The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power caused controversy by suggesting non-canonical romantic feelings between The Lord of the Rings Elves it adapted, but most people are not aware of the real truth about Elves’ marriage and reproduction. J.R.R. Tolkien went into fairly shocking detail about both, in the best possible way. Tolkien’s Catholicism didn’t make him a prude, as certain sections of Morgoth’s Ring and The Nature of Middle-earth proved. These texts reveal just how faithful or unfaithful, in spirit, the show’s fabricated romances are. And, it is spirit that counts, when it comes to faithfulness.

Divisively, Rings of Power season 1 introduced Galadriel as something of a widow. Her canonical husband, Celeborn, had been lost at war. This allowed the show to set up feelings between Galadriel and original character Halbrand, which drove the real controversy in season 1. Cementing the sucker punch to those looking forward to the Celeborn-Galadriel show, Halbrand turned out to be Galadriel’s mortal enemy, Sauron. Galadriel later enjoyed a non-canonical kiss from her soon-to-be son-in-law, Elrond. Embellishing the source material was required but contradicting it was not allowed, necessitating a fine balance. Morgoth’s Ring allows a judgment of the balance achieved.

Elves May Choose Whether To Get Pregnant In LOTR

Elves May Have In-Built Contraception In The Lord Of The Rings

Reading the Elf lore in Morgoth’s Ring, a lot of people would have a lot of epiphanies about Rings of Power’s Galadriel, variously on her fertility and her likelihood of loving again after Celeborn. Morgoth’s Ring is little-read, as far as casual Lord of the Rings fans go, and one deeply buried fact within it relates to Elvish fertility. Elves put far more intention and energy into conceiving children than humans. Hilariously, the act itself was “too intense to be long endured” (The Nature of Middle-earth). As it says, of Elves, in Morgoth’s Ring’s “Laws and Customs among the Eldar”:

…in the begetting, and still more in the bearing of children, greater share and strength of their being, in mind and in body, goes forth than in the making of mortal children. For these reasons it came to pass that the Eldar brought forth few children; and also that their time of generation was in their youth… For with regard to generation the power and the will are not among the Eldar distinguishable.

This lore on Elvish reproduction, provided in “Laws and Customs among the Eldar,” leads many to believe that Elves have a certain level of inherent contraceptive ability. The ability and will to conceive are not distinguishable among the Elvish Eldar, which refers to all Elves in this text. Therefore, Elves like Galadriel seem to have a certain level of choice whether they get pregnant or not. At the very least, Elves know when they conceive, as they celebrate conception rather than birth, whereas mortals celebrate birthdays. Innate contraception could facilitate new relationships for Elves like Galadriel.

Elves Are Naturally Faithful In Lord Of The Rings

Elves Normally Mate For Life In The Lord Of The Rings

Elves are “by nature continent and steadfast” in LotR and “seldom swayed by the desires of the body only,” according to “Laws and Customs among the Eldar.” An Elf’s first sexual encounter with another was akin to a wedding, with the ceremony ideal but unnecessary. Naturally faithful, “The Eldar wedded once only in life, and for love.” In Tolkien’s books and in Peter Jackson’s movies, Galadriel and Celeborn were happily married until Galadriel sailed west and was eventually followed by Celeborn. In the books and movies, during their relationship, they would have been faithful to each other for life.

“Laws and Customs among the Eldar” is an anthropological document put together by Ælfwine, one of Tolkien’s most intriguing characters and the first Man to find the Straight Road – the path to Aman after its removal from the Circles of the World. Ælfwine’s insights on Elves in this in-universe textbook are as close as Tolkien got to clarifying the exact biology of the Elvish species and Elvish marriage rites. Included in Morgoth’s Ring, “Laws and Customs among the Eldar” was unfinished for an unknown reason and was published posthumously.

Elves Consider New Relationships If They Lose A Partner

Elves Can Love Again If They Lose A Partner

Included in “Laws and Customs among the Eldar” was a section titled “Of the Severance of Marriage” and it related to the remarrying of Elves, asserting that they considered it if they lost a partner. Finwë is often cited as the only Elf to remarry in The Lord of the Rings, which he did due to the death of his wife, Míriel. These two are discussed at length in Morgoth’s Ring, but “Laws and Customs among the Eldar” clarifies that all Elves would be thrown into doubt if presented with the loss of their spouse.

The Silmarillion was edited and published by Tolkien’s son, Christopher, in 1977.

Elvish remarriage was rare and legally complex in the Valar’s reckoning, but Finwë was not necessarily the only instance of it. The famous Finwë-Míriel divorce is the only remarriage discussed in The Silmarillion. However, Finwë remarrying wasn’t uniquely discussed in The Silmarillion because it was unique, but because The Silmarillion was Elvish historical lore, not a soap opera. As such, it didn’t give every case of an Elvish break-up, only the famous ones of national consequence. If she lost her spouse, Galadriel, like all other Elves, may be open to a new relationship.

Elves’ Lore Helps Explain Why Rings Of Power’s Galadriel May Consider Moving On After Celeborn

If Lord Of The Rings’ Galadriel Had Lost Celeborn, She May Have Moved On

Morgoth’s Ring helps to explain why The Rings of Power’s Galadriel may have been drawn to Halbrand after losing Celeborn. In the show’s internal logic, Galadriel wasn’t out of character in this attraction, she was considering one new but very serious relationship. This was perfectly within the bounds of Tolkien’s world, as laid out in “Laws and Customs among the Eldar.” In lore, Galadriel did want to rule her own realm like Sauron, although much less tyrannically, and it was this commonality that Rings of Power picked up on to bond its versions of the two characters.

…unsure of what happened to Celeborn and with innate contraceptive ability, Galadriel wouldn’t have written off a new romance.

Galadriel carried a certain level of purity symbolism in certain versions of Tolkien’s stories, which created a playful contrast with other versions of her, which were more ambitious and warlike. Galadriel was also typically very insightful. In this sense, the profundity of Galadriel’s lapse in judgment in her “love with Halbrand” could be considered out of character (Nerdist). However, Sauron and Galadriel had a lot to teach each other in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. And, unsure of what happened to Celeborn and with possible contraceptive ability, Galadriel wouldn’t have written off a new romance.