The Complete Tolkien Companion (41 page)

Gabilgathol
‘Great-fortress' (Khuz.) – The original Dwarvish name for the city under the Blue Mountains known to Elves as
BELEGOST
.

Galabas
– In the original (as opposed to translated) Hobbit tongue, Galabas was the name of an ancient Shire-village. The elements contained in the name are
galab
(‘game') and
bas
(‘village' or ‘farm'). This name has been translated from the Red Book as
Gamwich. See also
GAMGEE
.

Galadhon
– A Telerin Elf of the Elder Days; the son of Elmo and father of Celeborn.
See
LINES OF DESCENT
.

Galadhrim
‘People-of-the-Trees' (Sind.) – The Elves of Lothlórien; known as the Galadhrim to their northern kin because of their age-old practice of dwelling amid the branches of the great
mellyrn
(mallorn-trees) of their land. The chief settlement of the ‘Tree-people' was
Caras Galadhon,
‘City of the Trees'.

Galador
– From 2004–2129 Third Age, the first Lord of Dol Amroth in Gondor. He was the son of a Númenorean mariner, Imrazôr of Belfalas and (it was said) the silvan elf-lady Mithrellas, who had been a companion of Nimrodel during the ill-fated crossing of the White Mountains (1980 Third Age). Having borne her husband two children, Mithrellas slipped away and was seen no more. It is this tale which is the origin of the legend of elven-blood in the lineage of the Princes of Dol Amroth.

Galadriel
‘Radiantly-garlanded [crowned]-maiden' (Sind., from Q.
Altariel
) – One of the most royal princesses of the Noldor of Tirion; daughter and youngest child of Finarfin son of Finwë the King, and sister of Finrod, Orodreth, Angrod and Aegnor. For reasons of her own, unconnected with the theft of the Silmarils, Galadriel was a leader of those rebellious Noldor who forsook the Blessed Realm towards the end of the First Age. Alone of the children of Finarfin, Galadriel survived that ill-fated expedition. She afterwards repented and spent the two full Ages of her continuing exile aiding the cause of the Free Peoples against Evil. At the time of the War of the Ring she was the mightiest of the Eldar remaining in Middle-earth, and the oldest and bitterest foe of the Dark Lord.

The history of Galadriel has been confused by a number of late sources
1
which furnish many details of her life which were hitherto unknown, but are in a number of cases difficult to reconcile with other known facts of Galadriel's life. For example, far greater importance has been allocated to her in the tale of the rebellion of Fëanor than had previously been supposed – she is said to have been a bitter foe of Fëanor even in Eldamar and had actually fought against him at Alqualondë. Her desire to leave Aman for Middle-earth was independently conceived, in no degree rebellious in intent, and unhappily co-incidental with the far greater exodus of the vengeful Noldor, with whom she became entangled and so came under the same ban of Exile.
2

Galadriel spent much of her early exile dwelling with Melian in Doriath; and from the Maia she learned much wisdom. Before the ending of the Age she wedded her cousin Celeborn of Doriath, a lord of Grey-elves and kinsman of Thingol Greycloak.
3
When the Valar prohibited her return to Eldamar, Galadriel ‘replied proudly that she had no wish to do so'
4
. Early in the Second Age she and Celeborn journeyed to Harlindon, where they dwelt for many years. Sometime later they went eastwards to Eregion, a colony of High-elven craftsmen founded in 750 Second Age. For a while they lived with the Elven-smiths of that land,
5
but eventually they passed further east across the Misty Mountains to Wilderland, where Celeborn made a realm among the Wood-elves of Laurelindórenan (Lothlórien).
6
The Golden Wood became a secret place, hidden even from the knowledge of the other Elves; for while the Power that dwelt there could not be concealed, few indeed perceived its true source, or suspected that one of the mighty among the Noldor still lingered in Middle-earth.

In the event, the long years of sorrow and exile passed at last and, as a reward for all her work against Sauron, but above all for her rejection of the Ring when it came within her power, Galadriel was finally allowed to leave Middle-earth and return ‘West-over-Sea'. She took ship with the Ring-bearers in the last year of the Third Age.

See also
NAMÁRIË
.

Galathil
– The grandson of Elmo of the Teleri and brother of Celeborn; he was the father of Nimloth, who wedded Dior, Thingol's heir.

Galathilion
‘Radiant-Holy-Moons' (Sind.) – The Grey-elves' name for the White Tree of Tirion. This holiest symbol of the Calaquendi of Eldamar was itself a descendant of Telperion, the Silver Tree of the Valar. Eldest of Trees, which, together with Laurelin (the Golden Tree), had once illuminated the land of the Valar. Galathilion grew beneath the Mindon Eldaliéva (the Tower of Ingwë) in a high, open courtyard, but unlike Telperion, gave no light. Its immediate descendant was Celeborn of Eressëa.

Galbasi
– In the original (as opposed to translated) Hobbit-tongue, Galbasi (later
Galpsi
) meant ‘One-from-[the-village-of-]Galabas'. As Galabas is itself translated as
Gamwich,
Galbasi has become the Hobbit-name
Gammidgy,
or
Gamgee,
in English translations of the Red Book.

Galdor
– An Elf of the Grey Havens, sent as an emissary by Círdan the Shipwright to Rivendell, where he took part in the Council of Elrond (3018 Third Age).

Galdor the Tall
– The elder son of Hador Lórindol of the Third House of the Edain, brother of Gundor and the maiden Gloredhel. He was the Heir of Hador, and when his father perished at the Battle of Sudden Flame, Galdor became Lord of Dor-lómin and Chieftain of the Third House. Earlier, he had wedded Hareth daughter of Halmir, Chieftain of the Haladin (the Second House of the Edain); shortly afterwards she had borne him the first of his two heroic sons, Húrin; and then, a year later, Huor. Thirteen years after the birth of Huor war again broke out in the north – the Battle of Sudden Flame – and the Men of Dor-lómin were driven from Ard-galen, though not from the fortress of Eithel Sirion, which they garrisoned on behalf of the Noldor of Mithrim. But in the defence of the tower Hador Lórindol fell at last, and Galdor his elder son then became Lord of Dor-lómin. But after a short time Morgoth again unleashed war. Hithlum was attacked; and Galdor was slain by an arrow: like his father, in a final defence of Eithel Sirion. He had ruled for barely seven years. He was succeeded in Dor-lómin by his elder son Húrin.

Galenas
– The name given in Gondor to the flowering herb known to Hobbits as ‘Pipe-weed'; more properly,
sweet galenas.
In the South-kingdom this plant was esteemed only for the fragrance of its flowers, and its other properties were quite unknown.

Gálmód
‘Sour-natured' – The father of Gríma Wormtongue, counsellor to King Théoden of Rohan.

Galpsi
– A later form of the (original) Hobbit-name
GALBASI
.

Galvorn
‘Gleaming-black' (Sind.) – A hard black alloy, devised in the Elder Days by the great Elven-smith
EÖL
. This ‘Dark-Elf' had much to do in his time with the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains, and as a result had acquired great skills in the craft of metalwork. Though not perhaps the equal of Fëanor or the smiths of the Noldor, he became as skilled as any Dwarf. Strangely, all the metals Eöl devised or discovered were coloured black. Galvorn was stronger than iron yet at the same time far less brittle. Eöl is said to have made his own personal body-armour from this sombre metal.

Gamgee
– A rustic family of Hobbits of the Shire, who came to prominence as a result of the War of the Ring. They were descended from Hamfast of Gamwich.
Gamgee
is a translation of the (original) Hobbit-name
Galbasi
or
Galpsi.

Gamil Zirak
– A master smith of the Dwarf-city of Nogrod in the First Age.

Gamling the Old
– A Westfold-man of Rohan during the years of the War of the Ring. Though deemed too old to bear arms when Erkenbrand marched to the Crossings of Isen (March 2nd, 3019 Third Age), he was later obliged to do so after forces of Saruman defeated Erkenbrand and marched on Helm's Deep, which he commanded until the arrival of the King.

Gammidge, Gammidgy
– Translated (as opposed to original) Hobbit-names corresponding to
Galbasi, Galpsi.

Gamwich
– An ancient village of the Shire, home of Hamfast, founder of the
GAMGEE
family.
See also
GALABAS
.

Gandalf the Grey
– One of the chief
Istari
or Wizards of Middle-earth, also known as Mithrandir, the ‘Grey Wanderer', friend of all Free Peoples. The greatest opponent of the Dark Lord in the Third Age, Gandalf passed through fire, earth, water and death – and was afterwards reborn – in fulfilment of the destiny long appointed for him: to be the chief architect of Sauron's Downfall.

To many Western folk, including the Hobbits, Gandalf was ‘just a Wizard' – a vain, fussy old conjuror with a long beard and bushy eyebrows, whose chief asset was his uncommon skill with fireworks – while many great Men of the South regarded him as little better than a pest, a homeless vagabond, a meddler in affairs of state and a herald of ill-news. Yet the five Istari who came to Middle-earth during the early Third Age were, in actuality, messengers sent from Valinor to ‘contest the power of Sauron, and to unite all those who had the will to resist him'.
7
They were themselves of Valinorean race, although they came to mortal lands in the shapes of aged Men; for they were
MAIAR
, in their beginnings Ainur of lesser – though still potent – degree than the Valar, whom they served. Yet while their powers were great, they were forbidden to reveal their true natures or to use their full strength in direct conflict with the Enemy. But the Mortal Lands of Middle-earth have always held great perils for Immortals, whether Elves or Valar or Maiar; they could be slain and they could be tempted and seduced away from their appointed tasks. At least one of the great Istari fell from grace in such a manner (
see
SARUMAN THE WHITE
), in circumstances grievous to Gandalf – who, while less proud, was more wise and perceived the nature of the trap, thus avoiding it himself.

Of Gandalf's great labours in Middle-earth, little can be recounted here; for none can have known the full story of the trials the Wizard undertook on behalf of the Free Peoples, from the time of his arrival at the Grey Havens (
c.
1000), to the day of his departure at the very ending of the Third Age. It is known that he took many hideous risks. On two occasions he actually entered the dark stronghold of Dol Guldur in Southern Mirkwood: once, in the year 2063, when he first tried to ascertain the true identity of the Necromancer who ruled there, and again in 2850, when he finally discovered that the ‘Necromancer' was indeed Sauron himself (already gathering the Rings of Power and seeking for the Ruling Ring). At a meeting of the White Council the following year Gandalf pressed urgently for an outright attack upon Dol Guldur but was overruled by his brother-wizard Saruman the White. Yet Gandalf, though frustrated by Saruman, had by chance a further card to play. For, on his last entry into Sauron's fortress, he had come across the dying Dwarf Thráin II, son of Thrór, who had survived torment for just long enough to give the Wizard the key of the secret door into Erebor and the map which accompanied it. Some years later Gandalf unexpectedly encountered Thráin's Heir, Thorin Oakenshield; together, they hatched a scheme for the recapture of the Lonely Mountain and the baulking of any plans Sauron might have for the Dragon Smaug. Thorin's expedition (and Gandalf's scheme) succeeded, the Dragon which guarded the Mountain was slain, and a great threat to the lands of the East was removed.

In the year 3001 Third Age, when he appeared at Bilbo Baggins' Farewell Party, the old Wizard was already worried about the golden ring which Bilbo had picked up on his travels. Suspicion hardened into fear, and Gandalf later searched urgently for Gollum but was unable to find him, even with the help of Aragorn, Ranger of Eriador. Not until seventeen years later did the Wizard at last learn the truth concerning the ring – and by this time the ‘heirloom' was in the possession of a new owner, Frodo Baggins.

The plan which Gandalf and Frodo made for the disposal of the Ring – and the events which later took place – are all carefully detailed in Frodo's own narrative and require no restatement here. The Wizard was the leading force behind the success of Frodo's mission. For although he did not himself enter Mordor, by his unceasing efforts Gandalf rallied the Free Peoples for long enough to give the Ring-bearer his only chance. The heroism was Frodo's (and Samwise's), but the strategy was Gandalf's; and by bringing to bear every last ounce of his will and determination, the Wizard successfully countered every move that the Dark Lord made. In this way Sauron's plans were defeated and his schemes were brought to nothing. On March 25th, 3019 Third Age, the Ring-bearer completed his quest and Sauron of Mordor was overthrown for ever – and Gandalf's long labours in Middle-earth came at last to their conclusion. Two years later he returned across the Sea.

Note: Gandalf
(‘Elf-of-the-staff') is the name by which the Wizard was known to Northern Men. To the Elves (and the Dúnedain) he was
Mithrandir,
‘Grey-wanderer'; to the Dwarves,
Tharkûn;
and, in his youth ‘in the West that is forgotten',
Olórin.