Caras Galadhon (pronounced /ˈkaras ˈgalaðon/) was the chief city of Lothlórien, at the center of the whole woodland.
In the Naith of Lórien, the heart of the Silvan Elven realm, it was built within the Mallorn trees that Galadriel received from Gil-galad. It served as the residence of Celeborn and Galadriel.
Description[]
Caras Galadhon was circular in shape and about three thousand feet from east to west. It was surrounded by a wall of green earth and a deep fosse, or moat. On the western border, a long stone road outside the fosse ran for many dozens of miles also surrounded the city. The city could be accessed through a set of great gates which faced southwest.
The city was a host of Mallorn trees where the Elves lived in flets atop the trees. Located in the city's center, atop the largest Mallorn in the city, was the flet of Celeborn and Galadriel and the Chamber of Celeborn.
Other notable features were Galadriel’s garden and her mirror, both in the southeast quarter.[2]
Caras Galadhon at night, by Ralph Damiani
History[]
The building of the city was probably started by the Silvan-speaking Nandor Elves that first settled the forest of Lórien during the Years of the Trees, under the light of stars, and was probably completed by the city's later Sindarin lords. Amdír and his son Amroth's successors, Celeborn and his wife, Galadriel, made the city into a blissful but isolated Elven haven.
A view from Caras Galadhon, by Sara Maria Morello
During the events of the War of the Ring, the Fellowship of the Ring was brought through Lórien to Caras Galadhon, and there met the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim. Around the time of the siege of Minas Tirith Lórien was besieged itself by Dol Guldur, three times.
In the Fourth Age, after Galadriel had left Lórien, Caras Galadhon was ruled by Celeborn alone, as capital of a Lórien now spanning both sides of the river Anduin. However, not long after Celeborn himself departed to live in Rivendell and the city came to be deserted. It is unclear just how this came about since most of Lórien's people were Silvan Elves and, presumably, not necessarily inclined to leave Middle-earth so soon after Sauron's fall; there are different references to the Fate of the Elves of Middle-earth scattered throughout Tolkien's published works. Caras Galadhon is called a "great city" in The Lord of the Rings, and the impression is that its population numbered in the thousands. However, "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" in Appendix A depicts Caras Galadhon as wholly abandoned by the time of Aragorn II Elessar's death.[3][4]
Etymology[]
The name Caras Galadhon means "Fortress of Trees": from the Silvan caras ("fortress") and galadhon ("of trees"). It may also be translated as "Fortress of Galadhon". Galadhon may be referred to Celeborn's father, Galadhon. In the First Edition of The Lord of the Rings, Caras Galadhon was spelled as Caras Galadon.
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | ካራስ ጋላድሆን |
| Arabic | جالادهون كاراس |
| Armenian | Քարաս Գալադոն |
| Assamese | কাৰাছ গালাধোন |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Карас Галадhон |
| Bengali | কারাস গ্যালাথন |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Карас Галадон |
| Chinese | 卡拉斯加拉頓 |
| Georgian | კარას გალადონი |
| Greek | Κάρας Γκάλαθον |
| Gujarati | કારાસ ગાલઘોન |
| Hebrew | קאראס גלדהון |
| Hindi | कैरस गलाधोन |
| Hungarian | Krassó Galadhon |
| Japanese | カラス・ガラゾン |
| Kannada | ಕಾರಾಸ್ ಗಾಲ್ಡಾನ್ |
| Kazakh | Карас Галадһон (Cyrillic) Karas Galadhon (Latin) |
| Konkani | कारास गॅलाधोन हांणी केला |
| Kurdish | کاراس گالادهۆن (Sorani) |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Карас Галадhон |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Карас Галадхон |
| Malayalam | കാരാസ് ഗലധോന് |
| Marathi | करस गलाधोन |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Карас Галадон |
| Nepalese | चरस ङलधोन |
| Pashto | کاراس ګیلډون |
| Persian | کاراس گالادون |
| Punjabi | ਕਰਸ ਗ਼ਅਲਧੋਨ |
| Russian | Карас Галадон |
| Sanskrit | चरस् ङलधोन् |
| Serbian | Карас Галадон (Cyrillic) Karas Galadon (Latin) |
| Sindhi | ڪارس گلادون |
| Sinhalese | චරස් ගලධොන් |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Карас Галадон |
| Tamil | கேராஸ் கலாடன் |
| Telugu | కారాస్ గల్డాన్ |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Карас Ґаладон |
| Urdu | کاراس گلادہاون |
| Uzbek | Карас Галадҳон (Cyrillic) Karas Galadhon (Latin) |
| Yiddish | קאַראַס גאַלאַדהאָן |
References[]
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings, "The Fourth Age"
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings, "Lothlórien"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter VI: "Lothlórien"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers, I: The Númenórean Kings, (v): "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"