The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Probably built before III 1981;1 it was deserted during the first century of the Fourth Age
Location
In Lórien, near the meeting of the Rivers Anduin and Celebrant
Origins
Uncertain: see Note 1 below
Race
Division
Primarily Silvan Elves
Culture
Pronunciation
ka'ras ga'lathon ('th' as in English 'these')
Meaning
'Fortress2 of trees'
Other names

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About this entry:

  • Updated 11 August 2014
  • Updates planned: 1

Caras Galadhon

The tree-city of the Galadhrim

Map of Caras Galadhon
Note that the exact location of Caras Galadhon is not known, and nor is that for Cerin Amroth. The positions shown on this map are speculations based on the text of The Lord of the Rings.
Note that the exact location of Caras Galadhon is not known, and nor is that for Cerin Amroth. The positions shown on this map are speculations based on the text of The Lord of the Rings.

The tree-city of the Galadhrim; the seat of Celeborn and Galadriel in the realm of Lórien.


Notes

1

This was the year the Dwarves fled neighbouring Khazad-dûm. When, centuries later, Gimli came to the city, Celeborn said to him 'It is long indeed since we saw one of Durin's folk in Caras Galadhon.' (The Fellowship of the Ring II 7, The Mirror of Galadriel). While the implications of Celeborn's remark aren't completely clear, it's most likely a reference to the fall of Khazad-dûm and the escape of the Dwarves, 1,038 years earlier.

Beyond this, Tolkien makes no definite reference to the creation of Caras Galadhon. One workable theory is that it was built to guard Lórien from the threat of Dol Guldur across the Great River. If this is correct, the tree-city would have appeared in about the year III 1050, the time when Dol Guldur was built. It should be emphasised that there is no specific evidence for this dating, but it does seem to fit well within the historical context.

2

Caras is a rare example of a term from a Silvan dialect, an old word for a fortress, specifically one surrounded by a moat.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 11 August 2014
  • Updates planned: 1

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