tolkien-in-beleriand:

silverhairedelf:

celeborn-of-doriath:

silverhairedelf:

tolkien-in-beleriand:

Oh my God OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

You know I never actually read The Lord of the Rings Epilogue because I thought I couldn’t deal with it and you know what?

I WAS FUCKING RIGHT!

Have a look at this part and you will understand why

‘But the Elves are sailing away still, aren’t they, and soon there’ll be none, will there, dad?’ said Rose; ‘and then all will be just places, and very nice, but, but…’

‘But what, Rosie-lass?’

‘But not like in stories.’

‘Well, it would be so if they all was to sail,’ said Sam. ‘But I am told they aren’t sailing any more. The Ring has left the Havens, and those that made up their mind to stay when Master Elrond left are staying. And so there’ll be Elves still for many and many a day.’

‘Still I think it was very sad when Master Elrond left Rivendell and the Lady left Lórien,’ said Elanor. ‘What happened to Celeborn? Is he very sad?’

‘I expect so, dear. Elves are sad; and that’s what makes them so beautiful, and why we can’t see much of them. He lives in his own land as he always has done,’ said Sam. ‘Lórien is his land, and he loves trees.’

‘No one else in the world hasn’t got a Mallorn like we have, have they?’ said Merry. ‘Only us and Lord Keleborn.’

‘So I believe,’ said Sam. Secretly it was one of the greatest prides of his life. ‘Well, Keleborn lives among the Trees, and he is happy in his Elvish way, I don’t doubt. They can afford to wait, Elves can. His time is not come yet. The Lady came to his land and now she is gone; and he has the land still. When he tires of it he can leave it. So with Legolas, he came with his people and they live in the land across the River, Ithilien, if you can say that, and they’ve made it very lovely, according to Mr. Pippin. But he’ll go to Sea one day, I don’t doubt. But not while Gimli’s still alive.’

Is he very sad? 

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KEEP LIVING AFTER THIS???

HELP ME. I DID NOT NEED THIS PAIN. This family is killing me. Whenever Celeborn is ready, Celebrían and Galadriel will be waiting for him.
@celeborn-of-doriath, Are you very sad? 

OMG YOU GUYS @silverhairedelf @tolkien-in-beleriand can we please just talk about how tragic and sad ALL of the Celeborn parts are? Can we talk about this until I am drunk off all this glorious, magical, delicious angst??

I love that part from the epilogue. It’s so sad but wonderful. And the prologue is just as sad. 

“It is said that Celeborn went to dwell there after the departure of Galadriel; but there is no record of the day when at last he sought the Grey Havens, and with him went the last living memory of the Elder Days in Middle-earth.”

FOTR prologue, p. 15, Houghton Mifflin 1987 edition

So he goes but takes the last memory of the elves with him!?!? JUST MURDER MY HEART ALREADY. but are we done with Celeborn angst yet? Aw hell no y’all.

“Drink, Lord of the Galadhrim! And let not your heart be sad, though night must follow noon, and already our evening draweth nigh.” – Galadriel to Celeborn, FOTR, Farewell to Lórien, p. 365, Houghton Mifflin 1987 edition

HOW IS IT SO ROMANTIC AND PAINFUL AT THE SAME TIME?!?!

“Kinsman, farewell! May your doom be other than mine, and your treasure remain with you to the end!” – Celeborn to Aragorn, ROTK, Many Partings, p. 260, Houghton Mifflin 1987 edition

I’ve heard some people say they think in the above Celeborn is referencing Lórien, which doesn’t make sense for a lot of reasons, but this debate is easily solved by reading Tolkien’s letters, where he directly states Celeborn is speaking about Galadriel here as his ‘treasure’.

AND ARE YOU CRYING YET??? Celeborn has some super sad lines that I think get overlooked, or that people just don’t realize are there. So tragic. I love him. Help. Help me. It hurts.

Since my heart is breaking into thousands of pieces, I thought I would also contribute some sad lines that Celeborn says. Let me remind you of Celeborn’s prediction of the end of Middle Earth.

“‘Now is the time,’ [Celeborn] said, ‘when those who wish to continue the Quest must harden their hearts and leave this land. Those who no longer wish to go forward may remain here, for a while. But whether they stay or go, none can be sure of peace. For we are come now to the edge of doom. Here those who wish to await the oncoming of the hour till either the ways of the world lie open again, or we summon them to the last need of Lórien. Then they may return to their own lands, or else go to the long home of those that fall in battle.’”
-Celeborn to The Company
(The Fellowship of the Ring 358)

Excuse me, Celeborn? None can be sure of peace? We are come now to the edge of doom? Then they may return to their own lands, or else go to the long home of those that fall in battle? CAN YOU STAB ME JUST ONE MORE TIME? I don’t think you’ve hurt me enough yet.

I have yet another example of sad Celeborn (and Galadriel) lines.

“’It is sad that we should meet only thus at the ending. For the world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air. I do not think we shall meet again’ [said Treebeard].
And Celeborn said: ‘I do not know, Eldest.’ But Galadriel said: ‘Not in Middle-earth, nor until the lands that lie under the wave are lifted up again. Then in the willow-meads of Tasarinan we may meet in the Spring. Farewell!’”
-Treebeard, Celeborn, and Galadriel in conversation
(The Return of the King 959)

WHY?
I also would like to touch upon the example you brought up about Celeborn taking the last living memory of the Elves with him when he sails. Can you imagine what he must have felt? He probably held on so long in Middle Earth BECAUSE he knew that when he goes, ALL THE ELVES GO WITH HIM. How depressing is that? Celeborn carried the memory of his people. That is no light weight to carry. He probably had to come to terms with letting that memory slip away from Middle Earth before he could sail. He had to be content in some weird way that the memory of the Elves would be no more once he left. POOR CELEBORN. MY HEART IS ACHING, EVERYONE.

@celeborn-of-doriath and @tolkien-in-beleriand, this post has become one long post of very real Celeborn feelings, AND I LOVE IT. It’s heart-breaking, BUT I LOVE IT.

**Quoted material from the Complete Classic Harper Collins 1994 edition

I am going to murder both of you for making me remember

 “It is said that Celeborn went to dwell there after the departure of Galadriel; but there is no record of the day when at last he sought the Grey Havens, and with him went the last living memory of the Elder Days in Middle-earth.”

and

“’It is sad that we should meet only thus at the ending. For the world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air. I do not think we shall meet again’ [said Treebeard].

And Celeborn said: ‘I do not know, Eldest.’ But Galadriel said: ‘Not in Middle-earth, nor until the lands that lie under the wave are lifted up again. Then in the willow-meads of Tasarinan we may meet in the Spring. Farewell!’”
-Treebeard, Celeborn, and Galadriel in conversation

I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT THESE TWO BITS SPECIFICALLY!

Now I’ll just get back to my tears.