Círdan

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Character from Tolkien's Legendarium
Name Círdan
Race Elves
Culture Teleri
Realm Falas (FA), Lindon (SA—)
Book(s) The Silmarillion,
The Return of the King

In the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien, Círdan ('ship-maker' in Sindarin) the Shipwright is a Teleri Elf, a great mariner and shipwright, lord of the Falas during much of the First Age. He was the bearer of the Great Ring Narya, which he in turn gave to Gandalf.

He had a beard, which is rare for Elves; but he was of great age at the time of the War of the Ring: perhaps the oldest of all the Elves remaining in Middle-earth, being one of the few (if any) prominent Eldar who survived from the great journey to the blessed realm (the First Age) to the present. Círdan had grey (silver) hair, like his overlord and kinsman Thingol. However, Tolkien never defined exactly how the two were related.

His original name was probably Nowë. This name is not Sindarin and probably an archaic form of it, or possibly Common Telerin, with uncertain meaning. It may be related to the term nowo meaning "think, form idea, imagine."[1]


Contents

[edit] The First Age

Initially, Círdan was a ruler of a host of the Teleri under Elwë, and during the long wait in Beleriand he fell in love with the sea. When Ulmo returned for the Teleri, Círdan and his followers remained behind, partially because of their love for Belegaer, and partially because of his kinship with Elwë, who was lost. After Elwë returned and became King Thingol, Círdan ruled the Falathrim of the havens of Eglarest and Brithombar, although he seemed to have accepted Thingol's overlordship.

After the arrival of the Noldor he became an adviser and friend of Finrod Felagund, lord of Nargothrond, although the Falas remained independent, but he was also warned by Ulmo not to attempt a crossing to Valinor, and his mariners restricted their work to the coasts of Middle-earth. However, at the request of King Turgon of Gondolin, he later built several messenger ships to sail to Valinor to request help from the Valar against Morgoth. After the havens of the Falas were destroyed, Círdan was set up the refuges at the Mouths of Sirion and the Isle of Balar, to which he retreated. It was on this isle that he helped Eärendil to build the great ship Vingilot.[2].

[edit] The Second Age

Círdan stayed behind when the Elves were summoned back to Valinor, and set up the two havens of Mithlond; Harlond in the south and Forlond in the north, in the new land of Lindon (anciently Ossiriand). Círdan's exact status during that time is unknown, but it seems certain he served as lieutenant of Gil-galad, the last High King of the Noldor in Middle-earth. Círdan is mentioned as receiving the ships of the Númenóreans as they returned to the north of Middle-earth, and also as being one of the only two Elves (along with Elrond) who stood beside Gil-galad during his last battle with Sauron.

[edit] The Third Age

After the fall of Gil-galad and the beginning of the Third Age, Círdan remained at the Grey Havens of Mithlond, and built ships which ferried the departing Elves to Valinor. Círdan had possession of the Great Ring Narya, but when the Istari or Wizards arrived in the early Third Age, he recognized Olórin's wisdom, and gave him his ring. Círdan remained active behind the scenes, sending counsellors to the White Council.

[edit] The Fourth Age

Following the War of the Ring he was seen to have prepared the ship that ferried across the other Ring-bearers to Aman; Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, Bilbo, and Frodo in the last year of the Third Age. It is uncertain whether he left Middle-earth himself on the same ship: he is not mentioned as boarding, and later letters by Tolkien imply he remained behind. There are contradictory references to the Fate of the Elves of Middle-earth scattered throughout Tolkien's works, and it may be that Círdan's role as a facilitator for Elves returning to the Blessed Realm continued for some time. It is said that he sailed with the last ship.

[edit] In the movie

In the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy by Peter Jackson, Círdan briefly appears in two of the films. His role as lieutenant of Gil-galad is given to Elrond instead (Elrond was Gil-galad's herald in the books) in the first movie. He does, however, appear very briefly in Galadriel's Monologue at the start of the first movie, in the very brief shot of the three elven ringbearers, and at the end of the third movie when Frodo, Galadriel, Elrond, Gandalf and Bilbo board the ship at the Grey Havens and Círdan (unaccountably beardless) can be seen standing in the background.

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1996). Christopher Tolkien (ed.): The Peoples of Middle-earth. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-82760-4.
  2. ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1977). Christopher Tolkien (ed.): The Silmarillion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Chapter 24: Of the voyage of Eärendil and the War of the Wrath Page 295. ISBN 0-395-25730-1.