Ooh la la, Lúthien...

[Lalaith]

Really thoughtful analysis Lindale. However...

fair ones who would be counted amongst the great because they married so-and-so

Galadriel chose to leave Valinor for Middle Earth and was counted among the great entirely in her own right. That decision was nothing to do with who she loved, and her marriage to Celeborn seems almost incidental to her identity.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Lalaith

Galadriel chose to leave Valinor for Middle Earth and was counted among the great entirely in her own right. That decision was nothing to do with who she loved, and her marriage to Celeborn seems almost incidental to her identity.

I have to agree with yourt analysis regarding Galadriel, Lalaith. She gave the cold shoulder to the greatest elf in the history of his own mind, Feanor, and picked Celeborn for her boy-toy due to his distinctive silver hair and his willingness to relocate to wherever she wanted to go. All kidding aside, when Celeborn and Galadriel have a discussion with the Fellowship in Lorien, isn't it plain to everyone who the 'real' power is in Lorien? It always struck me that Celeborn was given his army to command so he wouldn't lose face having to answer to his more powerful and cunning wife (after all, she has the Elven Ring, not he). It would be very embarrassing for poor old Celeborn to be 2nd in command of the army as well as the kingdom (I don't think Galadriel would have skipped a beat leading the army).

[Lindale]

Originally Posted by Lalaith

Galadriel chose to leave Valinor for Middle Earth and was counted among the great entirely in her own right. That decision was nothing to do with who she loved, and her marriage to Celeborn seems almost incidental to her identity.

My bad. I guess I overgeneralized it again. Anyway, this is pretty much the same stuff I wrote for a term paper in a survey of European lit class around a year ago, and it didn't fare too well, mainly because I didn't read the course description properly: Survey of Continental European Literature.

About Galadriel, if I may add, she was Nerwen too, man-maiden. Like Pallas Athena of the ancient patriarchal Greeks, who was female in gender and appearance, but male in everything else, fatherless, a true warrior, embodiment of wisdom (which ironically females were supposed to have lesser than men). Galadriel did wield an elven ring, but the mightiest of the three was with Elrond. She is counted with Feanor as the greatest of the Noldor, but isn't the greatest elf of all.

"I passed the test, I will diminish, and go to the West, and remain Galadriel." Before my feminism classes I thought it a very good concept. But now I have my doubts.... patriarchy and such buzzing around in my head again.