Galdor and Haldir

[Snaga]

What do they have in common? They are names of elves in Lord of the Rings, that were also names of men in the First Age.

It seems more usual that men will be named after elves, than vice versa. And neither Galdor nor Haldir were particularly outstanding men, to the degree that a young elfling would be likely to be named after them. So, could it be that Galdor and Haldir in Lord of the Rings were actually elves who had survived from the First Age? Could Haldir of Brethil been named after a Haldir of Doriath - a kinsman of Celeborn, and Galdor of the House of Hador been named after a Galdor of Brithombar - a kinsman of Cirdan - and both are the same Haldir of Lorien and Galdor of the Grey Havens?

I'm pretty sure you couldn't prove that to be true, but could you prove it to be false?

 

[Elthir]

In a late text Tolkien noted that unless Galdor [the Elf] was said to be slain '... he can reasonably be supposed to be the same person, one of the Noldor who escaped from the siege and destruction...' (Galdor was not indeed slain in the old Fall of Gondolin).

See also note three to Last Writings, including Christopher's added explanation that, in any case, there is no reason to suppose that when JRRT wrote The Council of Elrond he associated Galdor of the Havens with Galdor of Gondolin.