A Elbereth Gilthoniel, also known as the Aerlinn in Edhil o Imladris or the Chant, was a type of Sindarin hymn in iambic tetrameter that was addressed to Varda. There were many variations of it, some of which included Westron words.[1]
History[]
On September 24, in the year 3018 of the late Third Age, Frodo Baggins, Peregrin Took, and Samwise Gamgee crossed paths with the Wandering Company of Gildor Inglorion as they were singing a hymn to Varda on their way back to Rivendell from the Tower Hills.[1][2]
Poem[]
Snow-white! Snow-white! O Lady clear!
O Queen beyond the Western Seas!
O Light to us that wander here
Amid the world of woven trees!
Gilthoniel! O Elbereth!
Clear are thy eyes and bright thy breath!
Snow-white! Snow-white! We sing to thee
In a far land beyond the Sea.
O stars that in the Sunless Year
With shining hand by her were sown,
In windy fields now bright and clear
We see you silver blossom blown!
O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
We still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees,
Thy starlight on the Western Seas.[2]
On October 2, during his stay in Rivendell, Frodo Baggins heard some Elves praising Varda with the hymn as he exited the Hall of Fire and entered Elrond's hall.[3]
A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-díriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, sí nef aearon![3]
On March 13, in the year 3019, Samwise Gamgee invoked Varda by using a variation of the hymn to fight Shelob.[4]
Gilthoniel A Elbereth!
A Elbereth Gilthoniel
o menel palan-diriel,
le nallon sí di'nguruthos!
A tiro nin, Fanuilos![4]
On September 22, in the year 3021, Frodo heard a variation of the hymn in the Woody End that was sung by Gildor Inglorion and his Wandering Company just before the Last Riding of the Keepers of the Rings[5] to the Grey Havens.[6]
A! Elbereth Gilthoniel!
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath,
Gilthoniel, A! Elbereth!
We still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees
The starlight on the Western Seas.[6]
Etymology[]
Aerlinn in Edhil o Imladris is a name in Sindarin meaning "Holy song (hymn) of the Elves of Rivendell".[7]
In other versions[]
In the first edition of The Lord of the Rings, Samwise Gamgee misspelled the name as O Elbereth Gilthoniel when he tried to invoke Varda.[8]
Inspiration[]
It was noticed by Stratford Caldecott that the Aerlinn in Edhil o Imladris seems to be similar to Stella Maris, a popular Catholic hymn to the Virgin Mary, noting that it "would have been familiar" to Tolkien and that "the tone and mood of which are markedly close to those of" the Aerlinn in Edhil o Imladris.[9][10]
In her essay, "Saintly and Distant Mothers", in a book collection, Marjorie Burns saw a resemblance to Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star, a Marian hymn by John Lingard.[11]
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | А Елберет Гилтониел |
| Hindi | ए एल्बेरेथ गिल्थोनिएल |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | А Елберет Гилтониел |
| Nepalese | ए एलबेरेथ गिल्टोनियल |
| Punjabi | ਏ ਐਲਬਰੇਥ ਗਿਲਥੋਨੀਅਲ |
| Russian | А Эльберет Гильтониэл |
| Telugu | ఎ ఎల్బెరెత్ గిల్థోనియల్ |
| Thai | เอ. เอลเบเรธ กิลโธเนียล |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Road Goes Ever On: A Song Cycle, "Notes and Translations", pg. 62-7
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book One, Ch. III: "Three is Company", pgs. 88-9
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Ch. II: "Many Meetings", pg. 250
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers, Book Four, Ch. X: "The Choices of Master Samwise", pg. 339
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Chief Days from the Fall of Barad-dûr to the End of the Third Age"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Six, Ch. IX, "The Grey Havens", pg. 308
- ↑ Vinyar Tengwar, Number 44, "Ae Adar Nín: The Lord's Prayer in Sindarin", pg. 22
- ↑ The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, pg. 278
- ↑ Stratford Caldecott, "The Lord & Lady of the Rings The Hidden Presence of Tolkien's Catholicism in The Lord of the Rings"
- ↑ Stratford Caldecott, Secret Fire: The Spiritual Vision of J.R.R. Tolkien, pg. 57
- ↑ Paul E. Kerry, The Ring and the Cross: Christianity and The Lord of the Rings, pg. 251