THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED

MIDDLE EARTH
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THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED MIDDLE EARTH

ADVENTUROUS
WOMEN
Though fighting and adventuring may not have been
typical for most of the women of Middle Earth (or most
people of any gender in the Shire) there were, of
course, a few ladies who broke the mold.

So here’s to all the women who picked up a sword, put

on their walking shoes, and dove right into the action
and adventures of Middle Earth!
EOWYN
Poor Eowyn’s main personality trait for
much of her story is her own unhappi-
ness. Having spent most of her life
with her warrior-king uncle and her war-
rior brother and cousin, Eowyn longs
to experience glory in battle, and is in-
credibly frustrated when she is con-
stantly denied this. Gandalf says as
much to Eomer: “My friend, you had
horses, and deed of arms, and the free
fields; but she, being born in the body
of a maid, had a spirit and courage at
least the match of yours.”
She wanted to travel with Aragorn
through the Paths of the Dead, saying
“if you must go, then let me ride in your
following. For I am weary of skulking in
the hills, and wish to face peril and bat-
tle,” but he denied her (she had, after
all, been put in charge of all the Rohir-
rim that didn’t ride to battle in Gondor.)
Eowyn argues with him, saying “All
your words are but to say: you are a
woman, and your part is in the house.
But when the men have died in battle
and honor, you have leave to be
burned in the house, for the men will
need it no more. But I am of the House
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of Eorl and not a serving-woman. I can
ride and wield blade, and I do not fear
either pain or death”, and when Ara-
gorn asks what she does fear, she re-
sponds “A cage... to stay behind bars,
until use and old age accept them,
and all chance of doing great deeds is
gone beyond recall or desire.”
Still denied the chance to travel with
Aragorn, Eowyn instead disguises her-
self as a man and sneaks her way into
her uncle’s army. And glory in battle is
exactly what Eowyn got. She came
face to face with the Witch King, the
leader of the nazgul, and when she
saw him standing over her fallen uncle,
she said “You look upon a woman.
Eowyn I am, Eomund's daughter. You
stand between me and my lord and
kin. Begone, if you be not deathless!
For living or dark undead, I will smite
you, if you touch him.” And then she
did (with a little help from Merry.)
After the battle Eowyn’s fighting days
are pretty much over. While recovering
in the Houses of Healing she falls in
love with Faramir, and in the Fourth
Age the two of them work to restore
the region of Ithilien in Gondor.
HALETH
Haleth is introduced to us in The Silmarillion as one of the twin chil-
dren of the chieftain of the Haladin, Haldad. She is described as “val-
iant in the defense” and “a woman of great heart and strength.” She
not only survived the orc raid that killed her father and brother, but
she then led her people through a seven day siege, making such an
impression on the Noldorin prince Caranthir that he offered her an
alliance.
While the rest of Haleth’s story is focused more on her leadership
than skills as a warrior, a couple other details of note in Tolkien’s later
writings include the title “Haleth the Hunter”, and the fact that Haleth
was “a renowned amazon with a picked bodyguard of women.”
ELWING
Elwing is a woman who probably would have appreciated a few less
adventures in her life. When her family was killed and her kingdom
destroyed a young age, she traveled to the great refugee camp of
the First Age, the Havens of Sirion. There she met, fell in love with,
and married Earendil, with whom she had two sons (Elrond and El-
ros.) Then the Havens were attacked (while Earendil was at sea.)
Thinking her sons were dead, Elwing threw herself into the ocean to
protect the silmaril she was wearing on her necklace.
Ulmo (the Vala in charge of water) had plans for Elwing, so he trans-
formed her into a swan. Now a bird, Elwing flew over the water,
searching for Earendil. When she found him (and Ulmo turned her
back into a woman), the two decided to do what nobody had accom-
plished since the rising of the sun: they were going to sail to Valinor
(and, when they arrived, they would beg the Valar to save the men
and elves of Middle Earth from the tyranny and destruction of Mor-
goth.)
Well, because fate was on their side, they arrive in Valinor. And even
though Earendil was pretty sure setting foot on Valinor would get
them into divine trouble, Elwing said “all thy perils I will take on my-
self also”, and jumped onto the shore next to him.
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 BELLADONNA TOOK
Belladonna Took is one of our few (but mighty) hob-
bit adventurers. The mother of Bilbo Baggins, she
was a daughter of the Old Took and a lifelong friend
of Gandalf the Grey’s. Tolkien tells us that “once in a
while members of the Took-clan would go and
have adventures”, and that Belladonna never “had
any adventures after she became Mrs. Bungo Bag-
gins,” so it’s safe to assume that there was some se-
rious adventuring going on before she got married
and settled down. Where she went and what she
saw, though, is a mystery (though it was apparently
enough to inspire Bilbo’s own adventurous nature!)
LUTHIEN
Ah, Luthien. Though (as far as we know), Luthien
spent the majority of her life living a safe sheltered
existence, when motivated by True Love she really
surprises us!
In order to marry the king’s daughter, Beren is given
a (frankly, impossible) quest to prove his worth -
steal a silmaril from the crown of Morgoth (the Big
Bad.) Even with the help of another great elf king,
Beren is soon captured by Sauron. But Luthien (with
the help of Huan the Hound) comes and rescues
them (after escaping from her treehouse prison with
a rope and cloak woven from her own hair, and then
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again from a hostage situation including two elf
princes, no big deal.) When she and Huan had
chased Sauron off, she “stood upon the bridge, and
declared her power: and the spell was loosed that
bound stone to stone, and the gates were thrown
down, and the walls opened, and the pits laid bare.”
Beren thanks her for the assist and recommends
she return to her home in safety, but Luthien’s hav-
ing none of that. Instead, she tells him “You must
choose, Beren, between these two: to relinquish the
quest and your oath and seek a life of wandering
upon the face of the earth; or to hold to your word
and challenge the power of darkness upon its
throne. But on either road I shall go with you, and
our doom shall be alike.”
So the partners in crime make it to Morgoth’s strong-
hold (disguised as a wolf and a vampire), Luthien
sings Carcharoth (the giant wolf guard) to sleep,
and the two sneak into the very throne room of Mor-
goth himself. To steal the silmaril they need a distrac-
tion, so Luthien decides to sing and dance in front
of the source of all evil in the world, while Beren
steals the jewel (and if you don’t think that took guts,
then I don’t know what to tell you.)
After they return home Luthien’s physical adventures
are pretty much over. But it’s also worth noting that
when she and Beren die untimely deaths, she basi-
cally talks Mandos (the Vala in charge of death) into
returning them both to life. It’s kind of a big deal.
THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED MIDDLE EARTH

LEADING
LADIES
Most of Tolkien’s stories revolve around royal families.
Rulers. Leaders. Most were male, but there’s a fair few
ladies who led their people to safety, prosperity, and
glory.

So here’s to the women who were daughters of kings,

or wives of lords, who accepted their responsibility and
rose to the challenge of leadership in Middle Earth.
HALETH many who loved the Lady Haleth and wished to go whither she
would, and dwell under her rule.” Haleth negotiated with Thingol to
Haleth’s already gotten some attention in this series for her adventur- allow her people permission to live freely in Brethil, and there she
ous nature and skills in battle. But even more impressive is her sig- ruled until her death.
nificance as a leader. I’ve already mentioned that her father and
brother died in battle, and that Haleth kept her people going through
a seven day siege until help arrived from Caranthir and the elves. GALADRIEL
But what happens after this is even more impressive.
Ah, Galadriel. Galadriel, Galadriel, Galadriel. She’s got what is un-
Caranthir offers Haleth an alliance, saying that she and her people
doubtedly the most impressive leadership resume of all Middle
could live a more protected life nearer to his own settlements. “But
Earth’s women, and yet she never rose above the rank of “Lady.”
Haleth was proud, and unwilling to be guided or ruled, and most of
Granted, it seems like that was her choice, but still. She’s an interest-
the Haladin were of like mood. Therefore she thanked Caranthir, but
ing one.
answered: ‘My mind is now set, lord, to leave the shadow of the
mountains, and go west, whither others of our kin have gone.’” A member of the Noldorin royal family, even Galadriel’s earliest years
were touched by her desire to rule. While in Valinor, she “had
The people chose Haleth to be their leader (which is a hugely signifi-
dreams of far lands and dominions that might be her own to order as
cant event all on its own), and she led them west to Estolad, then
she would without tutelage.” For this reason she followed Feanor into
even further towards Brethil. This last journey was incredibly peril-
exile, though with Morgoth and the downfall of the Noldor her
ous, and Tolkien says that “Haleth only brought her people through it
dreams were put on hold.
with hardship and loss, constraining them to go forward by the
strength of her will.” And while that last statement sounds a little
heavy-handed, Tolkien also makes sure to note that “there were
6
Towards the end of the First Age she and her husband Celeborn left
the (relative) safety of the kingdom of Doriath and headed west to-
wards the Misty Mountains, finally ready to create realms of their
own. Tolkien’s accounts of this time period are many and contradic-
tory, but what we know for sure is that they two co-ruled a probably
moderately-sized group of elves for a few hundred heres. About
1000 years into the Second Age they were influential in the establish-
ment of Eregion, a predominantly Noldorin realm just west of Moria.
Though Eregion had no monarch, Galadriel was absolutely one of
the most powerful elves there. It was only when Sauron (then dis-
guised as Annatar) managed to turn public favor against her that Ga-
ladriel left Eregion (she traveled east to Lorien, where she worked to
strengthen the elves living there, preparing them for the war she saw
was inevitable.)
After the fall of Eregion, Galadriel takes part in the first meeting of
the White Council (this earliest version didn’t have wizards, though.)
As one of the ringbearers and wisest of elves in Middle Earth, she
was central to all strategies against Sauron’s rising power in Middle
Earth.
Fast forward a thousand years or so and the balrog awakes in Moria.
Many of the elves of Lorien flee the area, including their king. At this
point, Galadriel (and Celeborn) step in and assume leadership of
the small woodland realm, becoming the Lord and Lady of Lothlo-
rien. Galadriel spends the rest of her time in Middle Earth here,
though her added local responsibilities didn’t interfere with her dedi-
cation to the big picture - Galadriel remains a consistent member of
the White Council, and is (as we all know) an important guiding fig-
ure if the War of the Ring.
EMELDIR
Emeldir (called Emeldir the Manhearted) was the wife of Barahir, one
of the lords of the House of Beor in the First Age. During the Dagor
Bragollach (a great battle that Morgoth - unfortunately - won), the
situation in Dorthonion (home of the House of Beor) became so dire
that “Emeldir the Manhearted (whose mind was rather to fight be-
side her son and husband than to flee) gathered together all the
women and children that were still left, and gave arms to those that
would bear them; and led them into the mountains that lay behind,
and so by perilous paths, until they came with loss and misery at
last to Brethil.”
Emeldir’s interesting, because we see her make the same choice
that Eowyn would reject in the Third Age - to lead her people, rather
than pursue glory in battle. And her choice would have been espe-
cially difficult - not only was fleeing from battle against her nature,
but she left her husband and son behind on the front line (and they
were never reunited, in case anyone was wondering.) Despite what
was undoubtedly an emotional situation, she managed to lead her
(largely unarmed) people through war-torn Middle Earth to safety
with their (not near) neighbors. Pretty impressive.
And it’s clear that Emeldir’s actions had long-lasting consequences.
Because she led her people to safety, the mothers of Turin and Tuor
escaped the battle. And we all (or at least most of us) know how im-
portant those two were to the events of the late First Age.
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TAR-ANCALIME
Tar-Ancalime was the daughter of Tar-Aldarion, the sixth king of Numenor.
Tar-Aldarion had no son, and in order to ensure his daughter succeeded him
on the throne he had the laws of Numenor altered to allow women to inherit
the crown. Thus Tar-Ancalime became the first ruling queen of Numenor. But
even before this, Tar-Ancalime had some leadership experience. She had
been officially proclaimed the King’s Heir at the young age of 19 (much
younger than was traditional), and father, when he was king, would some-
times sail far away from Numenor, leaving Tar-Ancalime as his regent.

We only get a few details from Tar-Ancalime’s rule, but what we do learn
paints a pretty interesting picture. First of all, she ruled for 205 years - the
second-longest reign in Numenor’s history (bested only by Elros, who ruled
for 411.) So no matter what, I think it’s safe to say that she would have had a
significant impact on Numenor.

The description of her personality gives us some clues as to what her rule
was like. Tolkien says that she “like her father, was resolute in pursuing her
policies; and like him she was obstinate, taking the opposite course to any
that was counseled. She had something of her mother's coldness and sense
of personal injury.”

The only real detail we have of her leadership while queen is this: Her father,
Tar-Aldarion, had spent a great deal of his life building an alliance with the
elvenking Gil-galad, and had put a lot of effort into building ship havens in
Middle Earth and helping Gil-galad prepare for war (with Sauron, though no-
body knew that part yet.) But after Tar-Aldarion’s death, Tolkien tells us that
his daughter “neglected all her father's policies and gave no further aid to
Gil-galad in Lindon.” We don’t really see any interaction between the Nume-
noreans and the elves of Middle Earth until the War of the Elves and Sauron,
about 600 years later.

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IDRIL
Idril was the daughter of Turgon, King of Gondolin. And since Tur-
gon's wife didn't survive the trip to Middle Earth, and Aredhel was
only sometimes present, it's likely that Idril held the role of Gondo-
lin's highest-ranking woman for much of the city’s existence. By all
accounts she was well-loved, but (according to what information
Tolkien included) didn't do too much governing.
However, after the arrival of Tuor (and the deliverance of Ulmo's
warning that the doom of Gondolin was coming soon) we see Idril
become a much more proactive leader. She “let prepare a secret
way, that should lead down from the city and passing out beneath
the surface of the plain issue far beyond the walls, northward of
Amon Gwareth; and she contrived it that the work was known but to
few, and no whisper of it came to Maeglin’s ears.”
And it's a good thing she did because it definitely came in handy.
When the city was inevitably attacked, the few people who survived
the battle did so because Idril had prepared the way for them. She
and her husband then led the refugees out of the city and all the
way across Beleriand (keep in mind that at this point basically all of
Beleriand was controlled by Morgoth, so it must have been quite a
trip) to the Havens of Sirion, and safety.
ARWEN
Arwen has one of the most impressive ancestries in all of Middle
Earth, so I’ve no doubt that she held a variety of leadership positions
throughout her very long life. But she truly rises to power in the
Fourth Age, (unfortunately) when Tolkien stops the story.
With her marriage to Aragorn, she becomes the queen of the Re-
united Kingdom, which includes all of Gondor as well as Arnor
(which is basically everything north of the Shire.) And there’s some
implication in Tolkien’s few notes on the Fourth Age that this territory
would have expanded during Aragorn’s reign. With Galadriel sailing
west, Arwen emerges as the most powerful woman in Middle Earth,
the “Queen of Elves and Men” (as Tolkien once described her.)
Beyond her political significance, Arwen also holds an important cul-
tural role. With so many of the elves either gone from Middle Earth,
or largely secluded from the other races, Arwen (though technically
mortal) becomes the primary representation of elvish culture and wis-
dom in the Fourth Age.
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THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED MIDDLE EARTH

CULTURAL
CURATORS
Middle Earth is home to incredible treasures and amaz-
ing stories. However, due to Middle Earth’s war-torn his-
tory, most of those treasures would have been lost
ages ago, if not for people foresighted enough to pre-
serve them.

So here’s to all the women who shaped, curated, and

saved Middle Earth’s cultural history - for the benefit
and enjoyment of all.
 ANDRETH
Andreth was a Wisewoman, which was a valued position among the
Edain of the First Age. In fact, Tolkien tells us “of the Wise some were
women, and they were greatly esteemed among Men, especially for
their knowledge of the legends of ancient days.” Andreth learned the
ancient lore of both the Houses of Beor and Hador from her aunt,
Adanel, who was also a Wisewoman.

Ancient lore among the men of that time was a special thing. And, of-
ten, a secret thing. We learn that the Wise “for the most part kept their
wisdom secret and handed it on only to those whom they chose.” In
this respect, Andreth was unique, in that she was willing to share basi-
cally all of her knowledge with Finrod, an elvish king. This was signifi-
cant not only for Andreth and Finrod but for the entire historical com-
munity of Middle Earth, because while many of the Edain of the First
Age died young in battle (and so perhaps before having a chance to
pass on their histories and legends), Andreth sharing her knowledge
with Finrod meant that it entered the realm of elvish lore. Her informa-
tion on the earliest years of the race of men was preserved, and sur-
vived the First Age to be further immortalized by the historians of Nu-
menor. Basically, what we know about the history of the Secondborn
we know because Andreth chose to share it with an “outsider”, when
so few of the Wise did.

Most important among Andreth’s lore is the story of the Fall of Men. A
legend that she learned from Adanel, this is the (at the time very rarely
spoken of) story of how the first generations of men turned from Eru
and worshipped Morgoth, thus tainting the very race of men from the
beginning (and, according to some lore-masters, causing their short
lifespans.)

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ELWING
I don’t think anyone on this list sacrificed as much to protect their cul-
tural treasure as Elwing did. Of course, nobody on this list had some-
thing as valuable to protect, but still. When Elwing’s father died, she
inherited the Nauglamir - a necklace that was pretty priceless all on
its own, but also contained the silmaril that Luthien and Beren had
stolen from Morgoth. Elwing wore the Nauglamir throughout her life
in the Havens of Sirion, where she lived with her husband and twin
sons.
However, she wasn’t the only one who cared about the silmaril. The
remaining sons of Feanor sent “messages to the Havens of friend-
ship and yet of stern demand”, telling Elwing to give them the sil-
maril. Yet she denied them (which took more than a little courage,
since the reason Elwing inherited the silmaril from her father in the
first place was that he’d been killed by the sons of Feanor, trying to
take the silmaril.)
Anyway, eventually the Feanorians get tired of asking, and they at-
tack the Havens of Sirion (while Earendil, Elwing’s husband, is away
at sea.) The battle was chaotic, and Elwing’s sons were taken cap-
tive. But when it’s all over, we’re told that “Elwing with the Silmaril
upon her breast had cast herself into the sea.” Tolkien didn’t give us
too many details from the event, and fans have been picking El-
wing’s decision apart for years, but the most agreed-upon version is
that, having been separated from her sons in the battle, Elwing as-
sumes that they’ve been killed (like her own brothers and parents in
an earlier battle) - having lost hope for her family, Elwing decides to
at least keep the silmaril away from the sons of Feanor, and so
jumps into the ocean.
That should be the end of the story, but Ulmo (one of the Valar)
saves Elwing by transforming her into a swan long enough to fly to
her husband’s ship, and the two decide to sail to Valinor to appeal to
the Valar for aid. Long story short, because of Elwing’s dedication to
keeping the silmaril safe (or, at least, out of the hands of the Feanori-
ans), the silmaril made it to Valinor, and is even today seen passing
through the night sky on Earendil’s flying ship (okay, so it was a
really long story, and I made it really really short.)
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VAIRE
While there are many Valar who
are creators (in the female cate-
gory, Varda and Yavanna immedi-
ately leap to mind), Vaire is the
only one of them that really dou-
bles in the preserver category.
Vaire is called the Weaver be-
cause she weaves tapestries, de-
picting “all things that have ever
been in Time.” She is, essentially,
the historian of Arda. Vaire’s tapes-
tries cover the walls of the Halls of
Mandos, where the spirits of dead
elves go to wait and heal before
being reembodied.
There’s at least one known case
of a deceased elf getting “news”
from Vaire’s work - Miriel, the
mother of Feanor, who was tasked
to help Vaire with weaving the his-
tory of the Noldor - but generally I
don’t imagine that Vaire’s work
gets too much traffic. Still, there’s
some comfort in knowing that
she’s keeping a master copy of
the histories and stories of Middle
Earth, right?
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ELANOR GARDNER
Daughter of Samwise Gamgee
and Rosie Cotton, Elanor the Fair
(so named for her golden hair)
was one of the most significant
women of the Fourth Age. Not
only was she Sam’s oldest child
(who, aside from his heroics in the
war, served as Mayor of the Shire
for forty-nine years), but she also
served as maid of honor to Queen
Arwen for some years.
Years after she’d married and
founded the new town of Under-
towers with her husband, Sam
Gamgee sailed west to Valinor. He
left the Red Book of Westmarch in
Elanor’s care. This is the book that
contained not only Bilbo and
Frodo’s accounts of their adven-
tures, but also all of the elvish his-
tories that Bilbo had translated
while living in Rivendell. During
the Fourth Age a few copies were
made with editions and additions,
but this is essentially the source of
The Hobbit, The Lord of the
Rings, and The Silmarillion. So we
all have a lot to thank Elanor for,
since she kept it safe for us.
SILMARIEN
Silmarien was the oldest child of Tar-Elendil, the fourth king of Nume-
nor. At the time, Numenorean law didn’t allow for daughters to inherit
the throne, so even though Silmarien was the oldest child, she
couldn’t become queen. Tar-Elendil considered her to be his true
heir, however, so he did what he could to elevate her importance. He
created a new title for her husband, establishing the Lords of And-
unie (from whom Elendil and Isildur were descended.) Also, and
more importantly (for this series), Tar-Elendil gave Silmarien some of
the heirlooms of the royal family, the most historically significant of
which were the Ring of Barahir and the sword Narsil (later reforged
as Anduril.)
Because Silmarien (and through her the Lords of Andunie) inherited
these heirlooms instead of the royal family, they were some of the
only precious items to escape the downfall of Numenor. While the
royal family fell under Sauron’s control, Silmarien’s descendants re-
mained faithful to the Valar, and so fled the island before it sank. And
both of Silmarien’s heirlooms had incredible significance later on -
the Ring of Barahir remained a symbol of the royal family of Arnor,
and Narsil was the blade Isildur used to cut the One Ring from
Sauron’s hand.
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THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED MIDDLE EARTH

WISE
WOMEN
Now, Middle Earth had a lot of wise women. The place
was just silly with them, I swear. But this list is specifi-
cally for those (slightly fewer) women whose wisdom
had a significant impact on Middle Earth.

So here’s to the ladies who gave good advice (whether

it was followed or not), whose words cut to the heart of
the matter, and who really knew what they were talking
about.
GALADRIEL
Galadriel’s wisdom is a fascinating blend of magical foresight and
strategic brilliance. For most of the history of Middle Earth, it feels
like Galadriel’s always one step ahead of everyone around her (be
they friend or foe.) Tolkien says that “from her earliest years she had
a marvelous gift of insight into the minds of others, but judged them
with mercy and understanding.” Because of this she was wary of
Feanor from the beginning, trusted Gandalf more than Saruman, and
was preparing for war with Sauron before she even knew that
Sauron was who she was planning to go to war with.
In following sort of a weird trend in Lord of the Rings, Galadriel (one
of the wisest characters) gives very little advice. In fact, when she
greets the fellowship in Lorien one of the first things she says is “I
will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing
or contriving, nor in choosing between this course and another, can I
avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what
shall be.” Instead she “advises” in a sort of Socratic fashion, leading
each member of the fellowship to their own realizations and inner
epiphanies, so that by the end of the stay everyone has (in a way)
advised themselves. And if you don’t think that kind of sneaky wis-
dom is the coolest thing ever, than we’ve got nothing to say to each
other.
GILRAEN
Gilraen (the mother of Aragorn) reminds me of the Serenity Prayer
(“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know
the difference.”) Throughout her story we see Gilraen continuously
acting with a wisdom and maturity that is rarely seen.
She had the courage to change things that needed to be (and could
be) changed - when her husband died only two years after Aragorn
was born, Gilraen left her people to raise her son in Rivendell, know-
ing he’d be safer among the elves. She had the serenity to accept
the things that couldn’t be changed - the last time she and Aragorn
meet, she says “This is our last parting, Estel, my son. I am aged by
care, even as one of lesser Men; and now that it draws near I cannot
face the darkness of our time that gathers upon Middle-earth. I shall
leave it soon.”
And she had the wisdom to know the difference. When Aragorn ad-
mits that he’s in love with Arwen, Elrond’s daughter, Gilraen clearly
thinks it’s a bad idea. And she might have tried to change his mind
(most parents probably would have.) But Gilraen recognizes that it is
beyond her power to make her son fall out of love, and so she
doesn’t interfere. Hers is the type of wisdom seen not in grand
speeches but in little actions - every action she takes, really.
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MELIAN
If there was a competition in Middle Earth for
smart people whose good advice was ig-
nored the most, Melian would make it to the
final round easily. One of the Maiar, she was
literally wise beyond the limits of this world.
Older than the universe itself, it’s safe to say
she’s seen some stuff. Melian stands out
among her peers, though, as the only one of
the Ainur (Valar + Maiar) to marry one of the
Children of Iluvatar (elves + men). During the
First Age, Melian met, fell in love with, and
married Thingol, king of the Sindarin elves.
Together they built a great (and safe) king-
dom in Doriath, which lasted most of the First
Age (an impressive feat, believe me.) This is
largely thanks to Melian, because as soon as
it became clear that Morgoth was going to
cause trouble, Melian used her powers to cre-
ate what can only be described as a magical
forcefield around Doriath, protecting it from
enemies.
Besides keeping the orcs, dragons, and
werewolves at bay, Melian also served as an
excellent counsellor to her husband and
king. Whenever Thingol wasn’t sure of a situa-
tion (or thought he was sure of a situation,
but in reality was getting it all wrong), Melian
was right there with a few wise words to set
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him back on track. Or, at least, that’s how it
should have gone. More times than not, Thin-
gol just kind of ignored her. And trust me,
that didn’t lead him to a very happy end.
Luckily, not everyone ignored Melian’s wise
advise. Tolkien says that under her teachings
the Sindar “became the fairest and the most
wise and skillful of all the Elves of Middle-
earth.” And not only did Melian raise her
daughter Luthien, but she also served as a
friend and mentor to Galadriel (who even ap-
pears on the “wise woman” list herself!)
NIENNA
Nienna is one of the Valar. So, like Melian,
she sort of has an advantage over elves and
men when it comes to wisdom. But Nienna’s
wisdom had a greater-than-usual impact on
the rest of Middle Earth. Her “specialty”, if
you will, is grief and mourning. Tolkien turns
this into a position of power and influence,
though, saying “those who hearken to her
learn pity, and endurance in hope”, and that
“she brings strength to the spirit and turns
sorrow to wisdom.”
Nienna’s most famous pupil (and, honestly,
the reason she’s on this list) was Gandalf.
Through Gandalf her teachings and wisdom were brought to Middle
Earth proper, and every bit of advice or wisdom that Gandalf imparts
is partially thanks to Nienna, who first taught him the strength that
comes from pity (“my heart tells me that he has some part to play
yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of
Bilbo may rule the fate of many.”)
ANDRETH
Andreth was, in multiple senses of the word, a wise-woman. In the
First Age this was the title given to women that had learned and col-
lected lore and history about the race of men. But besides being
one of the most important historians of her people, Andreth was also
“wise in heart... for which reason the Eldar called her Saeling, ‘Wise-
heart.’” In this category Andreth’s claim to fame is her part in the
Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, a philosophical debate/discussion be-
tween Andreth and Finrod, an elvenking of the First Age who was
himself known for his wisdom.
Their discussion touches on many topics, but the main focus is the
differences between men and elves, and the division between their
people caused by (im)mortality. Throughout the conversation An-
dreth continually speaks to the heart of the matter, calling Finrod on
any answer or explanation that she feels is weak or inconsistent. Her
best moment (in my opinion) is when they discuss the nature of the
sprit and the body, and death:
“I hold then that it is not to be thought that the severance of these
two could be according to the true nature of Men. For were it ‘natu-
ral’ for the body to be abandoned and die, but ‘natural’ for the
[spirit] to live on, then there would indeed be a disharmony in Man,
and his parts would not be united by love. His body would be a hin-
drance at best, or a chain. An imposition indeed, not a gift... I hold
that in this we are as ye are, truly Incarnates, and that we do not live
in our right being and its fullness save in a union of love and peace
between the House and the Dweller. Wherefore death, which divides
them, is a disaster to both.”
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THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED MIDDLE EARTH

THE GREAT
MOTIVATORS
Some historical figures are significant not necessarily
for what they did, but for what was done because of
them. Helen of Troy, Marie Antoinette, and others could
be considered history’s great motivators. Middle Earth
had plenty of these as well, of course.

So here’s to all the women who inspired those who

loved (and hated) them to great (and terrible) action.
MIRIEL
Miriel was the first wife of Finwe, High
King of the Noldorin elves, and the
mother of Feanor. Unfortunately she
died long before the sun first rose - the
first to die in Valinor, actually. She was
utterly exhausted by the process of bear-
ing Feanor (Tolkien tells us that elvish
parents, especially mothers, put forth
much more energy into the bearing of
children before they are even born), and
decided that the best way to rest was to
die and reside in the Halls of Mandos.
And though the Valar encouraged her to
be reembodied and return to her family,
Miriel insisted “I desire peace. Leave
me in peace here! I will not return. That
is my will.”
Miriel’s death - and decision to remain
dead - is probably one of the most con-
tentious issues among The Silmarillion’s
readers, but there is no denying that Mir-
iel (both alive and dead) also had a
great impact on her own world, that of
Middle Earth.
In life, Miriel was greatly loved by her
husband and son. Feanor, especially,
was hugely impacted by his mother. In
her honor he advocated certain linguis-
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tic rules (namely the pronunciation of
“þ” instead of “s”), and regularly used
the name given to him by Miriel (as op-
posed to his father-name.) More than
that, Feanor’s grief indirectly affected
his personal and political relationships.
His dislike of Indis and her children
caused a rift among the Noldor. And in
fact Tolkien goes so far as to say that
Miriel’s death “was a lasting grief to
Feanor, and both directly and by its fur-
ther consequences a main cause of his
later disastrous influence on the history
of the Noldor.”
Miriel’s influence went beyond Feanor,
though. Her death (or, rather, her refusal
to be reembodied, coupled with Finwe’s
desire to remarry) sparked one of the
greatest debates among the Valar. They
all gathered and had a long discussion
about whether or not Finwe should be
allowed to marry again if his wife in-
sisted on remaining dead. We don’t
know of any other cases that their ruling
might have influenced, but it’s one of the
few times we ever really see the Valar
considering a situation from the view-
point of the Children of Iluvatar, so it’s
still pretty significant.
INDIS
In a sort of continuation of Miriel’s entry, we have Finwe’s second
wife, Indis. She had a few children (most famous were her two sons,
Fingolfin and Finarfin) who themselves had several children of their
own - this is the family whose lives and actions make up the bulk of
the Silmarillion. However, because Feanor was so upset at his fa-
ther’s choice to re-marry, he always felt animosity towards Indis and
her sons. This combination of resentment and jealousy was the
main cause of the rift among the Noldor (and was the fertile ground
that Morgoth sowed his seeds of paranoia and hatred.)
And while I made a promise to myself that no woman would be in-
cluded in this series merely for having famous offspring, it’s worth
noting (mostly because it’s one of my favorite lines in Tolkien’s writ-
ing) that years after all the drama with Feanor and the exile, Miriel
said this of her son’s actions: “But the children of Indis shall redress
his errors and therefore I am glad that they should have being, and
Indis hath my love.”
CELEBRIAN
Celebrian has famous relatives coming from all directions. Her par-
ents are Galadriel and Celeborn. Her husband is Elrond. Her chil-
dren are Arwen, Elladan, and Elrohir. But her time in the narrative is
tragically brief. While traveling from Lorien to Rivendell she was at-
tacked by orcs and “tormented” (many readers agree that this was
Tolkien’s way of implying she was raped.) The only hope she saw in
healing spiritually and emotionally from the event was to sail to Vali-
nor, leaving all her family behind.
Aside from the impact this no doubt had on her family, Celebrian’s
influence on Middle Earth goes a bit further. Tolkien tells us that her
sons afterwards spent most of their time riding with the Dunedain
rangers, channeling their anger into constant hunting and battle, “for-
getting never their mother's torment in the dens of the orcs.” This
strengthened the ties between Rivendell and the Dunedain and lead
to the brothers’ participation in a couple key battles in the War of the
Ring.
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