When was 🧝Galadriel born?

[TheManInTheMoon]

In the Annals of Aman she was born in Y.T. 1362. That means she must have been some 1332 years old at the time of the Exile.

Was this changed? Because in Nature of Middle-earth it seems it was changed.
"Galadriel . She was born in Aman. At the exile she was young and eager,
just at or upon the threshold of maturity: probably in age about 20. She must therefore have been in years about 20 × 144 = 2,880."

What does that mean? In which year was she born in this later writings?

 

[m4r35n357]

According to the Annals of Aman, the exile and kin-slaying was in 2992. I'll let you do the maths . . .

The problem for me with the later writings is that they basically destroy most of the timelines and stories that we know from the published (& unpublished) Silmarillion. If you decide take these later writings as canon, you will have a lot of explaining to do, to yourself at least!

I tend to just ignore a lot of post-1951 stuff (i.e. post Annals of Aman and Grey Annals), as it becomes less and less consistent with existing versions the Tale of the Jewels. For what it is worth, I just assume Galadriel moved to Ossiriand after the sack of Doriath, and slipped across the Eredlindon before the War of Wrath, then I take up what there is of the story from the LotR appendices.

 

[TheManInTheMoon]

Annals of Aman says that the Exile happened in the year 1500.

Your assumption about Galadriel's whereabouts is not supported by any of her versions though.

Either you have to go with the version which she crossed Eredluin before the Fall of Nargothrond alone of all and met Celeborn in his own land.

Or by the version which she crossed Eredluin with her husband from Beleriand sometime after the end of First Age.

Or by the version where she crossed Ered Luin sometime in First Age (before the sack of Doriath and possibly a lot before that) with her husband from Aman.

 

[m4r35n357]

Annals of Aman says that the Exile happened in the year 1500.

Your assumption about Galadriel's whereabouts is not supported by any of her versions though.

Oops sorry about that, for some reason I was reading from the Annals of Valinor by mistake!

However, according to the Annals of Aman the exodus & kin-slaying clearly happened in 1495, so I don't know where 1500 comes from.

To be perfectly honest, in the complete absence of any sensible narrative I really don't care which version of Galadriel & Celeborn I take . .. there I said it!

 

[TheManInTheMoon]

1500

Wasn't this the time Galadriel set foot upon Middle-earth? Or.. Was it something different?

in the complete absence of any sensible narrative I really don't care which version of Galadriel & Celeborn I take . .. there I said it!

OK so let me clear out things, if I might, I think.

Galadriel had dreams of far lands and dominions that might be her own.

She came to Middle-earth but did not establish any realms and not even a stronghold or a village or something. In the earlier version it made more sense because she took over Lorien since First Age. But in this revision we need an excuse to make sense out of it. The explanation we are suggestively offered is: Melian. Galadriel did whatever Melian told her to do. So there you go, a sensible narrative.

There really isn't any illogical thing in Galadriel not leaving Beleriand after Melian left. Galadriel's husband was not willing to leave his home. And Galadriel loved him too much to leave him. Moreover, she also loved her mother's kin in general and especially the descendants of her best friend. Obviously she would feel responsible to help them. In fact, any assumption that she left her beloved ones like a coward selfish person betrays the character of Galadriel. So there you have it, there's no weird narrative here, only logic.

It's completely sensible that she didn't leave Beleriand and Balar because any good unselfish heroic person in their right mind would make this choice. After all, Galadriel is "the fairest lady of the House of Finwe and the most valiant".

You might ask why she left her own realm Harlindon in the beginning of Second Age? Doesn't this contradict her dream of ruling? Well, of course not. Remember that she also equally desired to adventure and find new discoveries. And after all, Eriador was much greater dominion for both adventure and ruling. I guess she chiefly stayed in Lindon to help people and especially her family Gil-Galad in building up the place and settlements. Then, she left to follow her own desires.

It all makes sense if we think clearly about them.

 

[TheManInTheMoon]

OK so it looks like Galadriel being born in 1470s doesn't make any sense. Annals of Aman is the more valid version. Why?

Because in the Shibboleth, which is the latest writing where Tolkien gives a clear clue about when Galadriel was born, it is said Eldar believed Feanor was inspired by Galadriel's hair to create the Silmarils
This clearly means Galadriel was born and grown long before Feanor created the Silmarils, or at least long in our mortal reckoning.

"Galadriel was born in the bliss of Valinor, but it was not long, in the reckoning of the Blessed Realm, before that was dimmed; and thereafter she had no peace within. For in that testing time amid the strife of the Noldor she was drawn this way and that"

This is crystal clear: Galadriel was born before Melkor started the strife. The strife of the Noldor began shortly after Feanor created the Silmarili.

Therefore, we have to scrap away those writings about Galadriel's age in NoME where they suggest Galadriel was born a long time after the creation of the Silmarils.