Who does Galadriel resemble?
 

My friend and I ran into this trouble...we think our English teacher has a perfect face for Galadriel, but she doesn't understand who that person is (at one point she thought she was a Troll.......*sigh*) So now we want to know WHO in mythologies or history resembles Galadriel most so we can make her understand. Help please?

Ooo...in luuurve?
 

I would say Galadriel is somewhere between the Virgin Mary and Morgan le Fay, while looking quite like Lucrezia Borgia, daughter of Pope Alexander VI, beauty, and notorious poisoner.

But that's just my view...

I know this was not Tolkien's original intention but for me she resembles mostly Athena, goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology. Both are wise and practical, help others, have great powers. Sometimes they step aside from the right path, and when they do that, their pride is to blame. Also, they both share an air of androgynity, a firmness of character. Athena takes hers to the extreme because she never marries and is interested mainly in matters of wars and politics. Galadriel is slightly more feminine because she falls in love, bears children and has healing powers. But let's not forget her own powerful desire to rule and lead others.

Slightly more feminine indeed.

I'm crippled by having none of my books with me--they're all at home, and I'm at college--and by the fact that I've never read HoME, but isn't there somewhere a story/chapter/something that mentions that Galadriel was, at one point, nicknamed Nerwen (Man-maiden, or something like that) because she went to battle with the lords of the Noldor?

Or is my mind playing tricks on me, and I'm just making up very strange things.

I just read that part in the UT, Galadriel is her Sindarian name which Celeborn gave to her. Her "real name" is indeed Nerwen.

Really? I thought that was her mother-name, her real name being Artanis...which fits better with the other female of her clan, Aredhel...

That depends on what you want to consider her "real name". The father-name was given at birth, and the mother-name later. Since by the time the mother-name is given, the young Elf in question has developed an individual personality, and the mother-age is probably a better or more accurate description of the person.

Historically, Galadriel has always reminded me of Boudicca. She was warrior queen of a tribe of Ancient Britons and led a revolt against the Romans. Coincidentally, her daughter was captured, molested and murdered by the Roman invaders. Similarities with Celebrian?

Oh, wonderful topic if I may say!

Anyways, Galadriel has always reminded me of the meaning of the greek name 'Medusa', which means "sovereign female wisdom", in that Galadriel seemed to depend on herself for the best answer and was willing to help those who needed it. Also, because it seems that even though she is married to Celeborn, she keeps more will power in her control than other similar figures in Middle Earth.

In her more aggresive aspect, Galadriel seems like Macha, one of the three celtic goddesses called the Morrigana. There are many different tales about Macha, but in a summary she was a seer, warrioress, and queen. She also was known as the Tuatha De Danann's battle goddess, and on the other hand was known to bring good fortune and prosperity.


~ Ka