You may have noticed recently that a lot of Tolkien fans - myself included - have been
freaking out over the very first promotional image from Amazon’s LOTR on Prime.
One of the biggest reasons is the appearance of the Two Trees of Valinor, seen in the distance
of this image.
Well today, on Nerd of the Rings, we are going to cover why these trees are so important
and how they directly connect to the White Tree of Gondor that we see in the Return of
the King.
After Melkor destroys the Two Lamps - what were once the source of light for all of Arda,
the world is plunged into darkness.
The Valar retreat to the West of the world, where the Vala Yavanna sings into existence
the Two Trees - one of silver color, the other gold.
Telperion, the silver tree is considered the male, while Laurelin, the golden, is female.
The trees are located on Ezellohar, a hill outside the city of Valmar.
Watered by the tears of Nienna, the trees grow and bring light to the land of Aman.
Each “day” so to speak would last twelve hours, with each tree being alight for seven
hours.
Thus, there would be an hour each of dawn and dusk, where soft silver and gold would
be given off simultaneously as one waxes while the other wanes.
As with all good things, the Trees would be ruined by a dark lord.
Melkor recruits the monstrous spider Ungoliant to help him destroy the trees.
Melkor strikes each tree and Ungoliant goes to the wound, sucking the life and light from
Laurelin and Telperion.
Discovering the trees destroyed and the world in darkness, once again Yavanna sings and
Nienna weeps.
Through their efforts, they are able to revive Telperion’s last flower and Laurelin’s
last fruit - which the Valar use to fashion the Moon and the Sun.
While the true light of the two trees would only after live in the Silmarils which had
earlier been crafted by Feanor, there was another tree that would live on in Valinor.
In the elven city of Tirion, upon the hill of Tuna, Yavanna made for the elves a white
tree, in the image of Telperion, and possibly from its very fruit.
It was named Galathilion - a Sindarin name, combining the words for tree (galadh) and
shine silver (thil).
While this tree did not give off light of it’s own, it was still the most beloved
tree among the elves of Aman.
This tree would have many seedlings in these lands of the elves.
So important was Galathilion, that it is believed by some to be the tree represented on the
Doors of Durin, being displayed twice as a mirrored image of itself.
The other prevailing theory is that these represent the two trees of Laurelin and Telperion.
But this is not the only connection these trees have to the later ages of Middle-earth.
For Galathilion’s seedlings would be taken to lands outside Tirion.
On the island of Tol Eressea, a seedling would be planted that would flourish and be named
Celeborn, meaning Tree of Silver.
Tol Eressea would be home to many of the Eldar, most of whom were Teleri.
After the ending of the First Age, with Morgoth defeated and cast into the void, and the lands
of Beleriand lost to the sea, a new land is raised up from the ocean - a gift of the Valar
to the Edain - the men of Middle-earth who fought alongside the elves against the dark
powers.
Numenor - the great realm of men who were blessed with long life.
Led by their first king Elros, the brother of Elrond, these men received many gifts of
vegetation for their island.
We won’t go through the entire list of named plants and their various features and functions
today, but among them is the White Tree of Nimloth, a seedling of Celeborn.
It is taken to Numenor and placed in the King’s Court in the capital of Armenelos.
This tree was a symbol of the friendship of the two races of elves and men.
Nimloth would last for thousands of years, blossoming at sunset as its flowers filled
the night air with their perfume.
However, a darkness would fall upon Numenor.
Their later kings turned their back upon the Eldar and the last of their kings, Ar-Pharazon
would bring ruin upon the island realm.
After taking Sauron captive, Ar-Pharazon would be seduced by Sauron’s words - even making
the dark lord his chief counselor.
Finally, in 3262 of the Second Age, at Sauron’s behest, the king has the White Tree of Nimloth
cut down.
It’s wood is used to light the first fire as the unfaithful Numenoreans begin to worship
Melkor.
But there were those among the Numenoreans who remained faithful to the Eldar and the
Valar.
Among them is Isildur who, the night before the destruction of Nimloth, stole a fruit
from the tree and secretly plants it so that the line of the White Trees would not die
out.
Isildur accomplishes this mission at great personal risk, during which he suffers many
wounds and is nearly killed.
But as the first leaf opens of the new seedling, Isildur is healed.
(3319) As Ar-Pharazon launches his doomed attack upon the valar, Isildur takes the sapling
and sails with his father, brother, and the rest of the faithful to the east.
Numenor, its king, and his followers are destroyed, and the Faithful make new homes - Gondor and
Arnor.
(3320 SA)
Isildur takes the sapling to the new city of Minas Ithil, where it would live for over
100 years.
Over that time, Sauron returns to Mordor, regaining his physical form and his former
power.
In 3429, he launches a surprise attack on Minas Ithil, capturing the city and burning
the First White Tree of Gondor.
Isildur manages to escape, once again taking with him a sapling.
In the coming decades, Isildur would accompany his father Elendil, brother Anarion, the high
king of the Noldor Gil-galad, and Elrond halfelven in the War of the Last Alliance.
As we know, both Elendil and Anarion would die in the war.
After Sauron’s defeat, Isildur cuts the One Ring from his hand in recompense for his
fallen family.
Isildur returns to Gondor, this time to Anarion’s city of Minas Anor - where, in the year 2
of the Second Age, he plants the sapling in memory of his brother.
This Second White Tree of Gondor would last until 1636 TA, when Sauron’s Great Plague
reaches Gondor.
It not only kills a vast number of Gondorians - including King Telemnar and his children,
but also claims the life of the Second White Tree.
Four years later, King Tarondor planted the Third White Tree of Gondor.
This tree would stand for 147 years - seeing the days of the kings come to an end and the
time of the Ruling Stethirdwards come.
In 2872, Belecthor II - the 21st Ruling Steward dies and upon his death, the Third White Tree
also dies.
With no sapling to replace the tree, it remains standing in the Court of the Fountain of Minas
Tirith.
There the withered tree would remain for nearly 150 years, until the King returns.
After the defeat of Sauron, King Aragorn Elessar is led by Gandalf to Mount Mindolluin, where
he makes a startling discovery...
Then Aragorn cried: I have found it!
Lo! here is a scion of the Eldest of Trees!
But how comes it here?
For it is not itself yet seven years old.'
And Gandalf coming looked at it, and said: 'Verily this is a sapling of the line of Nimloth
the fair; and that was a seedling of Galathilion, and that a fruit of Telperion of many names,
Eldest of Trees.
Who shall say how it comes here in the appointed hour?
But this is an ancient hallow, and ere the kings failed or the Tree withered in the court,
a fruit must have been set here.
Here it has lain, hidden on the mountain, even as the race of Elendil lay hidden in
the wastes of the North.
Yet the line of Nimloth is older far than your line, King Elessar.'
The Third White Tree, long deceased, is placed in Rath Dinen, an honor reserved for the Kings
and Stewards of Gondor.
The sapling becomes the fourth White Tree of Gondor.
It would bloom in June of that year, and like Aragorn, restores a royal line once thought
to have died out.
The White tree, the very emblem of the realm of Gondor and in the image of the great Telperion
itself once again graces the Court of
the Fountain in Minas Tirith.