Galathilion, called the White Tree and the Tree of Silver, was a tree grown by the Vala Yavanna for the Elves of the city of Tirion in Valinor. It was made in the image of Telperion, as the Amanyar loved it most of the Two Trees, although unlike Telperion, Galathilion gave no light.[1]
It grew in the Great Square, a high open courtyard beneath the Mindon Eldaliéva, and had many seedlings in Eldamar. From this tree came Celeborn, the White Tree of Tol Eressëa;[1] through which it became the ancestor of Nimloth of Númenor and the White Tree of Gondor.[2]
Etymology[]
Galathilion is a name in Sindarin meaning "White Tree",[1] from galadh ("tree"),[3] thil (""shine; white light"),[3] and -ion ("son")[4].[5]
Other names[]
Galathilion was also known as the Tree of Tirion[6] and the Tree of Túna.[2]
Galathilion was at first a name for Telperion, "but in after days Galathilion the Less was the name of the White Tree of Túna".[7]
Legolas noted that the Doors of Durin displayed two images of the Tree of the High Elves,[8] which probably represented Galathilion.[9][10]
In a Quenya note published in Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, Galathilion is referred to by the name Amalion.[11]
In other versions[]
In Tolkien's poem, Imrám, Saint Brendan in his deathbed is able to remember a White-tree from his travels that cannot be other than Galathilion.[12]
Line of the White Tree[]
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| Telperion (destroyed) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Galathilion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Celeborn of Tol Eressëa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nimloth of Númenor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| First White Tree of Minas Ithil (planted by Isildur, c.SA 3320 - SA 3429) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Second White Tree of Minas Anor (planted by Isildur, TA 2 - TA 1636) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Third White Tree of Minas Tirith (planted by Tarondor, TA 1640 - TA 2872) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Fourth White Tree of Minas Tirith (planted by Aragorn II Elessar, TA 3019) |
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Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | ጋላትሂሊኦን |
| Arabic | حفلتهيليون |
| Armenian | Գալաթիլիոն |
| Assamese | গালাথিলিয়ন |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Галатіліон |
| Bengali | গ্যালাথিলিন |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Галатилион |
| Chinese | 佳拉西理安 |
| Georgian | გალათელიონი |
| Greek | Γαλαθιλιον |
| Gujarati | ગેલાથિલિયન |
| Hebrew | גאלאתיליון |
| Hindi | गलथिलिओन |
| Japanese | ガラチリオン |
| Kannada | ಗಲಥಿಲಿಯನ್ |
| Kazakh | Галатіліон (Cyrillic) Galatilion (Latin) |
| Korean | 갈라실리온 |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Галатилион |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Галатилион |
| Maithili | गलाथिलियन |
| Marathi | गॅलाथिलियन |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Галатилион |
| Nepalese | गलथिलिओन |
| Persian | گالاتهیلون |
| Punjabi | ਗਲਾਥਿਲਿਅਨ |
| Russian | Галатилион |
| Sanskrit | गलथिलिओन् |
| Serbian | Галатилион (Cyrillic) Galatilion (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | ගලතිලියන් |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Галатистион |
| Tamil | காலத்திலின் |
| Telugu | గాలాథిలిన్ |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Галатліон |
| Yiddish | גאַלאַטהיליאָן |
| Places in the Undying Lands (Aman and Tol Eressëa) | ||
| Places and regions of the Valar | Valinor • Ezellohar • Gardens of Lòrien • Halls of Mandos • Halls of Nienna • House of Tulkas • Ilmarin • Máhanaxar • Pastures of Yavanna • Wells of Varda • Woods of Oromë • Plain of Valinor • Two Trees of Valinor | |
| Other regions | Eldamar • Alalvinórëυ • Araman • Avathar • Enchanted Isles • Haerast • Oiomúrë • Sindanórië • Galathilion • Tol Withernonυ | |
| Mountains and passes | Pelóri • Taniquetil • Hyarmentir • Túna • Calacirya • Caves of the Forgotten | |
| Bodies of water | Afros • Bay of Eldamar • Gruirυ • Híri • Lórellin • Shadowy Seas • Sirnúmen | |
| Cities and strongholds | Váli-màr • Alqualondë • Avallónë • Formenos • Kôrtirion • Tavrobelρ • Tirion • Lumbiυ | |
| Houses and towers | Cottage of Lost Playρ • House of the Hundred Chimneysρ Pre-canon • Mindon Eldaliéva • Tower of Avallónë • Tower of Tavrobelρ • Tram Nybolρ | |
| ρ Pre-canon, υ Canonicity unclear. | ||
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, ch. 5: "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Silmarillion, Akallabêth (The Downfall of Númenor)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 347, pgs. 425-6
- ↑ "Galathilion" on eldamo.org
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Appendix: "Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entries kal-, sil-
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Three: The Later Quenta Silmarillion, (I) The First Phase, 2: "Of Valinor and the Two Trees", pg. 155
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, ch. IV: "A Journey in the Dark"
- ↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: The Definitive Guide to the World of J.R.R. Tolkien, entries "Emblems — Eldar" and "Tree of the High Elves"
- ↑ Mark Fisher, "Tree of the High Elves" on The Encyclopedia of Arda
- ↑ Catherine McIlwaine, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, pg. 182
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 9: Sauron Defeated, Part Two: The Notion Club Papers Part Two: "Note on 'The Death of Saint Brendan' with the text of the published form 'Imrám'", pgs. 297-8