The Phial of 🧝Galadriel

[33Peregrin]

Hello. I was just wondering what the Phial of Galadriel was. I was confused on this part of the book. I'm not exactly sure what a phial is, and I was wondering if anyone could explain it to me. For now I just imagine a clear glass bottle containing light, but I want to be sure. In the movie I saw a brief glimpse of Frodo's, but I'm wondering what one is. I've never really heard of one, and I don't really know what Tolkien meant by this. Could any one explain it to me? Thanks.

Poppy

 

[YayGollum]

Sure, I always thought it was just a clear glass bottle. I don't have a dictionary handy and I'm too lazy to go to some dictionary.com type place, but I'm superly sure that that's what it is.

 

[Maerbenn]

Phial is an Old English term for vial (a small closed or closable vessel especially for liquids). This captured the Light of Eärendil that shone in the water of the Mirror.

There may be some debate as to when this light may have been captured; the Mirror shows things that were, that are, and yet may be and the possible relevance there (especially considering the history of the star Eärendil and it's confusion with Eärendil the Mariner with his Silmaril).

 

[33Peregrin]

Thanks Maerbenn, and YayGollum. I knew it had to be something like that. I had a feeling it was something English that an American like me wouldn't understand. Like in English right now, we are reading Romeo and juliet, and they had a phial. So I am at last beginning to understand. Thanks! That makes a lot of sense now, and I'll know what I'm reading when I get to Shelobs lair. I'm almost there again! Thanks!

 

[33Peregrin]

Heh Heh... I just got done watching some of Romeo and juliet in my English class. We watched the part where she gets the vial. if I would have waited a bit longer, I would have got the anwer. It really makes a lot of sense now.

 

[FrankSinatra]

But

Would you think that the phial contained liquid, or light?

 

[33Peregrin]

I was thinking light, like the light of Earendil, even though they are meant to hold liquid. I guess.

 

[Celebithil]

light of the trees

In the Lost Tales it talks about the dew that came off the the Two Trees and I always imagined that this was what was in the phial. Somehow Galadriel took some of the dew with her when she left Valinor as a keep sake per se and then gave it to Frodo. The stars were also made by the light of the Two Trees so it would be the same light as Earendil. Now as I write this it seems like a stretch but its still my thought.

 

[Glomund]

In the chapter "a farewell to Lorien, when Frodo gets the phial Galadriel says,

In this phial is caught the light of Earendil's star, set amid the waters of my fountain

,so I guess we can say it holds both liquid and light.

 

[FrankSinatra]

Yes

Might have been a solar powered torch!

But Galadriel just didnt know what it was.......

 

[33Peregrin]

Ah... This makes perfect sense now! Thanks everyone. I'm reading Shelob's Lair again, and I'll know exactly how to imagine Galadriel's phial now. Thank you! It was really bothering me.