The Departure from Lothlórien

The Departure from Lothlórien is the ceremonial farewell between the Fellowship of the Ring and the Elven realm of Galadriel and Celeborn, marked by the distribution of symbolic gifts, a haunting lament sung by Galadriel, and the Company's final passage down the Silverlode into the Great River, after which Frodo never returns to that land.

The Summons and the Feast of Parting

Celeborn summoned the Company to his chamber and declared that those who wished to continue the Quest must harden their hearts to leave. He offered any who no longer wished to go forward the choice to remain, but all resolved to proceed. Galadriel, looking into their eyes, confirmed their decision. Celeborn then announced that he would furnish the Company with small, light boats, for the Great River could not be crossed with baggage between Lórien and Gondor save by water, and the bridges of Osgiliath were broken. The boats would carry them down the Anduin as far as the rapids of Sarn Gebir and the great falls of Rauros, where they would have to portage or turn west or east. The gift comforted Aragorn, who had been troubled by the unresolved choice of direction. Sam, however, remained doubtful, still regarding boats as worse than wild horses.

The Gifts of the Lord and Lady

On the morning of departure, Elves brought the Company lembas, the waybread of the Galadhrim, which could keep a traveller on his feet for a day of long labour. They also gave each member a hood and cloak of light, warm silken stuff that took the colour of twilight, shadowed leaves, or dusk-silver water, fastened with a brooch like a veined green leaf. These were garments of Elvish robe, woven by Galadriel herself and her maidens, never before given to strangers. At the hythe on the bank of the Silverlode, three small grey boats were made ready, and the Elves added coils of grey rope, strong and light, made of hithlain.

Before the Company embarked, Galadriel rose from the grass and, taking a cup from one of her maidens, filled it with white mead and gave it to Celeborn to drink the cup of farewell. She then brought the cup to each of the Company, bidding them drink and farewell. After they had drunk, she commanded them to sit again on the grass, and she and Celeborn took chairs. Then she called to each in turn and bestowed gifts. To Aragorn she gave a sheath for Andúril, overlaid with silver and gold tracery and set with elven-runes, and the green stone Elessar, set in a silver brooch wrought like an eagle with outspread wings, which had been left in her care for him. To Boromir she gave a belt of gold. To Merry and Pippin she gave small silver belts with golden flower clasps. To Legolas she gave a bow of the Galadhrim, longer and stouter than the bows of Mirkwood, strung with elf-hair, with a quiver of arrows. To Sam she gave a little box of plain grey wood, unadorned save for a single silver rune on the lid, containing earth from her orchard with such blessing as she had still to bestow, so that if he ever saw his home again and found all barren and laid waste, there would be few gardens in Middle-earth that would bloom like his. To Gimli, when he asked for a single strand of her hair, she unbraided one of her long tresses and cut off three golden hairs, laying them in his hand. To Frodo she gave a small crystal phial in which was caught the light of Eärendil's star, set amid the waters of her fountain, to shine brighter when night was about him.

The Lament and the Final Passage

When all was ready, the Company took their places in the boats. The Elves of Lórien thrust them out into the flowing stream with long grey poles. As they passed the point of the Tongue, Galadriel stood alone and silent on the green bank. The Silverlode passed out into the currents of the Great River, and the boats turned southward. Soon the white form of the Lady was small and distant, shining like a window of glass upon a far hill in the westering sun. Then it seemed to Frodo that she lifted her arms in a final farewell, and far but piercing-clear on the following wind came the sound of her voice singing in the ancient tongue of the Elves beyond the Sea. The song spoke of leaves falling in the wind, of long years numberless as the wings of trees, of the Kindler Varda who had uplifted her hands like clouds, and of Valimar now lost to those from the East. The River swept round a bend, the banks rose on either side, and the light of Lórien was hidden. To that fair land Frodo never came again. Gimli wept openly, saying he had looked the last upon that which was fairest, and that he had taken his worst wound in this parting. Legolas replied that memory is not what the heart desires, but that Gimli's loss he suffered of his own free will, and the memory of Lothlórien would remain ever clear and unstained in his heart.