

[@donavonhoward114]

The reason Boromir is kind of angry at Aragorn is because Boromir has lived to protect his homeland (Gondor) his entire life. Gondor has been on a complete decline since the line of kings ended, and Gondor sits in constant view of Mordor just watching as the power of Mordor continues to grow towards the inevitable war that cannot be won, or prevented. Boromir has lost almost all hope which is why he is so desperate for the ring believing it can save them. Of course, he learns the hard way about what the ring really is. Boromir feels like Aragorn is ashamed, and is neglecting his place as a potential king out of disgust, and somewhat forsaking it's people. He doesn't realize until the end that Aragorn is simply unsure of his own path, and still trying to find his way this early into the story. Aragorn is on a personal journey of becoming worthy of his own bloodline before he feels he even has a right to take the throne of Gondor. The scene with Bilbo and Frodo where Bilbo's face changes to demonic evil isn't actually real, it's Frodo seeing through the lens of the ring itself. The ring makes him see what it wants in order to break him down, isolate him, sever any ties of friendship, and ultimately control him. The ring wants to enslave Frodo constantly, and seeks to pervert the good within him.

[@gutscross9706]

well said, short version, borimir is like me and my fathers have been fighting for all of us, while you "true heir" fucked around doing nothing, i respect the history of my people, but not you, though after realizing how bad he had gotten, he has the humility to recognize some of the larger things than personal grievances, he wasn't a bad guy, just had a lot of shit that made him an easy target for the rings bullshit

[@htim8997]

I never thought of Bilbo's face changing being as seen from Frodo's perspective becuse of the influence of the ring. I always assumed that it was just another of those infrequent, but too frequent moments of Peter Jackson opting for a cool visual at the expense of logic, continuity, physics, or some combination of the three.

[@pedrolopez8057]

What Boromir didn't see was that Aragorn and his Rangers were allied with Elrond and fighting thier own battles to keep the orcs, trolls, etc. in check. So he saw Strider as a slacker.

[@Makkaru112]

@@htim8997 that Bilbo scene you mention was as a vision from Frodo’s eyes while he looks at Bilbo. according to the books

[@evoke97]

@@htim8997 read the books then

[@isaackellogg3493]

24:30 This is a good opportunity to talk about the implied biology of the different races. Dwarves live in halls of stone, and spend most of their time mining, forging, and crafting, while specializing in mêlée fighting in war. This favors the development of nearsightedness, since there are very few long sight lines inside carven halls. Elves on the other hand have spent tens of thousands of years stargazing between tree branches, so they have developed extremely far sightedness. Moreover, they consider the three prettiest colors to be (what we see as) white, grey, and silver, which indicates that their eyes have more cones than ours (they see beautiful colors where we just see drab blurs), which gives them super sharp detail resolution at every point along their sight lines (they also specialize in bows, a considerably longer-ranged weapon). So what Gimli saw as “just a wisp of cloud,” Legolas instantly identified as not just run of the mill Crébain, but Crébain specifically from Dunland.

[@jonrolfson1686]

Your take on the Hobbits’ unusual resistance to, even disinterest in, the Ring’s promise of power is on point. Some of the details of the Hobbit members of the Fellowship that were present in Professor Tolkien’s book were glossed over in the process of film-making: Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) and Peregrine Took (Pippin) were, from the beginning of Frodo’s journey, fully witting volunteers rather than just casual ‘spur of the moment’ recruits to the adventure. Merry and Pippin were the scions of the Shire’s two dominant, high-ranking families, Æthelings, if you will. Frodo, though related to both ‘noble’ families, was drawn by Professor Tolkien to be a well off member of the squirearchy, the landed gentry. The hobbits in general, as inhabitants of an easily farmed productive region were comfortable and customarily used to limited vistas. Hobbits were often concerned with what, to people in more precarious places or times, would seem to be marginal quotidian matters. The other defining characteristic of Hobbits was their unexpected toughness, their ability to resist evil and oppression without becoming oppressive in turn.

[@pedrolopez8057]

DOn't forget that they are also giving presents, often regifting. This shows they don't get attached to things.

[@obenohnebohne]

What director Peter Jackson did with this trilogy is just the biggest achievment in film history (my personal opinion). This is my favorite trilogy and it feels like one movie. So many great characters. The music is fantastic. The quotes. The memes. Everything is perfect. Thanks for sharing your reaction with us. We all wish we could experience this journey for the first time again and watching someone comes the closest we will get.

[@gestaltdude]

The Ring's power is never fully shown in the movie, but is alluded to in both media. The most immediate effects we see are the invisibility, but also the bearer of the ring stops aging. This is why Gandalf had been slightly alarmed at Bilbo not having aged when they first meet, and why Bilbo felt, "like butter scraped over too much bread.He could recognize that his life seemed to be going on for an unnatural length of time, even if he didn't know why on a conscious level. The Ring also allows the bearer to understand the language of others, but it's main effect is to control the will of other, particularly those wearing less powerful ring. In order to do so, however, the bearer must be as powerful as Sauron or the wizards (who are a sort of angel in the Middle Earth pantheon), or be exceptionally powerful being like Elrond and Galadriel. The know that, despite their derision for the "corruptibility of humans" they would fall even quicker, and their power would be turned to evil uses. Sorry for the double comment, I cannot stand leaving novel length comments.

[@shawngaetz8161]

It should also be mentioned the ring gives frodo a slight ability to sense danger that may affect the ring. Kind of a spider sense. And as the holder becomes corrupted by its evil it becomes physically heavier. Like a stone around his neck. And he and others against their will will act out aggressively when presented with an opportunity to have it for themselves.

[@Makkaru112]

Your comment is lovely and she loves them too ❤

[@FlorianRothacker]

For second and third part of "Lord of the rings" - for "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King" - please watch the extended editions!! They are so much deeper and better and you will understand the story much better in it's compexity! The extended editions are not only "longer" but much better edited and there are scenes, which you will miss, if you don't watch them!

[@johnwalters1341]

Critics have debated the relative merits of the Theatrical vs. the Extended versions. If you're watching the movies as a student of cinema, the Theatrical versions are more tightly cut and flow more naturally. If you're sucked into the story and crave more of Middle-earth, the Extended versions are much more satisfying. The difference isn't so much in FOTR, but both T2T and ROTK have critical scenes that were omitted from the Theatrical version but provide motives for the actions of some of the characters that otherwise are glossed over in the Theatrical versions. I suspect that most of your viewers would appreciate your taking the extra time to react to the Extended versions.

[@Koyotee25]

Yes, please switch to the extended versions. The extra information is well worth it.

[@rgoodwyn]

They are def longer lol. It is so odd how people act like the original versions we all fell in love with and won all the awards are somehow hard to understand or insufficient in any way. I LOVE the extended versions but there is no necessary info there other than maybe that certain Saruman scene. Even Peter Jackson didn't think all the extra stuff didn't need to be added. That is why they aren't called the "directors" cuts/editions.

[@frufruJ]

@@rgoodwyn I agree with @johnwalters1341 on this, and I do think that Ylva is the kind of person who would appreciate the EE. I don't know, I'd read the books before I saw them in the cinema, so I didn't miss any parts of the story 🙂 Maybe we'd all hate the theatrical version if there had been a possibility to see the EE straight away and we saw it first.

[@Makkaru112]

@@rgoodwyn it’s only long due to the long credits which showcase every single person from that hodgepodge team of Tolkien lovers. ❤❤❤❤

[@APerfectTree]

Your comment on the nine companions is exactly right! In the book, Elrond states that they are nine specifically in order to oppose the nine corrupted men. He aims for that number even before Merry and Pippin are chosen, and only allows them to squeeze in because of his quota.

[@johnwalters1341]

In the book, the only Companions actually chosen at the Council of Elrond were Frodo and Sam; the others were added over the course of the next few days. Elrond originally was against including Merry and Pippin; his initial thought was to send M & P back to the Shire to warn the other Hobbits of the danger of Sauron and his forces (see Frodo's vision in Galadriel's mirror). M & P were adamant that they would follow the Fellowship come Hell or High Water, so Elrond acquiesced.

[@APerfectTree]

@@johnwalters1341 This is correct! Thanks :)

[@rgoodwyn]

He should have sent Glorfindel too. Maybe another 8 people as well. Lets double team the super powerful nearly invincible wraiths lol

[@jdspencer60]

"I'm not gonna remember those names" Oh you will by the end, but it will be Merry and Pippin :)

[@mjvdg4194]

I’m glad you addressed Tolkien’s WWI involvement, especially this early on; there’re a lot of elements in these stories that take on far greater impact with that in mind. It’s the last major war to majorly feature horses, as mounts and utility, as well as seeing the big mismatch of horse-vs-machine. That’s a big reason he wrote horses as a massive feature of the trilogy (more in movies 2 & 3)

[@alexkats30]

One thing people who don't know about Tolkien miss, is that he was a professor of philology at the university of Oxford and was deep into the study of old languages, myths and the art of storytelling. He wrote books analysing these myths and he created several of his own languages, that he then gave then a world to live in and a specific culture behind them. So the world he spent his whole life creating and the stories within them go very very deep, philosophically, psychologically and story wise. People who read his books usually pick up on that, even unconsciously, subliminally. That's why it has captivated so many people ever since. And Peter Jackson's trilogy has done a wonderful work capturing most of his underlying themes of storytelling. And the score, the soundtrack by Howard Shore is truly inspired! Easily best music ever written for a film trilogy!

[@bubblewrapstargirl]

what a lovely, genuine and intellectual reaction! Most people don't say anything about mythology, that was super refreshing.

[@bookwormfaith]

Arwen's necklace is not so much actual immortality, but a symbol of what she is willing to give up for him - a Lady's favour for her Knight, to use the Arthurian reference (Tolkien also did some work in that arena, so you're not wrong in noting the similarities)

[@johnwalters1341]

Arwen's necklace isn't in the book at all. In Tolkien's version, Galadriel gives Aragorn a great green jewel set in a silver setting shaped like an eagle: "This stone I gave to Celebrian my daughter, and she to hers; and now it comes to you as a token of hope. In this hour take the name that was foretold for you, Elessar, the Elfstone of the House of Elendil!" The movie omits the Elfstone, although in a couple of places the name Elessar is used without any explanation. Galadriel is Arwen's maternal grandmother.

[@pedrolopez8057]

@@johnwalters1341 "Elfstone" was one of the prophecies that Aragorn had to fullfill to be the true king of Gondor.

[@blackeyedlily]

Yes, I think it was confusing that way they showed this in the movie. Lots of people are left with the idea that somehow the necklace is the source of her immortality.

[@vanyadolly]

@@blackeyedlily Honestly, if people confuse a symbol for a source, you just have to roll with it. There's a limit to how much you can dumb things down to rule out confusion.

[@johnwalters1341]

Enjoyed your reaction! It is refreshing to listen to a reactor who comes to the movies from a background of European myth instead of contemporary fantasy movies. Tolkien's book is the basis of nearly the entire fantasy genre; it would have been impossible to have Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, or any of the rest without LOTR.

[@dondevice8182]

Yes! This ^^^^^^^^

[@katarinadreams6955]

The series was also a big inspiration for the makers of dungeons and dragons

[@Jonathan-ug9yu]

I was here for your The Expanse videos. KZbin just put your Two Towers video on you home page so I guess I'm watching these now. Great to see your channel is still thriving.

[@ASingleApe]

Tolkien has said before that he hates aligories and vastly preferred history. So you won't have to worry about anything representing anything

[@shelletemisfit9799]

Fiest video of yours after it hopped on my feed i assume cause im such a huge lotr lover but now i cant stop looking at your cool wall and mesmerized by your guitars

[@robertcartier5088]

Sam calls him, _"Mister Frodo"_ because Sam is his gardener. Frodo is Sam's employer.

[@shanenolan5625]

Yes, Professor Tolkien was one of the world's leading experts on nosre mythology , literature and language, and beowulf. He was Professor of ancient languages at Oxford University. . He invented his own languages. With dialects. ( for elves, dwarfs ect )

[@Makkaru112]

@Gerald H the best philologist ever. Hundreds of stuff in our dictionary was thanks to him too!

[@oxhine]

Hey, Ylva! I highly recommend you see the EXTENDED EDITIONS of the rest of the trilogy. The first film is mostly the same even with the additional content but the other two add significant material. Go for the full experience! If you elect not to for your reaction, then I strongly urge you to see the longer versions when you revisit the films in the future. By the way, Ralph Bakshi directed an incredible adult animated version in the 1970s using the Rotoscope technique which is a wonderful companion piece to the Jackson films. Only one-and-a-half books were covered before the budget ran out but it is a remarkable accomplishment!

[@honeybadger_sc9816]

If there will be no second viewing because this is just for the reaction content then I will agree with watching the extended cut, BUT in general I would recommend not watching the extended cut on a first viewing. The films are already incredibly long and the extended cut will not change if you like them or not. In my opinion it is better to leave the extended cut for a second viewing. This way there is also excitement for the new scenes.

[@kayden2119]

@@honeybadger_sc9816 I heavily disagree. Extended cuts are the only good way to watch these movies. I watched them for the first time 2 years ago with extended cuts and could not imagine I would care about the characters as much without the extended cut.

[@honeybadger_sc9816]

@kayden2119 I can obviously only speak from my experience, but the people I got to show lotr all liked my method 😅 and I did not come up with it myself but have read this recommended from other lotr fans.

[@rgoodwyn]

I think the original versions are the best for a first time watch. Extended def work better if you already like the movies. A lot of the extended scenes throw off the pacing and don't really add much to the story. Other than a certain Saruman scene lol

[@kayden2119]

@@honeybadger_sc9816 The only reason to avoid watching them on first watch is because of attention span issues. If someone really cannot sit through a movie I feel that is a them problem. Nothing wrong with watching it in parts either.

[@jdspencer60]

Earendil is the father of Elrond and his twin brother Elros, who was the first king of Numenor. Earendil flys around the universe in a light-powered boat with a Silmaril on his coronet and he travels the universe but always comes back to shine in the night sky. He slew Ancalagon the Black, the largest dragon to ever exist, they battled for 24 straight hours and Ancalagon fell, destroying the 3 mountain peaks of Thangorodrim in his ruin.

[@Makkaru112]

“Frodo I’m Sorry!” That echoes as Frodo ran away is so palpable! 😢

[@isaackellogg3493]

Sam calls Frodo “Mr. Frodo” because of the class system. Frodo is landed gentry, while Sam is peasant farmer class. He works as Frodo’s gardener. For the Americans, imagine Sam with a Mexican accent, working as Frodo’s landscaper. He would definitely call him “Meester Frodo” because of the previously established patron-client relationship, even if they were now traveling companions, months of travel from home.

[@marcusfridh8489]

More like senior frodo

[@Makkaru112]

@@marcusfridh8489 LMAO 😂😂😂😂 why can’t he be a Gardner without being Mexican? Lol

[@calicocat7377]

Tolkien fashioned Sam after the English batman, who served the English officer as a sort of valet and right hand man in war. The batman/officer relationship went deeper than a mere Master/servant relationship. Wikipedia has a sizable entry on this relationship.

[@kevingomez3051]

There is also a 10+ year gap. Sam was barely a grown man (age of adulthood is 33 for hobbits, and Sam was 38 when they left to rivendell) when Frodo was already 50. Also, he was working as Frodo's gardener for 17 years before they left the shire.

[@rickardroach9075]

44:06 Nice outro and reaction. Refreshing to hear references to Norse mythology and not _Potter_ and _GoT;_ we Tolkien nerds get tired of Gandalf constantly being referred to as Dumbledore and Borormir as Ned, so well done! BTW, you should check out the 1978 animated version of _LotR_ in which Boromir goes full Viking, complete with your horned helmet.

[@yougoattube]

23:20 - "Gandalf doesn't want Frodo involved any more" - I think that's exactly right, but I also think he knows in his heart that having Frodo take the ring is the only real answer. Gandalf's eyes often tell the story very eloquently. I often think of his reaction here as the reaction of a father finding out, in 1942, that his son is going to war. He's proud, he knows it's necessary, but he dreads it also. That's my 2-cents-worth (and as usual you get what you pay for).

[@rikk319]

Sir Ian played Gandalf as very empathetic, and his eye-closed pain at Frodo accepting the burden of the Ring quest shows it in a powerful way. He knows what it will do to Frodo over time, and that even if he survives the quest, he will be forever changed in a negative way.

[@maddaya]

i can't encourage people enough to watch the behind the scenes and "making of" Lord of the Rings. It's amazing the detail, the care, and thought into it all. Just the scale of it all still astounds me. There's hours of video showing the locations, the costumes, and weapons and more. These movies remain comfort films for me, as well as inspiring.

[@willcline5918]

They didn't go onto the Bridge to save Gandalf because they were afraid their weight would collapse what was left of the bridge. Boromir stopped Frodo because he was too important to the quest to risk. Gandalf knew the rest of the Fellowship would be in danger from the goblins if they tried to rescue him and he wasn't able to pull himself up, so he let himself drop. In the book, he never caught himself on the ledge, he just fell and the last words they heard were "Fly, you fools"

[@dennisswainston411]

Also, the Orcs and Goblins were shooting arrows at the Fellowship!

[@johnwalters1341]

In the book, Boromir and Aragorn started to run to Gandalf's support, but they had to retreat when Gandalf broke the bridge. An arch bridge missing its keystone has no structural strength; the rest of the bridge fell just after B & A reached safety.

[@elbohne5636]

I wouldn't go on a bride for gandalf either 😂. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) Thx for the information nevertheless.

[@sailiealquadacil1284]

Oh yeah, the films never mention this, but Galadriel and Celeborn are Arwen's maternal grandparents.

[@SethWilson]

If you respect Merry and Pippin for coming along in this version, you’ll love the way it plays out in the book. One of my favorite moments left out of the film.

[@Muck006]

"Is that Ned Stark?" No, that is Sean Bean, the guy that ALWAYS DIES! In EVERYTHING!

[@alundavies1016]

Very nice to see someone with an interest in some of the folklore that Tolkien rooted Middle Earth in.

[@Makkaru112]

Then she’d love to react to the vast entertaining lore videos like moviejoob and OmarioRPG did. ;)

[@travellion2112]

Just stumbled onto this video and your channel. As a lifelong Tolkien fan, watching your reactions and insights from the perspective of someone with a degree in English literature and knowledge of Norse mythology was fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable. Subscribed. Looking forward to more. Tolkien took inspiration from a great many sources when creating the world of Middle Earth. Much of the setting and mythology is based in Norse myth. The story and themes, however, we're primarily drawn from his experience in WW1 and from his deep Catholic faith. As a linguist, he created the elvish language with a great deal of Welsh influence. Many of the more obvious parallels can really be seen best in the writing, specifically in The Silmarillion, instead of the film adaptations. Although, we all agree, Peter Jackson's movies are some of the best example of a book brought to life you'll ever see. Edit:typos

[@DrThrax4]

Haven't been on your channel in a hot minute, but always happy to come back, especially for Lord of the Rings!

[@speedysavant]

You're gonna absolutely love the Rohirrim. They're basically horse vikings. They're fantastic. Eomer and Eowyn are amazing characters, and Theoden is such a powerful figure. Really portrays that norse fatalism, and some of his lines are based on saxon and norse poetry

[@bobbwc7011]

No, not horse-Vikings, rather horse-Saxons/horse-Germans. The Ride of the Rohirrim is Tolkiens depiction of a 10th century German "Panzerreiterei" (heavy armoured cavalry) smashing into a medieval infantry army.

[@StevesFunhouse]

Why are you telling her ahead of time what to expect or what she'll like ???

[@Naxela135]

@@bobbwc7011 weird i heard it was of the winged hussars of Poland arriving to the siege of Vienna. We can all believe what we want

[@bobbwc7011]

@@Naxela135 That is a nonsensical urban legend made up by retards and spread in YT comments. Or since when is 1683 part of the medieval period???? Tolkien was a Medievalist. The attack on Minas Tirith is a hypothetical Tolkien What if? plotline where Tolkien imagined the Anglo-Saxons having a German Panzerreiterei ...which was undefeated on any battlefield 919-1242.

[@YoureMrLebowski]

1:43 "But this Viking does." love the attitude

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

The more powerful you are, the more you desire the ring. Gandalf and Galadriel, two of the most powerful beings in Middle-Earth, have a serious craving for it. Notice Gandalf in Bilbo's house avoids even touching it; he's afraid that if he holds it he will never be able to let it go again. Hobbits are the least power hungry race, so they are most resistant to its corrupting influence.

[@kikebautista2110]

Its funny always hearing: why no one helped Gandalf?...Well, try to grab someone in the open while orcs are shooting arrows at you.

[@jamesfischer2427]

Sam's grendfather (Gaffer) was Bilbo's gardener for years. Sam later became Frodo's gardener when Frodo inherited Bag End. That's why he refers to Frodo as Mr. Frodo.

[@nemesis4852]

Sam's father actually.

[@jamesfischer2427]

@@nemesis4852 Are you sure about that? I'd love to know your source.

[@abigailmallett9985]

Boromirs death makes me cry everytime. The way he looked after the hobbits the whole time, makes sense when you see more of his background 😢

[@beige_projection]

When Aragorn kicked the helmet, the actor actually... Oh wait it's not the time yet

[@bernice6867]

Things people do to be the first😂

[@johntepu1869]

Great reaction, new sub and long time LOTR fan from New Zealand. The fact that 20yrs later, these movies still bring so much excitement happiness and meaning to so many is truly amazing. This particular movie has the audience invested so quickly that, many forget how long they are and don’t want it to end. Glad you have chosen to watch the extended versions, you will definitely see Boromir’s character backstory. Buckle up for a visual phenomenon and emotional roller coaster journey through Middle Earth 🔥🔥🔥

[@dutchdigger4756]

minute 3: "Yeah im not gonna remember these names..." minute 20: Look there's Bilbo! watch out Pippin! Nooo, Gandalf!

[@loyalik]

I'm glad more people are experiencing these movies again or for the first time. They're so bloody good and so important to me

[@Makkaru112]

They are the same for me and millions of everyone else like us!

[@popularopinion1]

"Galadriel... sounds like an angel's name" Well, you're not wrong

[@pillmuncher67]

A wizard's power is in himself, not the staff, but he uses the staff to focus his power. That does not mean that the staves aren't magical in themselves. They are, but it needs a powerful magic entity to wield them.

[@alistairgrey5089]

The ring doesn't actually make you invisible, it seems that way but it is more complicated than that. What the ring is doing is pushing the wearer into the shadow realm. For mortal creatures that means their bodies disappear from view as they are partially in another dimension. But, Sauron is not a mortal creature. He exists in the physical and shadow realms fully already so the ring doesn't displace him at all. Also, you, like many others, Will find that Sam isn't a real one, he's THE real one. And yes, Gandalf is actually dead. The thing is, he isn't human so death means something different to him than it would to anybody else. Anything more would be spoilers.

[@MrRenanHappy]

It is actually called the Unseen world. 'Shadow realm' is a name given by the movies, but the Unseen world is neither good nor evil and has spiritual beings from both sides.

[@alistairgrey5089]

@@MrRenanHappy I know. But for someone new to the series it is easier to use the movie terms for the time being.

[@marcusfridh8489]

The ring is a very heavy catholic symbolism, "invisibility for the good, but visibility for the evil.

[@alistairgrey5089]

@@marcusfridh8489 being that Tolkien made the ring before it was supposed to be the one ring of power I doubt that was even in his mind. He created a ring of invisibility that he then wrote to become the one ring. Maybe he thought of Catholic symbolism at that point but that's impossible to know if he didn't speak on it.

[@Makkaru112]

@@alistairgrey5089 dislikes allegory and his works are Nordic, Finnish, Irish mythologies to which you wouldn’t have the stories and backdrop to which LOTR was connected to via The Silmarillion and ten other books of his. As well as a purely Arthurian/Anglo Saxon revival of their ancient knowledge and cultures that were destroyed by the rising powers around them at the time including the nasty Catholic Church. Too many horror stories to count man! Even that Netflix show about the 7 kings will die prophesy thing finally showed the anglo Saxons in the light they deserved. Heck. Every church was built upon leylines where greater temples used to be. Heck. Even one in Greece I believe that was built with the former temples materials which still had its engravings and such on it so it’s all over their walls. Erasing the mothergoddess. The great mother. Notice the splitting up of the family unit in our current day? Where is the father AND the mother god? They are directly “below” prime creator source energy Prime Creator.

[@eqgilethan]

I think Cate Blanchett was the perfect choice for Galadriel. She captured the look of wisdom and experience of an 8000 year old being while having the youth and beauty of an immortal elf. Though not mentioned in the films, Galadriel is Arwen's grandmother, through her daughter Celebrian who was wed to Elrond.

[@Makkaru112]

She’s far beyond that. That’s make her too close to Elrond and also make the world seem too young. They age differently too. They have a different internal clock even though they also experience lunar and solar time after the birth of the sun and moon.

[@Makkaru112]

MUCH deeper lore version with added details: Galadriel's gift to Gimli has deeper meaning behind it, like most things in this movie & reflects the expanded lore of the middle earth universe. Galadriel is one of the 2-3 most powerful & wise elves remaining in Middle Earth since the time the land was young. She was born in a place called Valinor, or the Undying land... which is basically the place of residence of the Valar, the local pantheon, the local "gods" as you may call them. Back then, the world was not illuminated by the sun, the moon and the stars, but rather by 2 trees of gold and silver, Telperion and Laurëlin that lit the world before the sun & moon were born from their last flower and fruit as they were basically killed by Melkor. It is said that Galadriel's hair had somehow captured some of the shine of those two trees. Her uncle Fëanor, who was a great king of the Elven people & also arguably their greatest craftsman to ever live, asked/demanded that she give him a lock of hair, so that he could use it to fashion 3 gems that would shine of the same light as the trees. Sensing his pride & a shadow that wasn’t exactly belonging to him brewing from within, she refused his request 3 times. He stopped asking and made the gems anyway, managing to complete the task he had set for himself even without her hair. Around these 3 gems, the possession of which became the driving force for many of the great events in the world, entire wars that lasted for centuries exploded, and other events. The gems actively shaped the fate of the races of middle earth to the point that the aforementioned Valar got involved directly. During these times, events surrounding the gems brought about the traditional enmity between Dwarves and Elves... the same enmity that Gimli still feels towards them. That enmity however does not survive his encounter with the wise Galadriel, whom Gimli basically falls platonically in love with. By giving him 3 of her hair, Galadriel is opening a door, offering an olive branch that might one day close the gap that divides these two races. Legolas, himself being an Elven prince and centuries old, knows of the story through his father Thranduil & grandfather Oropher, as it shaped the lives of all Elves, and his subtle smile is possibly the first act of acknowledgment and reconciliation. it is also a way for Peter Jackson, the director of the film, to give a nod to all of the fans who know these facts and backstories... a way to make us feel seen, and to make us appreciate just how deeply the makers of the film respect the books and larger universe created by Tolkien. The thing with the hair may seem weird, but there is a significance to it in real life as well as in the lore of the story. In real life, it was not uncommon for wives, fiancés, or even girlfriends to give their men (who were going off to war), a lock of their hair as a keepsake, particularly in WWI, which Tolkien fought in. The lore part of it comes into play in The Silmarillion, Tolkien's tales of the creation of Arda, the Undying Lands of Valinor, and Middle Earth. Galadriel is many, many thousands of years old, & was born in Valinor before the sun & moon were even created. At the time, the world was lit by two trees, one gold and one silver which would shine at different times from each other, but would shine together once a day when one would fade and the other brighten. Galadriel's hair was said to look like the light of the mingled light from the two trees, which may have inspired Feanor, a master craftsman and heir to the high king of the Noldor, to craft the Silmaril's which were three jewels that captured the light of the two trees, one golden light, one silver light, & one co-mingled light. Fëanor had a bit of a thing for Galadriel and begged her for her hair three different times, which she rejected because she could perceive the inner darkness of his heart and rejected him, which made them "un-friends" after that. There is a lot more to the lore than that, so this is the super crib-notes version. But the point is, it was VERY significant that she granted Gimli three of her hairs to a dwarf, when she would not to the son of her king many 10s of thousands of years ago of which she is related to all three kings who were brothers and Elu Thingol of Doriath was one of the brothers that didn’t stay in Valinor even though he was one of the elven ambassadors along with his three brothers and that king I mentioned was VERY close friends with Thingol) ever wondered how old Galadriel is during the War of the Ring? I have looked in many different sources and depending on where you look, she’s anywhere from 17,000-20,000 years old. 6,000 seems too young as it would make her close in age to Elrond, who I know is much younger than her even though he’s 6000-8000 by the third age, which wouldn’t make sense for her at all even if she was (“690 years older” as some kept repeating on the internet making 6960!)As she was around long before Elrond was even born and time was experience differently to say the LEAST as there is a lot to go into on that subject lol.) She was born during the Years of the Trees & back then the years were something like 9X longer than a solar year so I understand the math is hard, especially since she isn’t given an exact birth year. But it is said that Finarfin, her father, was born in Y.T. 1230, so I would assume she was born sometime within 1000 years of then (being generous). Basically, I’m wondering what the most accurate range is for her age during the events of Lord of the Rings. I’ll also add that Galadriel is was around before the ents even existed (of which Treebeard is 15,000 years old so she’s OLDER than Treebeard/Fangorn) or very close to when they were “created” by Yavannah and probably had much knowledge to do with such things and or direct knowledge of what happened. Probably through an early prototype of her mirror or simply another dream that made her long for middle earth all over again ontop of the yearning she already had to go there and explore. Nothing to do with Fëanor’s oath and all that jazz. Just going from the Appendices (and maybe Silmarillion) she would have to be at least 9000+ years older than Elrond, Elrond was born near the end of the First Age, Galadriel was adult before the destruction of the Trees. Actually, more than that: I just checked, and the Second Age ended in SA 3441. So an elf born literally at the end of the First Age (FA 590) is 3441+3018 = 6459 years old when Frodo leaves for Rivendell. Elrond was born in FA 532, so adds 58 years to get 6517. Elves are mature at 100, so Galadriel adds at leas 632 to Elrond's age, to be at least 7149, and possibly quite a bit more (as attested by other comments.) One fic had Maglor(Elrond’s Adoptive Father, Maedhros was also adoptive father alongside Maglor, they were the eldest sons of Fëanor) - One fic had as much older than Galadriel; I wondered how we knew, and it was pointed out to me that Maglor was the second oldest son of the first son of Finwë, while Galadriel is the youngest child of the third son of Finwë. So, yeah. Note that the second age was the LONGEST and again time was experienced very differently back then too aside from the internal clock of elves working very differently, she’s definitely older as far as the world and the other beings that age far faster around her. I also remind you all that she’s older than the sun and the moon and witnessed and most likely even helped in the Valar’s crafting of the last fruit and flower of the two trees of Valinor. She was the most involved with learning everything possible from them. She’s 25th generation from Tata one of the elven forefathers to wake to the stars. Their birth was rather shrouded in mist. Only those of her grandfathers ilk have a chance of knowing the origins a bit better as they are closer to that culture that stemmed from the beginning. The Years of the Trees were the second of the three great time periods in Arda that followed the Years of the Lamps and preceded the Years of the Sun&Moon. They were known to be comprised of several Ages and lasted in total around 1500 Valian Years or 14,373 solar years. Time flowed differently back then and time flowed differently within them too for the elves live as long as the world does. Epic hey?❤❤ The Dúnedain said that Galadriel’s height was two rangar, or "man-high" - some 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm). However, Galadriel's most striking feature was her beautiful long silver-golden hair. The Elves of Tirion said it captured the radiance of the Two Trees Laurelin and Telperion themselves. Galadriel was said to be the tallest female in Middle Earth, at 6'4”. But then Thingol was the tallest elf ever to live, and he's estimated to be almost 9' (274 cm) Thingol was also a very very prominent figure within the Silmarillion and other books. He’s the great ancestor of Elrond+Arwen and through Aragorn being directly but distantly related to Elronds Twin Brother Elros it makes him loosely connected to Thingol as well. Let’s just say he died a tragic death long long ago. I’m a continent that doesn’t exist anymore. The events I spoke of in my earlier story of Elrond about his fathers deeds, which lead to the Valar helping with putting a Stop to Morgoth for good so to say and that War Of Wrath lasted 80 years straight and it left the landmass torn asunder from the clash of gods and the holy host of Vanyar elves that were closest to the Valar than all other elves so you can imagine what a bunch of mighty elves men and Maiar fighting a bunch of fowl creatures and beings for 80 years would do to a continent. It all fell into the sea. Galadriel barely made it over the mountain before that part of the story officially broke out.

[@davefranklyn7730]

@@Makkaru112 Wow! You really know the lore. I'm impressed!

[@Makkaru112]

@@davefranklyn7730 thank you. Imagine this: if she was near the same age as Elrond it wouldn’t even put her close enough to the years of the trees in Valinor. Where she is supposed to be born! Just minute 8000 years from the third age and you don’t even reach the beginning of the first age. The second was VERY long 15,000 at least and so then that thing people keep spreading about her being 9000 really doesn’t check out even mathematically. Let alone time in other ages of Arda flowed differently and full elf years are not the same as solar years even after the sun and moon came into being sooo… yeah…

[@Makkaru112]

@@davefranklyn7730 hey. Show me more of your reactions and or questions that you have. Go on! Express yourself. I love these discussions. It engages people who maybe didn’t get a chance to engage in the communities. I never had the chance to really get involved with the larger communities that have been around for 30 plus years now. So I enjoy connecting with people via Tolkien. It brings people together in beautiful ways.

[@gestaltdude]

A quick (?) comment about the four hobbits relationship may be helpful here. To begin with, Frodo, Merry and Pippin are cousins, though each belongs to one of the main hobbit families on The Shire. Sam is Frodo's neighbour, and he and his father have worked for the Baggins' for decades, with Sam taking over as his father aged. Hence, he calls Frodo "Mr Frodo" because he is literally in Frodo employ, but they have also known each other since Frodo moved in after Bilbo adopted him (Frodo's parent both died in a boating accident), when Frodo was in his teens. Frodo turned 33 at the party that opens the movie (as well as Bilbo turning 111), and was a few years older than the other hobbit, but they have essentially known each other for most of their lives. In the books, it was a further 17 years between the party and Frodo leaving, allowing further time for their relationships to develop. Merry, Pippin and Sam had actually been keeping an eye on Frodo for years, expecting him to run away to try to find Bilbo. This scrutiny intensified after Gandalf discovered the nature of the Ring. Of course, all of this is skipped in the movie, going straight from the party to Frodo running off, which is why Pippin seems so clueless about their need for secrecy to begin with. You also spoke of the feeling of brotherhood that ends up developing in the Fellowship, and it's possible origin in Tolkien's experience during the WW1. While that no doubt continues to this day in most combat units, WW1 was unique in that you had tens of thousands of men sitting around in trenches, sometimes for months at a time, always aware that any second could see their enemies advance on their position, or that even sticking a body part too far above the top of the trench was a good way to have it shot clean off. Though he denies any allegory between the events of the war and the events of the books, that sort of bone deep experience being transferred into his narrative would have been almost inevitable, and is a theme carried throughout the trilogy, even after the Fellowship is dissolved. Hope this helps.

[@steved1135]

Nice. Read the trilogy back in the mid 80's in my teens and, like many fans I suppose, was quite worried about the movie adaptations. Suffice it to say, they're fantastic. Hope you enjoy.

[@robbob5302]

Can you imagine if The Beatles had done it???

[@Dunybrook]

It's interesting what you say abut the Hobbits because they are much more the protagonists of the books than they are in the movies and Pippin and Merry also come off as being more intelligent and less the comedic relief. Great reaction.

[@Quirderph]

Well, *Merry* is more intelligent, at least.

[@delphipriestess9968]

This was a great and fun reaction! You pretty much understood everything, which is very impressive for a first time viewer👍🍿

[@ororo101]

Great job! You caught on to a lot of the deeper themes of the movie that I didn’t really click with until after a few rewatches. Hope you continue the series!

[@jmhaces]

You mentioned that Elrond will appreciate seeing Aragorn overcome the failures of his ancestor since he was there when Isildur chose not to destroy the One Ring, but it's even more significant for Elrond for three more reasons: Arwen is his daughter so her fate is now bound to the exiled king of Gondor, he took Aragorn and his mother in when Aragorn was young and the boy was raised among the elves so he sees him as his ward and has genuine affection for him, and last but not least Aragorn is the direct descendant of Elrond's brother Elros. Since their parents were a human and an elf both Elrond and Elros were given the choice to be immortal or mortal and Elros chose to be a mortal man. That's partly while Elrond feels so strongly about Isildur's failure and what he sees as the weakness of men. Those are literally his brother's progeny.

[@vandergrad]

Back in 2002 my young son, who had only recently seen this movie, decided our new Siamese kitten should be named Samwise Gamgee. The kitten was a female so I said, "But isn't Samwise a boy's name?" to which he replied, "Is Samwise even a real name?" Well, he had me there, lol! And so, she became Samwise Gamgee Blue-Eyes-White Dragon (yes, he was also a Yu-gi-oh! fan). Watching your reaction today is the first time I've looked at this film in a long while, and certainly the first time since our grand old lady Samwise (aka Miss Sammie) passed away last month at the ripe age of 21 and ohhh, the feels!!!

[@Makkaru112]

Extended scene missed: 1. opening explaining Hobbits and their culture to the viewers, so they have a better understanding of these peoples we will be following which also was the direct full chapter called Concerning Hobbits. 2. Frodo and Sam's first meeting with the elves, providing context for Valinor and the elves journey there, as referenced throughout the films and seen at the end of the Return of the King(connects to the passing of the elves in the beginning of their leaving the shire when Frodo and Sam are near the Old Forest by the Shire which leads them to eventually bumping into Merry And Pippin! (An epic scene with Gandalf in Rivendell was also removed as well.) 3. Aragorn singing the Lay of Luthien, providing a parallel between the events of the Beren and Luthien and Aragorn's relationship with Arwen. 4. Aragorn kneeling at his mother's grave, giving him some additional backstory for the viewer. 5. Gandalf explaining to Frodo about the corruptive power of the Ring, and how it will strain the Fellowship from the inside, foreshadowing Boromir's downfall. 6. Sam singing a lament for Gandalf, providing more emotional weight to Gandalf's death, referencing the start of the movie and strengthening the connection between him and the Hobbits ( also highlights Tolkien's love of song and poetry in the books). 7. Galadriel giving the gifts to the Fellowship, providing context for their appearance in later films, as well as drawing a parallel between Gimli's gift and the events of the Silmarillion (Feanor and Galadriel). That’s just the beginning. Including several removed scenes between Aragorn and Galadriel and Aragorn with her husband Celeborn!

[@YoureMrLebowski]

4:37 "Wasn't he in Matrix? Didn't I just watch that?" you had the look of déjà vu 😆 a glitch, perhaps?

[@brettpeacock9116]

Boromir was "given to the Great River Anduin" because the founders of Gondor (His ancestors) were refugees from the Island Kingdom of Numenor, which was a great naval power at then beginning of the Second age. Numenor sank beneath the waves and burial at sea was seen as a return home. By giving Boromir's body to the Anduin, it was believed that the River would return to the sea, his Ancestral Home.

[@mrdavman13]

Tolkien notoriously hated allegory. So even if you might find parallels between certain characters and our modern world or history, they are almost certainly not as directly involved as you’d think. With the ents, It is purely to show, Saruman is willing to kill this forest, beyond killing nature, ents are a community with social ties and families and voices of their own. He was friends with those ents before. Tree beard says Saruman used to walk in Fangorn when he first came to middle earth and talked with the ents for many hours. He has fully turned to evil when he decides to rip them all up

[@artizek]

The next movie is where the Norse influence really takes center stage. You're going to love Rohan. Also I highly recommend finding the DVDs because they have literally hours of behind-the-scenes footage. This one poor man wore off his fingerprints because his job was to make all the chain mail.

[@Makkaru112]

They can be found on KZbin and other places too. I’ve seen the full length ones on KZbin! But us. Fully agree and recommend the same thing !

[@ThistleAndSea]

Nice one, Ylva! Great start to a great set of movies. As a Tolkien fan since the early 70's, I can't imagine what it must be like trying to take all of this in without having read the books, but I think you did a wonderful job with it. Looking forward to watching the next two with you. 🙂

[@Thedesertguy75]

Its refreshing to see someone take an educated and intelligent interest in these masterpieces of storytelling.......I adore these films........I saw them in the theaters when they came out in the early 2000s.....blew me away......I still love them.....The actors, the MUSIC, the clothing, the dialogue, its just moves me everytime........EVERYTIME....=) I completely agree about the Harry potter reference.......I think it was influenced too, I used to call it "Lord of the Rings for kids." Lol

[@joeyellis850]

This was made in 2001 and it looks this good! It's what you get when you care about what you make instead of throwing money at it.

[@axelbruv]

It really is unforgivable how Simon Tolkien has sacrificed his grandfather's legacy to Amazon. Christopher Tolkien protected his father's work for so long.

[@Makkaru112]

The Gandalf locked in the Tower bit is explained ONLY in the Unfinished Tales Book: In [manuscript] C The Black Riders arrived at the Gate of Isengard while Gandalf was still a prisoner in the tower. In this account, Saruman, in fear & despair, & perceiving the full horror of service to Mordor, resolved suddenly to yield to Gandalf, & to beg for his pardon & help. Temporizing at the Gate, he admitted that he had Gandalf within, & said that he would go & try to discover what he knew; if that were unavailing, he would deliver Gandalf up to them. Then Saruman hastened to the summit of Orthanc - & found Gandalf gone. Away south against the setting moon he saw a great Eagle flying towards Edoras. See, the thing is he was always master of studying the enemy & even being able to think like they do to always know exactly the best ways to handle ever situation and so on, but the thing is he didn't just become the enemy, he at this time in a sense for once actually grew afraid of him, probably Sauron did what Sauron did with Finrod Felagund(Galadriel’s elder brother who by the way was very important in the legendarium) which basically widdled Saruman with various visions of the past and future until it wore him down.

[@michaelhoward142]

What a thoroughly enjoyable reaction! It's quite nice hearing your knowledge of Norse history/mythology and how it contributed to Tolkien's writings. I'm very much looking forward to watching you react to the next two movies. Thank you for sharing, dear lady. 🤗

[@joey2789]

Man, watching these for the first time in theaters was something else. We had no idea what we were getting into

[@reasonforge9997]

12:20 Gandalf's eyebrows are described as sticking out further than the brim of his hat per the books.

[@Quirderph]

Granted, Tolkien may have meant the *inner* brim...

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Thank you for including more of the dialogue and not just the big action scenes. Jackson & co. changed a lot, but kept the feel of Tolkien's words.

[@jacklively5229]

The Light of Eärendil is the light of the Morning Star, feared by all creatures of Sauron; Eärendil was the father of Elrond and Elros (Aragorn’s ancestor), who slew Ancalagon, the greatest and largest of dragons, and fought alongside the gods when Sauron’s master, the first Dark Lord Morgoth, was defeated.

[@carthos4402]

Answer: The ring needs to be more powerful? Actually, the Ring grants power according to the power and strength of the user. In the books Galadriel explains this to Frodo when he asks that same question (also Gandalf told him) but its a catch 22...... because the more powerful you are, the stringer the Ring becomes and the more corrupting the Ring is. Hence why men, wizard's, and all these peoples of power and status get corrupted so easily....... hobbits happen to be the most resilient because they are so weak of strature and power. This is also why the Ring only turns the hobbits invisible. Although in the books it also enhanced their senses a bit and percieving thoughts. Not quite mind reading, but more then just lucky guesss of people's thoughts and intents.

[@Jaasau]

The power of the ring is commiserate with the power of its wielder. So it doesn’t do much for a lowly hobbit. But its corrupting influence is also inversely proportionate with the virtue of those in its presence. So, since Bilbo and Frodo are quite virtuous, it affects them far less than a human with serious flaws.

[@chriswerth918]

You really should watch the extended editions, for the next two movies. They r awesome 😉

[@StevesFunhouse]

No, she shouldn't !!!

[@chriswerth918]

She got a mind for her own, and can make decisions....thank you very much

[@StevesFunhouse]

@@chriswerth918 Well then, why are you trying to tell her what to do ??? I agree , she can make up her own mind ... thank YOU very much !!! Id10ts ALWAYS see everyone ELSE as wrong, but never see themselves or their own faults.

[@chriswerth918]

SHE WILL LOOK THE EXTENDED EDITOINS! TO BOTH OF THE MOVIES! ... an there s nothing you can say or do to prevent that from happening

[@StevesFunhouse]

@@chriswerth918 YOU are the one telling her what to do. I merely argued your point and warned her that it would be a fool's errand. What she does is none of my business ... warning her is. All I said was ... she shouldn't. You're the azz who can't handle it, not me.

[@silvervelcroo6129]

Hi! Here's A few interesting things about this first movie that you probably didn't noticed. The scene when the fellowship was on the mountain and after the snow fell on them I'm not sure if you noticed how everyone was under the snow but Legolas was walking on the snow. That s because Legolas, and elves in general have a special relationship with nature, and pass lightly through Middle Earth - so it is that Legolas is able to tread lightly on the snow while the others sink into. Another deep meaning scene was when Bilbo gave up to the ring and let it fall from his palm on the floor. Notice how the ring didn't bounce around like a normal ring would but instead slams to a complete stop. This show how much weight in all aspects is on the person who carried it. In the fight at the final of the movie with Aragon against the Uruk leader, the Uruk threw a dagger to Aragon and Aragon manage to deflect that dagger with his sword, well the Uruk actor accidentally threw that knife at Aragon instead of a tree and Aragon hitting it away with his sword was Viggo's real reaction to it, it was not in the script. A few more interesting facts .. -All of the fellowship cast was helicoptered up to a mountainside (for the scene where they’re walking up through the snow and Frodo drops the ring) except for Boromir/Sean Bean (who was terrified of flying) He travelled part of the way via ski-lift and then spend two hours walking the remainder of the journey, in full Boromir costume - When Ian McKellen ( Gandalf) hit his head in the beginning of the movie in Bilbo's housethat wasn't scripted, he actually hit his head on accident. But he acted so well through it that they decided to keep it in the movie -Peter Jackson (the director of the movies) included himself for a few seconds in each of the 3 Lotr films, as different character, in Fellowship appears when Fordo arrives at Bree village, Peter appear as a drunk man.. -Arwen played by Liv Tyler, in real life her father is Steven Tyler famous lead singer of Aerosmith. Edit! for the next 2 movies you should watch the extended version cuz extended gives context to a lot of important scenes

[@Makkaru112]

The movies are masterpieces but they do Isildur some injustice. In the books, while he does succumb to the seduction of the ring, he spends his time being a fair ruler who practically gave some power away instead of being power hungry. He comes to realize that he is not powerful enough to truly bend the ring to his will. That it will eventually overcome him. Isildur resolves to give the ring to Elrond but is killed on the way to Rivendel. It's a tragic story of a man that tries to right his wrong but ultimately fails. One sad series of events interlinking with eachother to form what became of him. In the books isildur literally repented and was about to bring the ring to Rivendell and apologize as he recognized it was beyond him even for a great numenorean connected to the faithful line of the mighty Elendil

[@ink-cow]

I've heard that idea before too, that Saruman ripping up the trees was an allegory for industrialism. Here is what Tolkien himself said about allegory: "I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history - true or feigned- with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author." Public interest in the books exploded in the 1960's, when various US subcultures assigned all kinds of hidden meanings to the story. Another popular theory is that the ring is an allegory for drug addiction. Thankfully Jackson never tries to push any of these ideas in the script, but treats it as the "feigned history" Tolkien intended.

[@eschiedler]

Don't apologize for the horned viking helmet. They are so cool I'm sure 9th Century Vikings would say "Why didn't we do that?!"

[@BlunderMunchkin]

They didn't do that because giving your enemy a handle they can use to control your head is a bad idea.

[@eschiedler]

@@BlunderMunchkin Making your enemy laugh uncontrollably is an even better idea.

[@mdl12321]

Audiobook and a detailed map is an adventure of lifetime

[@Makkaru112]

Especially Christopher Lee audibook of Childrin Of Hùrin! Saruman the noble himself speaking the stories to you himself directly to you. ❤

[@graymouser6599]

Nice reaction! Your helmet is perfect. There was an animated movie in the late 70s made of this trilogy and Boromir in that animated movie indeed wears a horned helmet.

[@justahologram2230]

Fun fact: The Lord Of The Rings was written as a single book originally, the publisher had it split up into a trilogy

[@Makkaru112]

That and it wouldn’t have been published if CS Lewis didn’t make a bet with his best friend JRR Tolkien. He was in love with his friends work and basically pestered him forever about it. So he published LOTR to shut his best friend CS LEWIS up lol the bet prize was earning Lewis’ silence on the matter 😂

[@baidurya]

One way to decode Lord of the Rings, since you are into lores, is this: LOTR showcases three types of heroes. First, the Greek (tragic) hero, defined from the beginning by their birth or conditions beyond their control. Their heroism lies in following their destiny to the very end. They have the chance to turn back, vanish into the common crowd, but they choose not to. This is Frodo. Then there is the Germanic (Norse) hero, of kingly sagas. Still ruled by destiny but not in a tragic sense. Instead, there is a possibility of fulfillment of promise. This is Aragorn. But finally, there is the modern (British) hero, who by birth or blood have no obligation to one thing or the other. They are too small/peripheral to the larger scheme of things. They have no bloodline or heirloom. But they do choose to fight, to do the right thing, to go to the very end of things. And that hero is Sam. And Tolkien very clearly prefers the third, while respecting the other two, older modes of heroes.

[@lordloverocket81]

Something I like but is seldom commented on is how Tolkien introduces new characters. Aragorn, Arwen and Galadriel are all introduced in a quite sinister way making you question them while Saruman the evil character is introduced as a friend.

[@Makkaru112]

You’ll love the full scene with Frodo+Sam &Galadriel that even the great Peter Jackson & team didn’t seem to include.. which all this little stuff lead to that scene in the movies which gave it more meaning; & the”one who has seen the eye” thing was a mistake by the team. It gave the wrong message and was not needed as it lead some reactors to be like “so creepy” lol : •[Frodo] stepped back shaking all over & looked at the Lady. “I know what it was that you last saw”, she said; 'for that is also in my mind. Do not be afraid! But do not think that only by singing amid the trees, nor even by the slender arrows of elven-bows, is this land of Lothlórien maintained and defended against its Enemy. I say to you, Frodo, that even as I speak to you, I perceive the Dark Lord and know his mind, or all of his mind that concerns the Elves. And he gropes ever to see me and my thought. But still the door is closed!' She lifted up her white arms, and spread out her hands towards the East in a gesture of rejection and denial. Eärendil, the Evening Star, most beloved of the Elves, shone clear above. So bright was it that the figure of the Elven-lady cast a dim shadow on the ground. Its rays glanced upon a ring about her finger; it glittered like polished gold overlaid with silver light, and a white stone in it twinkled as if the Evenstar had come down to rest upon her hand. Frodo gazed at the ring with awe; for suddenly it seemed to him that he understood. 'Yes,' she said, divining his thought, 'it is not permitted to speak of it, and Elrond could not do so. But it cannot be hidden from the Ring-bearer, and one who has seen the Eye. Verily it is in the land of Lórien upon the finger of Galadriel that one of the Three remains. This is Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, and I am its keeper. 'He suspects, but he does not know - not yet. Do you not see now wherefore your coming is to us as the footstep of Doom? For if you fail, then we are laid bare to the Enemy. Yet if you succeed, then our power is diminished, and Lothlórien will fade, and the tides of Time will sweep it away. We must depart into the West, or dwindle to a rustic folk of dell and cave, slowly to forget and to be forgotten.' Frodo bent his head. 'And what do you wish?' he said at last. 'That what should be shall be,' she answered. 'The love of the Elves for their land and their works is deeper than the deeps of the Sea, and their regret is undying and cannot ever wholly be assuaged. Yet they will cast all away rather than submit to Sauron: for they know him now. For the fate of Lothlórien you are not answerable but only for the doing of your own task. Yet I could wish, were it of any avail, that the One Ring had never been wrought, or had remained for ever lost.' 'You are wise and fearless and fair, Lady Galadriel,' said Frodo. 'I will give you the One Ring, if you ask for it. It is too great a matter for me.' Galadriel laughed with a sudden clear laugh. 'Wise the Lady Galadriel may be,' she said, 'yet here she has met her match in courtesy. Gently are you revenged for my testing of your heart at our first meeting. You begin to see with a keen eye. I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer. For many long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into my hands, and behold! it was brought within my grasp. The evil that was devised long ago works on in many ways, whether Sauron himself stands or falls. Would not that have been a noble deed to set to the credit of his Ring, if I had taken it by force or fear from my guest? 'And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!' She lifted up her hand and from the ring that she wore there issued a great light that illuminated her alone and left all else dark. She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful. Then she let her hand fall, and the light faded, and suddenly she laughed again, and lo! she was shrunken: a slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad. 'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West and remain Galadriel.' They stood for a long while in silence. At length the Lady spoke again. 'Let us return!' she said. 'In the morning you must depart for now we have chosen, and the tides of fate are flowing.' 'I would ask one thing before we go,' said Frodo, 'a thing which I often meant to ask Gandalf in Rivendell. I am permitted to wear the One Ring: why cannot I see all the others and know the thoughts of those that wear them?' 'You have not tried,' she said. 'Only thrice have you set the Ring upon your finger since you knew what you possessed. Do not try! It would destroy you. Did not Gandalf tell you that the rings give power according to the measure of each possessor? Before you could use that power you would need to become far stronger, and to train your will to the domination of others. Yet even so, as Ring-bearer and as one that has borne it on finger and seen that which is hidden, your sight has grown keener. You have perceived my thought more clearly than many that are accounted wise. You saw the Eye of him that holds the Seven and the Nine. And did you not see and recognize the ring upon my finger? Did you see my ring?' she asked turning again to Sam. 'No, Lady,' he answered. 'To tell you the truth, I wondered what you were talking about. I saw a star through your finger. But if you'll pardon my speaking out, I think my master was right. I wish you'd take his Ring. You'd put things to rights. You'd stop them digging up the gaffer and turning him adrift. You'd make some folk pay for their dirty work.' 'I would,' she said. 'That is how it would begin. But it would not stop with that, alas! We will not speak more of it. Let us go!' When] at last all that [Galadriel] had desired in her youth came to her hand, the Ring of Power and the peaceful rule of Middle-earth which she had dreamed... her wisdom was full grown and she rejected it.... Meaning definitely by now it’s become trivial to her. Even back in the day he couldn’t find her or pierce her mind and whenever he went looking for her presence he boils t find her ALL AT THE SAME TIME AS HER BEING ABLE TO READ HIS OWN MIND WITHOUT HIM KNOWING! Often times even from a great distance. That’s power. Just one calm look from her is all it takes to send even the Nazgûl run away from her. They even avoid her realm entirely both because of its own power as well as they know exactly who she is and her exact lineage through themselves being very old. 4000+plus. Especially the WitchKing(head Nazgûl)

[@JimJack-ng9yi]

Everyone needs a Sam in their life, he's the real deal friendship

[@siggilinde5623]

We shouldn't wish for a Sam. We should try to be a Sam to the ones we love 😊 If each person on earth just tried to be a bit more like Sam it would be a merrier world

[@Makkaru112]

(No spoiler) Gandalf is the same species of being as the Balrogs/Sauron before twisted by Melkor[Morgoth]. They are all Maiar (primordial spirits). Gandalf named Olórin created by Eru’s Thought (extensions of Eru Îlluvatar himself whilst they had their own free will & individuality. He essentially got the chance to experience and study other parts of himself through this.) among the other Ainur before the Years of the Lamps roughly 9,000+ years before arriving in Middle-earth; In Valinor he was known as Olórin.(Remember though he formally existed before the world existed and his form becoming Gandalf hadn’t happened yet. He was sent to Middle-earth in human form around the year 1000 of the Third Age. So his many forms had different ages in length of existing. He’s very cool right! Could he get any cooler!? 😎❤️ Another thing is when he arrived in middle earth he was disguised as an elf & lived among them whilst they were unknowing & he became to be known as Mithrandir to the Quendi/Eldar❤️ He could have very well dwelled with the elves far earlier just do to his curiosity & simple desire to explore and be around the firstborn (TheElves) Gandalf The Grey/White Estimated at 15,000 years old (following his quote "300 lives of men, I have walked this earth"), It says that Gandalf was the wisest of the Maiar besides Melian herself. There were a lot of Maiar that were considered really great and powerful. However, there is a much longer answer. Like Sauron(former name is Mairon) & the other Istari (the order sent around the same time & of which he was appointed leader but he being who he is & a student of the Vala by the name Nienna & Lorien(Irmo). Gandalf was a Maiar, an angelic spirit created by Eru at the beginning of time and therefor one of the many Ainur who sang the world into being & Eru just helped their creation take shape and basically stated “behold YOUR creation” & basically what happens in that world goes sort of preordained as by that song eons ago so really only the ages after Dagor Dagorath will truly be an age that isn’t full of strife and sadness and longing. Also. These lamps are what were before even the two trees. These were Giant mountains but also like light houses but housing a great power but it may have also been where two special Maia lived that helped in the creation in the sun and moon after Melkor With eldrich terror Ungoliant killed the trees, so yea “Arien” is the Maia who basically exists with the sun and her brother and or lover of sorts is the one who wanders with and guides the moon. Of which that other Maia was “Tillion”

[@rickardroach9075]

25:17 That day, Frodo was amazed to discover that when Boromir was saying 'As you wish', what he meant was, 'I love you.'

[@velazquezn]

I hope Boromir read him that book again tomorrow.

[@pillmuncher67]

Around the time of the events in the movie, Gandalf, in his embodied form, is around 2,000 years old. He came to Middle Earth in the year 1,000 of the Third Age. But originally, he is a spirit being and even older than the world. He was there when the universe was created by the Ainur some 27,000 years ago. The Ainur were the offspring of the mind of Eru Iluvatar, the supreme god of Tolkien's world. Eru gave each of the Ainur a musical theme. Then he let them sing and, in their music, they got visions of the world Eru intended. Then he sent them to create that world, Arda, with Middle Earth as its main continent. The Ainur were the Valar, high spirits, and the Maiar, lower spirits that were servants to the Valar. The Valar roughly correspond to the Greek pantheon, except for Melkor and Nienna. Melkor is more akin to the Christian Satan (Tolkien said that the LOTR was a deeply Catholic book). Nienna's power is very strange and has no counterpart in any myth I know. She weeps incessantly for the sorrows in the world and in doing so, teaches pity and wisdom. Gandalf, who was originally a Maiar named Olórin, was a student of Nienna in the heavenly island of Valinor. There he, too, learned pity and wisdom from her. Another of his powers is that he can feel where the pieces might fall - he's not outright clairvoyant, but he knows that when he follows his gut feeling, things will turn out right. He's also associated with fire and was entrusted with the keeping of one of the three Elven rings, Narya, the Fire Ring. His association with Fire and Narya was the reason he could stop the Balrog from crossing the bridge of Khazad-dûm. The Balrogs, just like like Gandalf, Saruman and Sauron, had also originally been Maiar. Sauron had been the lieutenant of Melkor, or Morgoth, a name given to him by his enemies. After Morgoth was caught and bound in chains, the other Valar cast him into the void. It is believed that, at the end of time, he will return and will be finally vanquished in a mythic battle, Dagor Dagorath ("The Battle of Battles"). Gandalf the Grey and Sauron the White, together with Radagast the Brown and two other wizards, were sent to Middle Earth to help and guide it's peoples in their fight against Sauron. They were known as the five Istari. Gandalf and Sauron we meet in the LOTR, Radagast plays a role in The Hobbit, and the other two, the so-called Blue Wizards, went to the Easterlings. We don't know their names or what became of them. I tried to keep this as spoiler-free as possible with regards to the movies. Most of what I've written is from the Silmarillion and the books, not from the movies. Also this: Ash nazg durbatulûk, Ash nazg gimbatul, Ash nazg thrakatulûk, Agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.

[@Makkaru112]

Gandalf is the same species of being as the Balrogs/Sauron before twisted by Melkor[Morgoth]. They are all Maiar (primordial spirits). Gandalf named Olórin created by Eru’s Thought (extensions of Eru Îlluvatar himself whilst they had their own free will & individuality. He essentially got the chance to experience and study other parts of himself through this.) among the other Ainur before the Years of the Lamps roughly 9,000+ years before arriving in Middle-earth; In Valinor he was known as Olórin.(Remember though he formally existed before the world existed and his form becoming Gandalf hadn’t happened yet. He was sent to Middle-earth in human form around the year 1000 of the Third Age. So his many forms had different ages in length of existing. He’s very cool right! Could he get any cooler!? 😎❤️ Another thing is when he arrived in middle earth he was disguised as an elf & lived among them whilst they were unknowing & he became to be known as Mithrandir to the Quendi/Eldar❤️ He could have very well dwelled with the elves far earlier just do to his curiosity & simple desire to explore and be around the firstborn (TheElves) Gandalf The Grey/White Estimated at 15,000 years old (following his quote "300 lives of men, I have walked this earth"), It says that Gandalf was the wisest of the Maiar besides Melian herself. There were a lot of Maiar that were considered really great and powerful. However, there is a much longer answer. Like Sauron(former name is Mairon) & the other Istari (the order sent around the same time & of which he was appointed leader but he being who he is & a student of the Vala by the name Nienna & Lorien(Irmo). Gandalf was a Maiar, an angelic spirit created by Eru at the beginning of time and therefor one of the many Ainur who sang the world into being & Eru just helped their creation take shape and basically stated “behold YOUR creation” & basically what happens in that world goes sort of preordained as by that song eons ago so really only the ages after Dagor Dagorath will truly be an age that isn’t full of strife and sadness and longing. Also. These lamps are what were before even the two trees. These were Giant mountains but also like light houses but housing a great power but it may have also been where two special Maia lived that helped in the creation in the sun and moon after Melkor With eldrich terror Ungoliant killed the trees, so yea “Arien” is the Maia who basically exists with the sun and her brother and or lover of sorts is the one who wanders with and guides the moon. Of which that other Maia was “Tillion”

[@ink-cow]

Quick trivia: Ralph Bakshi produced an animated version of Lord of the Rings, and his version of Boromir wore your horned helmet.

[@Makkaru112]

Here are the current ages of the characters: Frodo Baggins is 53. Samwise Gamgee is 38. Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) is 36. Peregrin Took (Pippin) is 28. Gandalf (Olòrin) - is 15,000 (in his current form. Aragorn is 87. Legolas is 2,931. Gimli is 139. Boromir son of Denethor II is 41! I hope that helps! Elves aged differently than men and dwarves. They did not suffer from old age or disease, and their lives were not limited by a fixed number of years. Instead, they aged very slowly, remaining youthful and vigorous for much longer than mortals. Though they could voluntarily leave their bodies and the ultimate thing that can kill them is grief or Sorrow that’s palpable enough for them to just not wish to live anymore. Here are the ages of some of the main Elves of the Third Age, as of the War of the Ring: 1. Elrond Half-elven - over 8,586 while his daughter is 3,777 old! 2. Galadriel - around 20,000 3. Celeborn - 20,000; he may have been alive before her birth or around the same time as his lineage that he lived amongst his forefathers and kin might suggest he is older but they are both very ancient. 4. Glorfindel - over 2,000 (although he had been re-embodied after dying in the First Age which means his Fëa spirit is far older than 2000.) 5. Thranduil - over 8000, (as he was born in the First Age and lived in Doriath with his father Oropher; Thranduil is also the father of Legolas. (As Haldir mentioned him when speaking to Legolas in Lothlòrien during the first movie’s extended scene. He shares the same kindred elven clan as to Celeborn(Galadriel’s husband). It's worth noting that Elves could choose to die voluntarily, usually when they grew weary of life or when they had fulfilled their purpose in the world. However, their spirits would then depart to the Halls of Mandos and could eventually be re-embodied in a new body I meant to add that Frodo was 51 when he left due to the whole Gandalf coming back to the shire after many years. that explains why his youthful appearance didn’t change much throughout the entire film!

[@MajaZaguan]

Tolkien was influenced not just by Nordic mythology, but alo Arthurian legends, Celtic, Saxon, Greek and Roman myths, Nibelung Song, some Oriental legends as well. He absolutely hated allegory, though. Thank you for the great reaction, I subscribed in the first five minutes of it!

[@bradleybowles7979]

Hell to the yeahz!!!!! Great reaction as always!!!!! Howard Shore's score to this movie (and the other ones) is the chef's kiss. Everyone cast in this did such a great job in their roles. The Balrog is simply amazing to behold ! The next, The Two Towers is my favorite of the three. Again, I'm so glad I discovered your channel. Many blessings to you and yours.

[@YlvatheViqueen]

Thank you! I'm so glad I got to react to these movies, they were absolutely incredible!!

[@KeithCampbellStuff]

A interesting and intelligent reaction. Really enjoyed watching it. Everyone else already beat me to the Tolkien trivia, but I'm looking forward to your future reactions. Actually, I found you from your Matrix reaction. Good job.

[@shep4life]

Tolkien. We owe him for so many things. Brilliant

[@dennisswainston411]

The 20 minutes of credits included everybody that had been involved in the website that was launched when the movie series was announced. Any one that took part in online discussions was given the opportunity to have their name listed. I was one of those fans. I won tickets to the Fellowship premiere in Orlando,Fl. I have a 18" replica statue of Gandalf that I won on-line. I have a replica "Sting" sword that looks and is as heavy as a real sword. But when you slide a switch, it glows blue and hums! My wife an I attended a LOTR marathon when the "Return of the King" was released. It included the Extended editions of the first two movies as well. It started @ 9:30 am, included meals & breaks between the movies and movie related giveaways. It ended the next morning at 1:30 am... and 10 years later we did the "Hobbit" movies at the same theater the same way!!!

[@Makkaru112]

This is more proof of how special Tolkien’s works truly are. But since ROP the websites have been slowly changing. And there is a cool guy from a channel called The One Ring overall have nice content. And sometimes they do fun trivia games that get rather difficult and tricky in the middle of each stream which is always fun. That guy also was one of the main dudes of that website. So he has shared lots of stories recently regarding the website

[@cuhurun]

Ylva... In reply to your comment relating to Sam referring to Frodo Baggins as 'Mr Frodo'. Tolkien based the character of Samwise on the soldier who served as his 'batman' in the trenches of the Western Front during World War One. A batman was invariably a veteran soldier of low rank who acted as personal valet, assistant and bodyguard to British and Commonwealth officers, each officer having his own batman. These men were invariably veterans selected for their military field experience, reliability and steadfastness under fire. And, as was so frequently the case, Tolkien owed his life to his batman on more than one occasion and, despite the difference of class, it wasn't uncommon for sincere friendships to form between the men. By tradition, a private or non-commissioned officer (corporal or sergeant etc) will always refer to an officer he knows personally directly by name, 'Mr ....., sir'. This continues to be the case with the British army to this very day, although the position of 'batman' no longer exists. Enjoyed your reaction and will check in to see what you think of the next two movies... and, 'ain't that New Zealand scenery just totally something else ?! PS... even if you don't review it, check out the movie 'Tolkien', once you've watched the trilogy I'm sure you'd appreciate it.

[@nickmanzo8459]

Gandalf is not a wizard in the traditional sense, the wizard of middle earth are actually angelic beings known as Maiar given corporeal form to guide the peoples of middle earth. Sauron is also a Maia.

[@robertjohnson7877]

The wizard's staff is more a focus than a source of power.

[@Rrz00]

25:00 It's not that the chain is bad, the ring seeks to reach its master. He has his own conscience. At first they explained it.

[@pillmuncher67]

Minor spoiler: In the next movie we meet the Rohirrim. Tolien based them on the Anglo-Saxons. They are not identical, though, more of a re-imagining of them, just like the whole legendarium is a re-imagining of our real myths and world. Tolkien described it as "our world in a different stage of imagination".

[@Makkaru112]

And the Norse. And for MOST of Middle Earth’s history the Men spoke essentially a form of old English and Nordic forms of languages etc.

[@chadbennett7873]

Read the books (The Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings) back in the early 1970's just after Tolkien had passed) and it completely changed my life. It inspired my own book, which I began on 1976 and completed two and a half years ago. Yeah, long process, but I spent the first twenty-years reading the genre and learning how to tell my story. I am so happy that my mother was able to attend all three movies with me before she passed, so she could understand why I was so obsessed with it. The movies are really about as good as they could be (for the technology of the time) and I really cannot imagine anybody in these roles but those who played them. I have an actual Tolkien autograph framed with photo on my wall as inspiration for my continued writing. Haven't tried to publish yet, still making adjustments as I work a "sequel," but hopefully I will take a shot before too much longer. I remember while reading it, I took every opportunity at work: lunch, breaks, whenever I could read a page or two. The world that Tolkien created has so much depth, and I think that's a main reason why there are disciples of the stories who are so incredibly passionate about it. I lean in that direction, but not to the extend of many of them, and I respect their knowledge. Glad you enjoyed it. Fasten your seat belt and keep a box of tissue near. I'll hitch a ride with you, so I've subbed. Excited to see what you think!

[@gestaltdude]

Your comment has gladdened one heart; mine. I have actually been feeling guilty for a long time, due to not working on a book of my own. I've numerous excuses, from two divorces to finding out I've a life-altering (not threatening, thankfully) medical issue, to the effect of some medications on my ability to write (long story). It has been about 15 years since I decided to turn the screen play I developed with the aid of a friend into a novel, with all sorts of influences altering the story, but it always seemed to go back to getting "the feeling". Before everything went to hell (ie before divorce 1), I could sit down at my computer and almost literally feel the creative energy rush through me onto the screen. I would wake in the middle of the night with new and hopefully better ideas that would help move the story along. I could even bash out a 120 page script in two weeks, starting from first principles, if it meant getting the story absolutely right. I was able to get the script accepted by a literary agent in the US (Norma something, I can't remember now), which was a huge thing for me. Then medical issue hit, medications tried to control it, and the feeling was gone, without which I long believe there to be little point in even trying. Things are better now, to a degree that a renewed effort may seem plausible, but those wasted years weight heavily on my mind. So thank you for letting me know our dreams are still possible, even if it takes a life time. I know LoTR took Tolkien, a master, 14 years to complete to his satisfaction, but I never dared to compare myself to him, so it gave me little solace. Well, lack of ego plus the fact two divorces hardly seems worthy of comparison to the two World Wars and the events that followed that occupied J.R.R.'s time. :P

[@Makkaru112]

MUCH deeper lore version with added details: Galadriel's gift to Gimli has deeper meaning behind it, like most things in this movie & reflects the expanded lore of the middle earth universe. Galadriel is one of the 2-3 most powerful & wise elves remaining in Middle Earth since the time the land was young. She was born in a place called Valinor, or the Undying land... which is basically the place of residence of the Valar, the local pantheon, the local "gods" as you may call them. Back then, the world was not illuminated by the sun, the moon and the stars, but rather by 2 trees of gold and silver, Telperion and Laurëlin that lit the world before the sun & moon were born from their last flower and fruit as they were basically killed by Melkor. It is said that Galadriel's hair had somehow captured some of the shine of those two trees. Her uncle Fëanor, who was a great king of the Elven people & also arguably their greatest craftsman to ever live, asked/demanded that she give him a lock of hair, so that he could use it to fashion 3 gems that would shine of the same light as the trees. Sensing his pride & a shadow that wasn’t exactly belonging to him brewing from within, she refused his request 3 times. He stopped asking and made the gems anyway, managing to complete the task he had set for himself even without her hair. Around these 3 gems, the possession of which became the driving force for many of the great events in the world, entire wars that lasted for centuries exploded, and other events. The gems actively shaped the fate of the races of middle earth to the point that the aforementioned Valar got involved directly. During these times, events surrounding the gems brought about the traditional enmity between Dwarves and Elves... the same enmity that Gimli still feels towards them. That enmity however does not survive his encounter with the wise Galadriel, whom Gimli basically falls platonically in love with. By giving him 3 of her hair, Galadriel is opening a door, offering an olive branch that might one day close the gap that divides these two races. Legolas, himself being an Elven prince and centuries old, knows of the story through his father Thranduil & grandfather Oropher, as it shaped the lives of all Elves, and his subtle smile is possibly the first act of acknowledgment and reconciliation. it is also a way for Peter Jackson, the director of the film, to give a nod to all of the fans who know these facts and backstories... a way to make us feel seen, and to make us appreciate just how deeply the makers of the film respect the books and larger universe created by Tolkien. The thing with the hair may seem weird, but there is a significance to it in real life as well as in the lore of the story. In real life, it was not uncommon for wives, fiancés, or even girlfriends to give their men (who were going off to war), a lock of their hair as a keepsake, particularly in WWI, which Tolkien fought in. The lore part of it comes into play in The Silmarillion, Tolkien's tales of the creation of Arda, the Undying Lands of Valinor, and Middle Earth. Galadriel is many, many thousands of years old, & was born in Valinor before the sun & moon were even created. At the time, the world was lit by two trees, one gold and one silver which would shine at different times from each other, but would shine together once a day when one would fade and the other brighten. Galadriel's hair was said to look like the light of the mingled light from the two trees, which may have inspired Feanor, a master craftsman and heir to the high king of the Noldor, to craft the Silmaril's which were three jewels that captured the light of the two trees, one golden light, one silver light, & one co-mingled light. Fëanor had a bit of a thing for Galadriel and begged her for her hair three different times, which she rejected because she could perceive the inner darkness of his heart and rejected him, which made them "un-friends" after that. There is a lot more to the lore than that, so this is the super crib-notes version. But the point is, it was VERY significant that she granted Gimli three of her hairs to a dwarf, when she would not to the son of her king many 10s of thousands of years ago of which she is related to all three kings who were brothers and Elu Thingol of Doriath was one of the brothers that didn’t stay in Valinor even though he was one of the elven ambassadors along with his three brothers and that king I mentioned was VERY close friends with Thingol) ever wondered how old Galadriel is during the War of the Ring? I have looked in many different sources and depending on where you look, she’s anywhere from 17,000-20,000 years old. 6,000 seems too young as it would make her close in age to Elrond, who I know is much younger than her even though he’s 6000-8000 by the third age, which wouldn’t make sense for her at all even if she was (“690 years older” as some kept repeating on the internet making 6960!)As she was around long before Elrond was even born and time was experience differently to say the LEAST as there is a lot to go into on that subject lol.) She was born during the Years of the Trees & back then the years were something like 9X longer than a solar year so I understand the math is hard, especially since she isn’t given an exact birth year. But it is said that Finarfin, her father, was born in Y.T. 1230, so I would assume she was born sometime within 1000 years of then (being generous). Basically, I’m wondering what the most accurate range is for her age during the events of Lord of the Rings. I’ll also add that Galadriel is was around before the ents even existed (of which Treebeard is 15,000 years old so she’s OLDER than Treebeard/Fangorn) or very close to when they were “created” by Yavannah and probably had much knowledge to do with such things and or direct knowledge of what happened. Probably through an early prototype of her mirror or simply another dream that made her long for middle earth all over again ontop of the yearning she already had to go there and explore. Nothing to do with Fëanor’s oath and all that jazz. Just going from the Appendices (and maybe Silmarillion) she would have to be at least 9000+ years older than Elrond, Elrond was born near the end of the First Age, Galadriel was adult before the destruction of the Trees. Actually, more than that: I just checked, and the Second Age ended in SA 3441. So an elf born literally at the end of the First Age (FA 590) is 3441+3018 = 6459 years old when Frodo leaves for Rivendell. Elrond was born in FA 532, so adds 58 years to get 6517. Elves are mature at 100, so Galadriel adds at leas 632 to Elrond's age, to be at least 7149, and possibly quite a bit more (as attested by other comments.) One fic had Maglor(Elrond’s Adoptive Father, Maedhros was also adoptive father alongside Maglor, they were the eldest sons of Fëanor) - One fic had as much older than Galadriel; I wondered how we knew, and it was pointed out to me that Maglor was the second oldest son of the first son of Finwë, while Galadriel is the youngest child of the third son of Finwë. So, yeah. Note that the second age was the LONGEST and again time was experienced very differently back then too aside from the internal clock of elves working very differently, she’s definitely older as far as the world and the other beings that age far faster around her. I also remind you all that she’s older than the sun and the moon and witnessed and most likely even helped in the Valar’s crafting of the last fruit and flower of the two trees of Valinor. She was the most involved with learning everything possible from them. She’s 25th generation from Tata one of the elven forefathers to wake to the stars. Their birth was rather shrouded in mist. Only those of her grandfathers ilk have a chance of knowing the origins a bit better as they are closer to that culture that stemmed from the beginning. The Years of the Trees were the second of the three great time periods in Arda that followed the Years of the Lamps and preceded the Years of the Sun&Moon. They were known to be comprised of several Ages and lasted in total around 1500 Valian Years or 14,373 solar years. Time flowed differently back then and time flowed differently within them too for the elves live as long as the world does. Epic hey?❤❤ The Dúnedain said that Galadriel’s height was two rangar, or "man-high" - some 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm). However, Galadriel's most striking feature was her beautiful long silver-golden hair. The Elves of Tirion said it captured the radiance of the Two Trees Laurelin and Telperion themselves. Galadriel was said to be the tallest female in Middle Earth, at 6'4”. But then Thingol was the tallest elf ever to live, and he's estimated to be almost 9' (274 cm) Thingol was also a very very prominent figure within the Silmarillion and other books. He’s the great ancestor of Elrond+Arwen and through Aragorn being directly but distantly related to Elronds Twin Brother Elros it makes him loosely connected to Thingol as well. Let’s just say he died a tragic death long long ago. I’m a continent that doesn’t exist anymore. The events I spoke of in my earlier story of Elrond about his fathers deeds, which lead to the Valar helping with putting a Stop to Morgoth for good so to say and that War Of Wrath lasted 80 years straight and it left the landmass torn asunder from the clash of gods and the holy host of Vanyar elves that were closest to the Valar than all other elves so you can imagine what a bunch of mighty elves men and Maiar fighting a bunch of fowl creatures and beings for 80 years would do to a continent. It all fell into the sea. Galadriel barely made it over the mountain before that part of the story officially broke out.

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Galadriel's life was marked by much loss & tragedy. she lost many family members, including her brothers Aegnor & Angrod, who died in the War of Wrath, a great conflict between the forces of the Valar and Morgoth. She also lost her grandfather, Finwë, who was slain by Morgoth by a terrible & unholy lighting strike that left his body broken but one can imagine he was just as mighty as Fëanor by being the FATHER, Morgoth himself being responsible for the deaths of her uncles Fëanor (& Fingolfin quite a bit later on when he faced off one on one with Morgoth/Melkor and left the fallen Valar 7 permanent wounds which left him eternally limp to the point of being mocked by his generals and the like indefinitely which left Morgoth in intense pain forever!) Fëanor was Galadriel's half-uncle, as he was the son of Finwë by his first wife Míriel. Fëanor's sons were therefore Galadriel's first cousins. Most of Fëanor's sons died in the wars that followed the theft of the Silmarils, including the tragic deaths of Celegorm & Curufin, who were slain by their own cousin, Lúthien's son Dior. Galadriel also lost her relative Aredhel, who was her cousin, & Aredhel’s brother; king Turgon of the hidden kingdom of Gondolin. These losses weighed heavily on Galadriel, but she remained strong and resolute in the face of adversity. Fëanor's death was a tragic event that marked the beginning of the First Age of Middle-earth. After Morgoth stole the three Silmarils, Fëanor swore an oath to retrieve them, even if it meant going to war with the Valar themselves. Fëanor led the Noldor in their rebellion against the Valar, & he and his sons played a significant role in the events that followed. Fëanor was eventually slain by Balrogs, demonic creatures who served Morgoth, during the flight of the Noldor from Middle-earth. His death marked the end of an era, & his legacy continued to be felt in Middle-earth for many ages to come. Fingolfin's death was no less tragic. He challenged Morgoth to single combat & fought valiantly against him, but he was ultimately slain by the Dark Lord. His death inspired many to rise up against Morgoth, & his legacy continued to inspire the people of Middle-earth for many ages to come. Despite the many losses she suffered, Galadriel remained a powerful and influential figure in Middle-earth, & her wisdom & knowledge continued to be sought after by many. Galadriel's history is rich & complex, & she played a significant role in the events of Middle-earth. She was born in the Undying Lands before the creation of the sun and moon, and she was a member of the Noldor, one of the three Elven races. Galadriel's family, the House of Finarfin, was closely connected to the Vanyar, the first of the three Elven races to journey to the Undying Lands. Galadriel's grandmother, Indis, was a Vanya, and her mother, Eärwen, was a Teleri princess who married Finarfin. Galadriel's father & brothers participated in the rebellion of the Noldor against the Valar, which resulted in the exile of the Noldor from the Undying Lands. Galadriel, however, did not participate in the rebellion and remained in the Undying Lands. As I recall her father was with the others that returned to Valinor at the Doom Of Mandos which in basic terms set a warning prophesy sort of thing where if they left Valinor it’d cause a domino effect throughout time etc. but Fëanor’s fire burned inside and he had a HUGE bone to pick with Morgoth. So that’s what was mainly leading him there but it was several years long of travel on what was called the Helcaraxë (grinding ice wastes) Galadriel did end up there but through other means as her way to middle earth let’s just say lead her to there where she sort of rendezvoused with her family and helped lead her people to middle earth. Many died on this trip of HARSH conditions.). During the Third Age, Galadriel played a key role in the events leading up to the War of the Ring. She helped the Fellowship of the Ring by giving them gifts, advice, and guidance, and she played a significant role in the defeat of Sauron. (She played a bigger role than shown in the movies) Galadriel possessed many magical abilities, including the power to read minds, the ability to communicate telepathically, & the power to cast spells but above all was her ability to project herself across large distances(not teleporting, think more like a sort of mental and spiritual projection similar to astral travel) She was also renowned for her beauty & grace, and her wisdom and knowledge were highly respected by the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. Overall, Galadriel's long life and rich history make her one of the most intriguing and powerful characters in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Galadriel is one of the oldest and most powerful beings of the Elven race. According to Tolkien's writings, Galadriel was born in the Undying Lands, also known as Aman, which existed before the creation of the sun and moon. The creation of the sun and moon occurred after the Two Trees of Valinor, which provided light to the world, were destroyed. This event, known as the Darkening of Valinor, marked the end of the First Age of Middle-earth. Based on Tolkien's timeline, the events of the First Age occurred approximately 5,000 years before the start of the Second Age. The Second Age lasted for approximately 3,441 years, and the Third Age lasted for approximately 3,019 years. Therefore, if Galadriel was born in the Undying Lands before the creation of the sun & moon, it is estimated that she would be at least 25,000 years old by the end of the Third Age, which is when the events of The Lord of the Rings take place. This calculation is based on the assumption that Galadriel was born before the start of the First Age and that she has lived through all three ages, which is supported by Tolkien's writings. Most important thing here is about Galadriel’s eldest brother Finrod: Finrod Felagund, also known as Findaráto, was a noble elf of rarer mixed heritage just like his younger sister & brothers, the Noldor/Vanyar/Teleri renowned for his wisdom & fairness but also his valiance. He was the eldest son of Finarfin, one of the three sons of Finwë who was the High King of the Noldor. Finrod played a crucial role in the events that led to the creation of Númenor. When the Valar summoned the Noldor to return to Valinor, Finrod and his companions chose to stay in Middle-earth and establish their own kingdoms. During their travels, they encountered the Edain, a group of mortal Men who were the mightiest of them all and the elves considered them equals!!! They became friendly and open to the elves. Finrod was particularly impressed by their courage and loyalty, and he became the first elf to befriend them. As time passed, Finrod & the 3 main Houses Of The Edain formed a close bond. Teaching them many things about the world and the lore of the elves. He also helped them in their struggles against the dark forces of Morgoth since even before meeting the elves. The Edain pledged their allegiance to the elves and fought alongside them in many battles. He even learned their language due to his way of reading hearts and minds which essentially aided hugely in his learning how their language worked etc. Eventually, the deeds of Finrod and the Edain were recounted in the halls of the Valar, and the Valar took pity on the mortal Men. They decided to give them a gift, and thus Númenor was created, a great island kingdom in the middle of the sea, where Men could live in peace and prosperity. As for Finrod himself, he did not live to see the rise of Númenor, for he perished in a battle against a werewolf in the dungeons of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, also known as Sauron's Isle. He was a true friend to the Edain & played a key role in the creation of Númenor. He was also close to his sister Galadriel, and together they shared many adventures and battles. (I’ll share the significance of Elrond’s father which is the main character in how his deeds lead to the assistance from Valinor to help insurmountable odds and circumstances regarding Morgoth to take his physical form out of the picture for good in what’s called the War Of Wrath which was 80 years long nonstop. But I’ll go into it more when I share about Elrond in a different comment which I may save for the second movie or if you want I can post it below this video!) In the end, Finrod's legacy lived on through his deeds and his influence on the fate of Middle-earth. His noble example inspired many, including Aragorn, who was born centuries later & gave him the chance to claim the throne of Gondor & Arnor/Anor as a descendant of the line of Elronds Twin brother who was first king Of Númenor and started the line of the Faithful Númenoreans.

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Here is more stuff that connects to when Morgoth killed Fëanor’s father Finwë (as I described in the beginning of this message above): •The First Kinslaying occurred before the Helcaraxë. It took place in the city of Alqualondë on the shores of Aman when the Noldor, led by Fëanor, stole the ships of the Teleri (which also that clan didn’t like the energy coming from Fëanor but also didn’t want to start another war with Morgoth ontop of Teleri being rather peaceful in general; along with the fact it was all just a bit rash on their perspective so to speak to leave for Middle-earth, resulting in the deaths of many Teleri. This act was a major turning point in the history of the Elves and led to the estrangement of the Noldor and the Valar. This is the battle where I may have mentioned in the Galadriel hair comment. Where she was defending her mothers people from Fëanor and his army which is one of the main reasons he backed the hell off. She’s a very cool character. One of the most beloved still alive in middle ear to after so many ages of the world had passed into the third age that you’re watching this movie in!) •The decision to leave Aman and journey to Middle-earth was a choice made by the Noldor, led by Fëanor, on their own. They were driven by their desire to reclaim the Silmarils, which had been stolen by Morgoth, and to avenge the deaths of their kin who had been killed in the pursuit of the jewels. The journey through the Helcaraxë was a difficult one, and many of the Noldor perished along the way. However, it was not seen as a punishment, but rather as a test of endurance and resilience. Those who survived the journey were strengthened by it and became more powerful as a result. In summary, the First Kinslaying occurred before the Helcaraxë, and the decision to leave Aman and journey to Middle-earth was made by the Noldor on their own. The Helcaraxë was a difficult journey, but it was seen as a test of endurance on its own rather than a punishment. It took 80 or more years to even cross it! And many died along the way.