White Council

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the movement against racial desegregation, see White Citizens' Council.

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the White Council is a group of Eldar Lords and Wizards of Middle-earth, formed in 2463 T.A. to contest the growing power of Dol Guldur, at the request of Galadriel. In the narrative, it is officially the Second White Council, a successor of that of the Second Age.

Now, through the use of message boards and video games, the name of the White Council has permeated popular media in new ways.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

1 First White Council
2 Second White Council
3 Video game
4 See also
5 References
6 External link

[edit] First White Council

Little is known about the First White Council, the members of which were mostly the same as the Second, but not incuding the Istari. It was formed after Sauron's defeat in Eriador in 1701 S.A. Its main decision was that Eregion was to be abandoned in favour of Imladris.

[edit] Second White Council

The Second White Council's membership included the Wizards Saruman the White, Gandalf the Grey and Radagast the Brown, chiefs and rulers of the Elves including Lady Galadriel of Lórien, Master Elrond of Rivendell and Círdan the Shipwright of the Grey Havens. Saruman was the head of the White Council, against the wishes of Galadriel. Other possible members are said to be among the mightiest of Elves, the mighty Elf-lord Glorfindel, Elrond's chief counselor Erestor and Thranduil the King of Northern Mirkwood and father of Legolas. Celeborn is certainly a possibility but is not generally considered likely to have been on the Council, the two Blue Wizards were also not part of the Council. Sadly, Tolkien does not give a list of all the members of the council, 'other lords of the Eldar' is as close as The Silmarillion gives to a list. Unbeknownst to the other members of the Council, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond were also the bearers of the Three Rings of the Elves.

The Second White Council first met in 2463 T.A., to counter the growing threat from Dol Guldur. Gandalf travelled through Southern Mirkwood in 2850 T.A., and had learned of the identity of the Necromancer, who ruled over Dol Guldur. In 2851 T.A. the White Council met to decide whether to act on Gandalf's discovery, but Saruman dissuaded the others.

When he realized that the One Ring was possibly still in the area of the Gladden Fields and that Sauron was actively seeking it, Saruman relented and in 2941 T.A. Sauron was driven out of Dol Guldur, only to re-appear in Mordor. This White Council meeting, of late summer, 2941 T.A., was also the reason that Gandalf was unable to accompany Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves on a portion of their trip to the Lonely Mountain, in The Hobbit.

The Council last met in 2953 T.A., to discuss Sauron's attempts to find the One Ring. At this meeting Saruman insisted that the One Ring had fallen into the Anduin, and had been swept out to sea. During this meeting there was much tension between Saruman and Gandalf, for Gandalf already suspected Saruman of desiring to possess the One Ring.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Video game

Main article: The Lord of the Rings: The White Council

In July 2006, Electronic Arts announced development of an open world role-playing game called The Lord of the Rings: The White Council, due for release in late 2007, in which players would serve the Council. The game is said to include elements of Peter Jackson's film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and other Tolkien books, since Electronic Arts holds licenses to both. The game was set to be released for Sony's PlayStation 3, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and for personal computers, but the game has been delayed and ultimately may be cancelled, unfortunately.