The Song of the Elves Explained

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Episode 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Middle-earth Lore.Among the most powerful scenes in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is Frodo Baggins’ (Elijah Wood) decision to join Elrond (Hugo Weaving), Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Gandalf the White (Ian McKellen), and Bilbo (Ian Holm) as they sail away from Middle-earth to the Elven paradise known as “Valinor.” Frodo tearfully says goodbye to his Hobbit friends as he bids them a final farewell. Also known as “The Undying Lands,” Valinor was a land across the sea that the Elves are destined to return to once their role on Middle-earth has concluded.

We see a similar journey beginning in the first episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, “A Shadow of the Past.” Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) grew up in Valinor before the dark lord Morgoth destroyed the sacred two trees, creating the sun and the moon. The Elves set sail for Middle-earth to wage war against Morgoth and his chief lieutenant, Sauron. During the conflict, Galdriel’s brother, Finrod (Will Fletcher), is killed.

The Elves Did Not Want to Take Part in Middle-earth Conflicts

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythology, Middle-earth is just one continent in the world of Arda. Valinor is generally reserved only for immortal beings known as the “Valar.” The Valar generally take no part in the conflicts of Middle-earth but during the First Age, they were convinced to help capture the dark lord Morgoth and imprison him.

Galadriel has continued to lead the Elven warriors as they hunt down the Orcs that were part of the dark lord’s army. She claims that she will not rest until evil is vanquished forever. However, the Elven High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) claims that the war has officially concluded. He invites Galadriel and her companions from the conflict to take a voyage to Valinor, where they will remain for eternity.

Despite her misgivings, Elrond (Robert Aramayo) convinces Galadriel to accept this honor and travel with her companions. He insists that she deserves to live in eternal bliss; she has fought for thousands of years to protect Middle-earth from the forces of evil. Galadriel joins the ship’s crew as they sail across the Sundering Seas, singing as they reach the eternal light. At the last moment, Galadriel decides to jump from the ship and swim back to Middle-earth.

RELATED: ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’: Where Are The Sundering Seas?

The Song of the Elves Represents Their Journey Home

The song that the Elves sing during their journey represents their passage into a paradise of sorts. This is represented on the soundtrack with Bear McCreary’s original song “The Boat.” Galadriel can’t join them because she feels that she has not served her purpose on Middle-earth. She would never be able to return if she entered the light of Valinor.

Galadriel’s suspicions are proven correct. Shortly after her decision to literally “jump ship,” a meteor flies into Middle-earth and crash lands in the Harfoots’ camp. This implies that evil is on the rise. Sauron’s symbol has already appeared on both Finrod’s corpse and the sword discovered by Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin). Morgoth may be vanquished, but Sauron has accepted his role as the new dark lord.

In Tolkien’s mythology, the Elves under Elrond ultimately decide to remain in Middle-earth in order to help the realms of men. The Valar themselves create the island of Númenor as a reward for humans, but it is destroyed. At the end of the second episode, “Adrift,” Galadriel and her companion Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) are rescued by a ship of Númenoran sailors. It would seem that Galadriel’s destiny is to help them fulfill their role on Middle-earth.

The Elves Who Remain in Middle-earth Face Off Against Sauron With Their Allies

This is why Elrond, Galadriel, and the other Elves remain in Middle-earth during The Lord of the Rings. When they recognize that Sauron may be too powerful for the human kings to handle, the Valar create the Council of Wizards to resist the dark lord. This is why Galadriel and Elrond have such a close relationship with Gandalf in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; they are working toward the same goal.

In The Lord of the Rings, Elrond feels that the Elves have served their purpose on Middle-earth by dispatching the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring, and defeat Sauron for good. He plans to lead them on their voyage to Valinor, but it sparks conflict with his daughter, Arwen (Liv Tyler). Arwen’s lover, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), is mortal. He would not be able to enter the Undying Lands. However, if Arwen chooses to remain on Middle-earth with Aragorn, she will naturally outlive him as an immortal veing and be alone after his death.

The Rings of Power has the chance to change our perspective on the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. Galadriel’s decision to join the Elves as they ascend to the light of Valinor in Return of the King is even more powerful now. We know this is an opportunity that she once selflessly turned away from in order to pursue to destruction of evil.