I know. Nobody in my city is as much of a Lord of the Rings fanatic as I am, so I have no one to talk to about what I love!!! I tried to get my friends into it, but, they didn't really get it or enjoy it... I thought nobody likes LOTR anymore... Then I find this site and it's like... ...woah...

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When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I can still hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there
And Back again

I don't know about people in my city, but not many of my friends are into Lord of the Rings like I am. Some are, some aren't. I talk to my sister about it sometimes, but, again, she's not as into it as I am. That's why I love this site so much. I don't sound like such a freak here .

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And she was named Elwing,which is Star-spray,for she was born on a night of stars,whose light glittered in the spray of the waterfall of Lanthir Lamath beside her father's house.

Banners by Arwen. Thank you so much, Arwen!

Yeah, me too... Well, I'm still a freak, but when we're asked our opinion on something, a few people have the exact same anwser as me... It's kinda kool.

_________________
When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I can still hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there
And Back again

I know what you mean, Lady Imidri. For example, if I tried to talk to someone I knew about Lothlorien the way we talk about it here, they would look at me like I had just said I secretly watched an amazing documentary about fast food (of which I am not a fan. No offense meant to anyone who is.) . I love talking about things here .

_________________
And she was named Elwing,which is Star-spray,for she was born on a night of stars,whose light glittered in the spray of the waterfall of Lanthir Lamath beside her father's house.

Banners by Arwen. Thank you so much, Arwen!

The beginning of your first sentence, Sinbearer made me think of one thing. That Lothlorien is completely untouchable. It has sustained itself through war and outlying famine. It is a place that has resisted change. The people have not aged [or changed] and the interior of Lothlorien has not eroded or weathered away. It is virtually indestructable from the outside. Which makes me believe that only from the inside can it be ruined. When the Elves leave, Lothlorien finally falls. Not from war on the outside, but from the loss of its magic and people from the inside.

^Interesting thoughts both of you.

When you think about it, Lothlorien does have an otherwordly echo to it. It's one of the only places that remains outside the troubles of Middle-earth and the War of the Ring. It's a haven for the fellowship as they flee from Moria and one of the only places they feel totally safe in their entire journey.
Also, even after the Elves had left and Lothlorien had faded, it retained some shadow of its magic I think. Arwen went there and layed herself down to die after the death of Aragorn. It was still one the most special places in Middle-earth, even after the Passing of the Elves.

Another well thought out point. I'm sure some magic was retained even after the passing of the Elves, however I don't think it was very much. Lothlorien had virtually one season, aye? The climate rarely changed, even with the snowy mountains nearby. How could this be? Magic is the answer. However, after the Elves have left, and Arwen walks once more through the faded trees, we find that winter is in full reign. There is snow on the ground and wind whistling through the leaf-less trees. Lothlorien has pretty much died at this point.

Very good point. Very good. I agree with you completely Larael. I probably never would have thought about that, but now that you say it the fact that there was snow in Lothlorien says very clearly how much of the magic had gone out of the place.
I do appreciate it for once being one of the most magical places in Middle-earth though. I've always wanted to live there, more than any other place in Middle-earth, and I think it's partly because it has that otherwordly feel about it as though you were living in a dream.

Exactly! Lothlorien has an ethereal quality to it. And the amount of magic just makes you wish you were there right now! I mean, Rivendell is lovely too, but it doesn't have as much history behind it, nor does it have the same amount of mystery and hidden darkness.

Rivendell and Lothlorien both seem to me to have in common the fact that they are safe havens in a chaotic Middle-earth. I think what gives them their magic and their safety is most likely the power of the Elven rings. In Rivendell, Elrond with Vilya and in Lothlorien, Galadriel with Narya. (I do hope I haven't mixed that up.) I have always liked Lothlorien better for some reason though. Maybe it's because of the mallorn trees though. I'm a sucker for trees. But I do love the mystical, ethereal quality of Lothlorien, and I like how you describe it there, as having "mystery and hidden darkness." It sounds very Lothlorie-ish. It gives you that tingling and chilled feeling, like a thrill along my spine as I always imagine I'd get if I ever went to Lothlorien.

Looks like you two had quite the conversation .

I agree with you, Larael and Sinbearer. About the seasons in Lothlorien, didn't Legolas describe it or sing a song about it to the fellowship when they arrived there in The Fellowship of the Ring (book version)?? Sorry if I'm incorrect . I think Lothlorien faded after the passing of the Elves because it had ceased to serve a purpose. It was a haven to Elves, and to every good race in Middle-earth. When they had gone, it was like Lothlorien was no longer needed, though all of us here still love it .

_________________
And she was named Elwing,which is Star-spray,for she was born on a night of stars,whose light glittered in the spray of the waterfall of Lanthir Lamath beside her father's house.

Banners by Arwen. Thank you so much, Arwen!

All i have to say about Lothlorien is plane and simple: It's gorgeous!

You all seem to think Lothlórien appears like the most magical and over-earthly place. I agree that Lothlòrien was sustained through the power of Nenya, but Rivendell was also kept through a ring of power. I don't know if PJ's representation of Lothlòrien plays a part, or only Tolkien's description, but I came to think of something.
Tolkien describes Rivendell as a place of song and poetry. The hobbits arrive at Rivendell when they have survived the firs encounter with the Ringwraiths and it is like a safe oasis to them. We hear about the banquet and the songs and it seems like a happy and safe place.
When the Fellowship gets to Lothlórien they are grieving, as they have just lost their leader and the quest seems in vain. The elves mourn the loss of Gandalf and war is close... it is a completely different feeling and situation.
I was wondering if Lothlórien and Rivendell are really so different from one another in times of peace or it is only the different times that gives the feeling of different places....?

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>>Be the change you wish to see in the world<<



Banner credit: Shadowcat & Nurrantiel Mashiara

Hmm... Lothlorien does seem a bit less cheerful than Rivendell. But the peaceful silence that sits over Lothlorien is graceful.

_________________
When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I can still hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there
And Back again

I agree with what all of you are saying, Galadriel of Lothlorien, Eä , and Lady Imidri. Lothlorien is truly a peaceful and gorgeous place. It does seem to have a somewhat saddened feel to it when the Fellowship arrives, but they have just lost Gandalf, which is a major blow to them. This could explain the atmosphere of Lothlorien. However, to me, Rivendell had a somewhat tense atmosphere as well when the Fellowship arrived, although many soon-to-be members of the Fellowship are quite happy. Every representative of a race that arrived seemed tense. That, however, could be explained by the fact the One Ring has once again resurfaced. This could mean the end of Middle-earth as they know it. This is just my opinion, though .

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And she was named Elwing,which is Star-spray,for she was born on a night of stars,whose light glittered in the spray of the waterfall of Lanthir Lamath beside her father's house.

Banners by Arwen. Thank you so much, Arwen!

I read FotR last summer and the thing I remember the best from the chapters from Rivendell is Frodo's mending and the feast. When they open the doors after the banquet and the elves would sing and entertain each other all night at the great fire place. And then the long council where Gandalf sums up the everything-but-cheerful situation, but I always felt more attarcted to Rivendell. I had the impression it's a more lively place, and this might be based more on a feeling than on Tolkien's description.

_________________
>>Be the change you wish to see in the world<<



Banner credit: Shadowcat & Nurrantiel Mashiara