Celeborn
| House / Order | Kindred of Thingol (Sindar) |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | |
| Status | Remained in Middle-earth (later sailed West) |
| Origin | Lothlórien; Doriath in the Elder Days |
| Born | First Age, in Beleriand |
| Died | — (eventually departed over Sea) |
| Weapon | — |
| Fate | Co-ruler of Lothlórien with Galadriel; lingered in Middle-earth after her departure, then sailed West |
| Portrayed by |
Celeborn, called the Wise, was a Sindar Elf-lord, husband of the Lady Galadriel and co-ruler with her of the woodland realm of Lothlórien during the Third Age. Tall, silver-haired, and ancient even by the reckoning of the Elves, Celeborn was among the eldest of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth at the time of the War of the Ring.
Background
Celeborn was a kinsman of King Thingol of Doriath, born in the Elder Days in Beleriand among the Sindar, the Grey-elves who never made the journey to Valinor. In those ancient days he met and wedded Galadriel, one of the Noldor who had come into exile from the Blessed Realm, and their long union endured through the drowning of Beleriand and the passing of two Ages of the world.
Lothlórien
After the wars of the First Age and the loss of Beleriand beneath the sea, Celeborn and Galadriel dwelt in various places in Middle-earth before establishing their rule over Lothlórien, the golden wood between the Misty Mountains and the Great River. There, through the power of Galadriel's Ring Nenya, they preserved a realm of timeless beauty, a last enclave of the Elder Days, while the rest of the world wore away. Celeborn governed the Galadhrim alongside his wife, though it was often Galadriel whose counsel and power were foremost in the tales.
The War of the Ring
When the Fellowship of the Ring came to Lothlórien after the loss of Gandalf in Moria, Celeborn received them in the high city of Caras Galadhon, at first grieved and even angered at the news of Gandalf's fall and the rousing of evil in Moria. He gave the travelers shelter, counsel, and aid for their journey, and like Galadriel he wished them well on the dark road ahead.
During the War, Celeborn led the forces of Lothlórien against the armies of Sauron that assailed the wood from Dol Guldur across the river. After the fall of Sauron, he crossed the Anduin and, with Galadriel and the Elves of Mirkwood, took the dark fortress of Dol Guldur and cast down its walls.
After the War
When Galadriel and the other Ring-bearers departed over the Sea at the end of the Third Age, Celeborn remained behind in Middle-earth for a time, dwelling in Rivendell and later in the southern eaves of the diminished Lothlórien. At last, it is said, weary of Middle-earth and longing for his lady, he too sought the Grey Havens and sailed West, and with his going passed the last living memory of the Elder Days in Middle-earth.
Character
Celeborn is portrayed as grave, courteous, and ancient in wisdom, the steadfast lord of an enchanted realm. Though often standing in the shadow of his more famous wife, he is honored as Celeborn the Wise, and his long endurance in Middle-earth makes him a living link to the vanished glories of the First Age.
In the films
In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films, Celeborn is portrayed by Marton Csokas, appearing alongside Galadriel in the reception of the Fellowship at Lothlórien.
Appearances
- The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Return of the King (appendices)
- Unfinished Tales (History of Galadriel and Celeborn)