Phial of Galadriel
Frodo Baggins stands on the steps of Cirith Ungol. A Nazgûl chases him through the shadows. He feels the weight of the One Ring pulling at his mind. The enemy draws near with its black hood and screaming voice. Frodo reaches for a small crystal bottle around his neck. It holds water from Galadriel's fountain in Lothlórien. The liquid inside glows with the light of Eärendil's star. This brilliant radiance restores his senses when all other lights have failed. Samwise Gamgee calls it a star-glass as they face the giant spider Shelob in her lair. The light helps them fight back against the monstrous creature that guards the tower.
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote four versions of the chapter Farewell to Lothlórien without mentioning the Phial. The distribution of gifts to other members of the Fellowship appears in the third version but lacks this specific object. Only in the fifth version does the Phial appear in terms almost identical to those of the final text. Christopher Tolkien edited his father's mass of texts later and noted how the light enables Frodo to see Sauron's forces massing at the Black Gate. He described it as a true star in the darkness. The object was added late in the writing process after the story had already taken shape.
The Two Trees of Valinor gave light to the realm where the Valar live before Melkor destroyed both Lamps. Fëanor crafted three Silmarils with light from these trees during the First Age. One Silmaril sails in the sky as Eärendil's Star aboard his ship Vingilot. Galadriel collected the light of Eärendil's Star reflected in her fountain mirror. A little of that light is captured in the Phial of Galadriel. This tiny fragment links Third Age events to tales of the Elder Days found in The Silmarillion. Samwise Gamgee evokes Beren on the stairs of Cirith Ungol shortly before meeting the spider. The light comes ultimately from the Two Trees via a Silmaril made from their light.
Verlyn Flieger describes the Phial as a splinter of the created light in her book Splintered Light. She likens its stature to Frodo's status as a broken down fragment of humanity. The scholar contrasts the Phial with the One Ring since both are called presents or gifts. The Phial serves as an object of light while the Ring remains an object of darkness. Rosalia Fernandez-Colmeiro notes how water and light interact in Tolkien's work through this artifact. The light of Eärendil's Silmaril is captured by the water of Galadriel's fountain. It helps establish The Lord of the Rings in a mythical space-time derived from a star.
Jason Fisher draws a parallel between the water in the Phial and the Christian sacrament of baptism. He notes that Tolkien recognized similarities between Galadriel and Mary mother of Jesus. The Episcopal priest Fleming Rutledge comments that the Phial is filled with baptismal water. Samwise Gamgee appeals to Elbereth who created the stars and blessed the Silmarils in the face of Shelob. The light leaps as if from the firmament with intolerable brightness during the attack on the spider. This divine presence recalls the overpowering light that blinded the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. It also lit up the face of the prophet Moses in the Old Testament.
Wētā Workshop constructed physical props for Peter Jackson's film trilogy based on Tolkien's written descriptions. The prop appears in The Fellowship of the Ring where Galadriel presents Frodo with the gift. It features again in The Return of the King when Frodo and Sam use it to get through the Pass of Cirith Ungol. Their light dazzles Shelob the giant spider during their confrontation. Two Phial of Galadriel cards exist in the Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game. Artists including John Howe, Anke Eißmann, and Ted Nasmith have illustrated the object before its screen appearance. The design matches the author's description exactly.
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Common questions
What is the Phial of Galadriel in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel?
The Phial of Galadriel holds water from Galadriel's fountain in Lothlórien that glows with the light of Eärendil's star. This crystal bottle restores Frodo Baggins' senses when all other lights fail and helps Samwise Gamgee fight Shelob.
When did J. R. R. Tolkien add the Phial to his story versions?
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote four versions of the chapter Farewell to Lothlórien without mentioning the Phial before adding it in the fifth version. Christopher Tolkien edited these texts later and noted how the object was added late in the writing process after the story had already taken shape.
Where does the light inside the Phial of Galadriel originate from?
The light comes ultimately from the Two Trees of Valinor via a Silmaril crafted by Fëanor during the First Age. Galadriel collected the light of Eärendil's Star reflected in her fountain mirror to create this tiny fragment linking Third Age events to tales of the Elder Days.
How do scholars interpret the religious symbolism of the Phial of Galadriel?
Jason Fisher draws a parallel between the water in the Phial and the Christian sacrament of baptism while noting similarities between Galadriel and Mary mother of Jesus. Fleming Rutledge comments that the Phial is filled with baptismal water and its divine presence recalls the overpowering light that blinded the Apostle Paul or lit up the face of Moses.
Which films feature physical props of the Phial of Galadriel created by Wētā Workshop?
Wētā Workshop constructed physical props for Peter Jackson's film trilogy based on Tolkien's written descriptions appearing in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King. These props appear when Galadriel presents Frodo with the gift and later when Frodo and Sam use it to get through the Pass of Cirith Ungol against Shelob.
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21 references cited across the entry
- 1harvnbTolkien (1977) p. ch. 24 "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"Tolkien — 1977
- 2harvnbTolkien, 1954a p. Book 2, ch. 8 "Farewell to Lorien"Tolkien, 1954a
- 3harvnbTolkien (1954) p. Book 4, ch. 8 "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol"Tolkien — 1954
- 4harvnbTolkien (1954) p. Book 4, ch. 9 "Shelob's Lair"Tolkien — 1954
- 5harvnbTolkien (1954) p. Book 6, ch. 1 "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"Tolkien — 1954
- 6harvnbTolkien (1955) p. Book 6, ch. 3 "Mount Doom"Tolkien — 1955
- 7harvnbTolkien (1955) p. Book 6, ch. 9 "The Grey Havens"Tolkien — 1955
- 8harvnbTolkien (1989)Tolkien — 1989
- 9bookTolkien, un autre regard sur la Terre du MilieuRosalia Fernandez-Colmeiro — Editions Edysseus — 2005
- 10bookTolkien et le Moyen ÂgeLeo Carruthers — CNRS — 2007
- 11bookThe J. R. R. Tolkien EncyclopediaJason Fisher — Routledge — 2006
- 12bookTolkien and Modernity 2Judith Klinger — Walking Tree Publishers — 2006
- 13bookThe J. R. R. Tolkien EncyclopediaMarjorie Burns — Routledge — 2006
- 14bookJ. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the RingsMarjorie Burns et al. — Infobase Publishing — 2005
- 15bookJ. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the RingsMarjorie Burns — Chelsea House — 1999
- 16journalCordial Dislike: Reinventing the Celestial Ladies of Pearl and Purgatorio in Tolkien's GaladrielSarah Downey — 2011
- 17webThe Phial of GaladrielJohn Howe
- 18webThe Phial of GaladrielAnke Eißmann — 2001
- 19webShelob's RetreatTed Nasmith
- 20webPhial of GaladrielWētā Workshop — March 2024
- 21webFiole de Galadriel