ELROND

'Elrond Half-elven' is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in ''The Hobbit'', and plays a supporting role in ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion''. He was portrayed in the Peter Jackson films by Hugo Weaving.

Contents

Character overview

Biography

Portrayal in adaptations

External links

Character overview

Elrond was 'Lord of Rivendell', one of the mighty rulers of old that remained in Middle-earth in its Third Age. His name means "Vault of Stars", "Star-dome", or "Elf of the Cave" (the exact meaning is uncertain, as Tolkien gave different derivations in different places).
He was the son of Eärendil and Elwing, and a great-grandson of Lúthien, born in Beleriand in the First Age, making him well over 6,000 years old by the time of the events described in ''The Lord of the Rings''. Elrond's twin brother was Elros Tar-Minyatur, the first High King of Númenor.
Although Elrond was considered half-elven, that was not meant to be an exact percentage value; he and his brother Elros were also related to the Maiar, angelic beings who had come to Middle-earth thousands of years before. Elrond, along with his parents, his brother, and his children, was granted a choice between Elven or human fates by the godlike Valar. Elrond chose to travel into the West and live as an immortal Elf.

Biography

As documented in ''The Silmarillion'', Elrond was born at the refuge of the Mouths of Sirion soon before its destruction by the sons of Fëanor. He and his brother, Elros, were captured alive. Their parents feared that they would be killed, but instead they were taken up by the brothers Maedhros and Maglor.
Elrond went to Lindon with the household of Gil-galad, the last High King of the Noldor, when Beleriand was destroyed at the end of the First Age. He chose (like his parents but unlike his brother) to be counted among the Elves when the choice of kindreds is given to him.
According to the appendices of ''The Return of the King'', Elrond was Gil-galad's herald in the Second Age. He was sent to Eregion when it was attacked by Sauron. He united his army with one from Eregion, led by Celeborn. Eregion was destroyed, however, and Elrond was driven back and surrounded by Sauron. He was saved by an army led by Durin and Amroth, and retreated to a valley where he settled Imladris (Rivendell). In 1700 an army from Númenor arrived in Lindon and Gwathló, and Sauron was trapped between the Númenóreans and Elrond.
The White Council decided that Eregion would be abandoned in favour of Imladris. Upon this occasion, Gil-galad entrusted Elrond with Vilya, the mightiest of the Three Rings of the Elves.
Near the end of the Second Age, the Last Alliance of Elves and Men was formed, and the army departed from Imladris, led by Elendil and Gil-galad, who were both killed in the Siege of Barad-dûr. Elrond and Círdan were the only ones to stand by Gil-galad's side when he fell.
In the early years of the Third Age, Elrond married Celebrían, daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel. The union produced twin brothers Elladan and Elrohir, and a daughter, Arwen Undómiel.
During the Third Age Elrond was the main ally of Arnor. Following its fall, Elrond harboured the Chieftains of the Dúnedain. After being captured and tortured by Orcs, Celebrían left Elrond and went over the sea to seek healing. After Aragorn's father died, Elrond raised the boy in his own household and became something of a surrogate father to him (Aragorn was actually Elrond's distant nephew, being the direct descendant of his brother Elros).
In ''The Hobbit'', Elrond gave shelter to Bilbo Baggins's party, after which, presumably, the two become friends. He received Bilbo as a permanent guest when the latter left the Shire some 60 years later.
In ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', he headed the Council of Elrond at which it was decided that the One Ring must be destroyed.
Elrond remains in Rivendell until the destruction of both the Ring and Sauron in ''Return of the King''. He then travels to Minas Tirith to see Arwen marry Aragorn, now King of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor. Three years later, at the approximate age of 6,520, Elrond left Middle-earth to go over the Sea with the other Ring-bearers, never to return.

Portrayal in adaptations

Cyril Ritchard voiced the role of Elrond in the 1977 Rankin/Bass animated film of ''The Hobbit'', created for television. In Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings'', Elrond was voiced by André Morell. When Rankin/Bass attempted to finish the story (left incomplete by Bakshi and his financial backers) with ''The Return of the King'' in 1980, actor Paul Frees voiced Elrond in the same style as Ritchard, who had since died. In the Rankin/Bass version, he was depicted with a pointed beard and a crown of stars floating around his head.
Hugh Dickson played Elrond in BBC Radio's 1981 serialization of ''The Lord of the Rings''.
In the movie trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, Elrond was portrayed by Hugo Weaving.

In the books, Elrond raised Aragorn as his own son, after Aragorn's father Arathorn dies. In that context, Elrond's condition that Aragorn simply become King before marrying his daughter is a gracious gesture (especially in comparison to the extravagant demands of Thingol, his historical counterpart), and there is never any indication that he feels anything but love for his foster-son.
Also, in ''The Return of the King'', Elrond himself met with Aragorn at Dunharrow, gave him the reforged sword of Isildur, and told him to take the Paths of the Dead. In the book, his sons Elladan and Elrohir, along with a company of Rangers led by Halbarad, met Aragorn on the road from Isengard to Helm's Deep, prior to the Muster of Rohan. Elrohir gave Aragorn a message from Elrond, reminding him of the Paths of the Dead. They also brought a royal banner of Gondor, made by Arwen, which Aragorn subsequently used. Aragorn simply took the reforged sword with him when leaving Rivendell much earlier in the story.
In the 2006 musical adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings'', Elrond was portrayed by Victor A. Young.

External links

★ Elrond at The Thain's Book

★ ''Encyclopedia of Arda'' article, which includes a detailed description of Elrond's "half-elven" ancestry