The Great Mother of Middle Earth

An Archetypal Study of Galadriel in Fiction and Film

Carl Jung is widely considered one of the greatest psychologists and thinkers in history. He introduced the world to Jungian psychology, which strives to study, explain, and predict the unconscious forces that are innate in every individual. “He contributed many ideas which continue to inform contemporary life: complex, archetype, persona, shadow, anima and animus, personality typology, dream interpretation, individuation, and many other ideas” (Hollis, 2006, para. 1). Jung’s studies of creativity, spirituality, symbolic expression, psychodynamics, and collective patterns which develop within culture has greatly influenced modern thought and academic research into the mind of man.

Carl Jung was born in Switzerland in 1875 to a mother who had frequent battles with depression and was often absent from the household. Jung graduated with a medical degree and began working with psychiatric patients, which led to his acquaintance and eventual deep friendship with famed psychologist Sigmund Freud. Freud deeply impacted Jung and how he thought about the conscious and unconscious mind. Yet while Freud focused on sex and sexuality as the source of behavior motivation, Jung began to look towards the symbols of the human mind. This eventually led to the development of Jung’s own branch of psychology, called Analytical Psychology, which studied the three parts of the psyche: the ego, the id, and the superego. (Cherry, 2011, para. 1-7).

Perhaps the most important contribution of Analytical Psychology is the study of the collective unconscious. “Archetypes constitute the structure of the collective unconscious – they are psychic innate dispositions to experience and represent basic human behavior and situations” (carl-jung.net, 2010, para. 2). Birth, death, power, failure, relationships, religious and mystique experiences, and even the notion of “self” are all governed by archetypes, which manifest themselves through archetypal images and thusly create the collective unconscious. Therefore, the collective unconscious “is a universal datum, that is, every human being is endowed with this psychic archetype-layer since his/her birth. We may also describe it as a universal library of human patterns of behavior” (carl-jung.net, 2010, para. 4, 5). This basically means that every human being is born with specific innate functions of thought which subsequently influence behavior. These tendencies are certainly influenced by personal biography or experience, yet the source is rooted in an unconscious psyche that each and every individual possesses.

There are several major archetypes, but perhaps one of the most interesting and most impactful is the archetype of the “Great Mother.” Eric Neumann, the author of The Great Mother: An Analysis of the Archetype, has “recorded a vast number of mythological, religious, folkloristic, and art symbols of cultures and countries all over the world… [making] extensive use of similarities, parallels and the developmental method in the organization of his material. The result is a monumental compilation of symbols of The Great Feminine Archetype in all her manifestations” (Schnier, 1956, p. 78). Neumann describes how the Archetypal Feminine finds its deepest origin in the initial stages of cognitive development, in which almost every aspect of the mind is small and not fully developed. Therefore, according to Neumann, this archetype is the “undifferentiated primordial archetype out of which crystalize The Great Mother and The Great Father” (Schnier, 1956, p. 78). The image of The Great Mother encompasses two equal components which together create that which is The Great Mother. The two components are the Good Mother and the Terrible Mother (Schnier, 1956).

“The mother, as C.G. Jung noted more than half a century ago, is the single most significant archetype, or energy-laden image we hold in our psyche,” yet it “is an image that has long been blurred and even altogether buried by patriarchal conceptions of the ultimate Reality as Father and Creator” (adishakti.org, 2011, para. 1, 7). In other words, the archetype of the Great Mother is an archetype with which individuals have a strong desire to understand and relate to. However, the idea of the Great Mother as the source of life has been distorted by the patriarchal hegemony of society which views masculinity as the force in dominant control. This means that the archetype of the Great Mother is difficult to comprehend, but all the more important to study.

So what is the nature of this archetype? Most commonly, “The Great Mother manifests itself in myth as a host of archaic images, as divine, ethereal, and virginal” (Frye, 1951, p. 101). There is a common motif of nature when describing the Great Mother, which makes sense, as the Great Mother is a symbol of the creation of life. When specifically analyzing the two images which encompass the femininely mysterious and powerful Great Mother, it can be seen that the Good Mother is presented as a holy and divine heavenly being (Frye, 1951) who offers freedom and empowerment. Examples of the Good Mother include Sophia and the Virgin Mary (Schnier, 1956). On the other hand, the Terrible Mother appears as representations of less benevolent ideas, such as deprivation, disempowerment, and revenge, and can be seen in witches in myth and folktale (Frye, 1951) and in characters like the infamous Medusa (Schnier, 1956). Examples of the Great Mother, who simultaneously displays characteristics of both the Good Mother and the Terrible Mother are that of the Biblical character, Eve (adishakti.org), and the character Galadriel, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Director Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Ring trilogy, based on the J.R.R. Tolkien books of the same name, is one of the most widely acclaimed film franchises in movie history. The films detail the journey of a fellowship of nine individuals, consisting of a dwarf, an elf, a wizard, men, and hobbits, who are entrusted with the sacred task of destroying the malevolent Ring of Power (or the One Ring) in the fires of Mount Doom, in order to prevent to prevent the spread of evil in their homeland of Middle Earth.

“The masterpiece offers a twentieth-century understanding of the nature of good and evil, the value of community, the natural order of the universe, and the singularity of the individual… In his fantasy of the empowerment of the individual, Tolkien has most captivated a modern world audience… The attraction of generation and generation of readers to LotR reflects Tolkien’s genius in providing a voice for the dispossessed in the modern world” (Chance, 2001, p. 1).

Tolkien and, by extension, Jackson make extensive use of archetypes in these works. One of the most interesting characters that the heroes of the story are introduced to is the Elven Queen, Galadriel.

Galadriel was born to royalty in the elves’ ancestral home of Valinor. Yet, through a series of circumstances, was banned from Valinor to the lands of Middle-Earth, where she eventually came to rule over the woods of Lothlorian (tolkiengateway.net). When encountered by the Fellowship, she shows Frodo a vision of the future should he fail in his journey and is then offered the One Ring by Frodo, but she refuses. As the company leaves Lothlorian she gives them parting gifts (The Fellowship of the Ring film) and after the quest is complete leaves with Bilbo and Frodo to return to Valinor (The Return of the King film).

Galadriel represents aspects of both the Good Mother and the Terrible Mother, which leads to the conclusion that her character was created as an archetype of the Great Mother. Galadriel is often renowned for her beauty and her feminine qualities, specifically her golden hair, which Gimili asks of for his parting gift. As an elf, she is clothed in light and seems to emit a soft glow of light from her very body (The Fellowship of the Ring film), which gives her a heavenly and divine appearance. In fact, her very name was derived from an original Elvish phrase “shine by reflection,” or more literally, “radiance glittering reflection” (Fisher, 2008, p. 108). This reinforces the idea that as a Good Mother she stands as a reflection of the light, or the good in the world. Additionally, the setting of the home she wishes to defend in the woods of Lothlorian points to the ruler of the land, Galadriel, as being one who creates and protects life, which draws clear parallels with the characteristics of the Great Mother as a symbol of nature, life, and creation. And Galadriel also exemplifies the less-physical characteristics of the Good Mother. Her goodness and her nature as a motherly care-giver is shown to the Fellowship as she bestows upon each of them parting gifts which she hopes will empower them to complete their journey, or in the case of Gimili, remember her (The Fellowship of the Ring film).

Galadriel also has characteristics of the Terrible Mother. Tolkien himself recognized a duality in the character of Galadriel. In one of his letters, Tolkien says, “I think it is true that I owe much of this character to Christian and Catholic teaching and imagination about Mary, but actually Galadriel was a penitent: in her youth a leader in the rebellion… pardoned because of her resistance to the final and overwhelming temptation to take the Ring for herself” (Lakowski, 2007, p. 91). Taking the Ring is an especially tempting prospect for Galadiel. She knows that if Frodo fails, Lothlorien will be revealed to the forces of evil. But if Frodo fails, she knows that the reign of the elves will continue to diminish as the kingdoms of men continue to rise. Frodo offering her the Ring gives her a third choice of defeating Sauron herelf. This is the same decision between accepting or rejecting the opportunity to gain absolute power than has already been faced by both Sauruman and Gandalf. Sauruman aligned himself with evil in order to gain power, while Gandalf was able to resist the temptation. (Greenwood, 2005, p. 184).

Galadriel seems at first to accept the Ring, saying that she has long desired the Ring of Power and “now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of a Dark Lord you will set up a Queen… All shall love me and despair!” (The Fellowship of the Ring film). Here we see in Galadriel a desire to give in to her temptations and accept the gift of ultimate power. This reflects the nature of the Terrible Mother to disempower others and be in tyrannical control. Even Galadriel’s appearance during this encounter changes as her skin turns dark, her eyes turn black, her voice deepens and echoes through the trees, and even the light she emanates seems to darken. She begins to levitate off the ground and her hair swirls around her head (The Fellowship of the Ring film), reminiscent of that other Terrible Mother, Medusa.

Yet as she contemplates the implications of her acceptance of the ring, of how, in echo of Gandalf’s response, that in an attempt to do good she would do evil, Galadriel ultimately turns down Frodo’s offer. “I pass the test,” she says, “I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel” (The Fellowship of the Ring film). Greenwood describes Galadriel’s sacrifice on the part of the Elves. “Goodness, which is motivated by love, is the ability to step outside oneself, to have a vision of what will benefit the world to come, and to seek after it without any thought of the self. The Elves… reject the temptation to change the course of events in order to elevate themselves… and allow themselves to diminish without any future in the age to come” (Greenwood, 2005, p. 184). In other words, despite showing clear indications of having aspects of the Terrible Mother, Galadriel is able to reject that aspect of her character and allow herself to be motivated by love, a characteristic of the Good Mother, in order to empower others.

Her desire for her own power and renown to diminish echoes similar themes of the morality of sacrificial humility found in the Bible. John the Baptist says in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (English Standard Version Bible, John 3:30). Here John the Baptist recognizes that in order for greater fame to be given to Jesus Christ, he would have to sacrifice his own fame. This is something John is happy to do as it accomplishes what he would consider to be the greater good. “Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete” (English Standard Version Bible, John 3:29) John says of his humble actions which would empower the movement of Jesus. In parallel, Galadriel’s actions are both humble and empowering, qualities of the Good Mother. More importantly, Galadriel parallels the character of Eve, found in the book of Genesis, who is herself a Great Mother, a combination of the Good Mother and the Terrible Mother. As a Terrible Mother, Eve desires ultimate power, which leads her to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yet as a Good Mother, Eve provides life for the rest of humanity, even while experiencing pain in childbirth, a sacrifice she makes for the greater good. Obviously, a clear difference between Galadriel and Eve is that the elf was able of resist the urgings of her Terrible Mother character, while the human was not. Galadriel “is capable of being the fatal woman or terrible mother archetype but for the ultimate true Christian quality that Tolkien invests her with” (Ramaswamy & Sundarsingh, 2010, para. 18).

The character of Galadriel, as a Great Mother, is of great importance to society. She exists as a symbol of maternity and life, one that reaches humanity at its deepest, unconscious core. Galadriel represents motherhood, and the duality that can be found in such a role. As the Good Mother, Galadriel is a representative of all that humans find pleasing in the role. She creates life, provides for those in need, and empowers them to succeed. As the Terrible Mother, Galadriel represents the authoritative power of the position of parenthood and the potential for such power to corrupt. It is important to study such archetypes, as they are representations of societal positions and therefore indicators of what such figures look like, how they act, and how they are perceived. Looking at archetypes that represent roles of the past offers unique insights and possibly even predictions as to how the same or similar roles will manifest themselves in the present day.

Galadriel is a Good Mother who empowers those around her and symbolizes life, light, goodness, and empowerment. Yet she is also a Terrible Mother who is rebellious and has a desire for ultimate power over others. Fulfillment of both of these roles points to Galadriel as an archetype of the Great Mother, who consists of both the Good and the Terrible. The audience sees that her “magic contains menace,” she can “exert goddess-like influence,” and her “authority is submerged, insinuated and salvationary” (Carter, 2007, p. 71).She is a major influencer over the lives of others and uses her power to impact the lives of heroes. Among the archetypes, Galadriel as the Great Mother stands as one of the most clear and important examples of Carl Jung’s theories that exists.

Works Cited 

Carter, Susan. (Spring-Summer 2007). “Galadriel and Morgan le Fey: Tokien’s Redemption of the Lady of the Lacuna.” Mythlore, 25(3-4).

Chance, Jane. (2001). The Lord of the Rings: The Mythology of Power. The University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY.

Cherry, Kendra. (2011). “Carl Jung Biography (1875-1961).” About.com Psychology. Retrieved from <http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/jungprofile.htm>.

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Editor’s Choice. (2011). “The Mother.” Adishakti.org. Retrieved from <http://www.adishakti.org/_/mother_1.htm>.

English Standard Version Bible. Ed. Crossway Bibles. Goodnews Publishers, 2001. Print.

The Fellowship of the Ring film.

Fisher, Jason. (2008). “Three Rings for – Whom Exactly? And Why? Justifying the Disposition of the Three Elven Rings.” Tolkien Studies, 5, 99-108. Retrieved from ProjectMUSE.

Frye, Northrop. (Winter 1951). “The Archetypes of Literature.” The Kenyon Review, 13(1), 92-110. Retrieved from JSTOR.

“Galadriel.” Galadriel.org. (2011). Retrieved from <http://www.galadriel.org/galadriele.html>.

“Galadriel.” TolkienGateway.net. (29 March 2011). Retrieved from <http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Galadriel>.

Greenwood, Linda. (2005). “Love: ‘The Gift of Death.’” Tolkien Studies, 2, 171-195. Retrieved from ProjectMUSE.

Hollis, James. (04 January 2006) “A Brief Note on Carl Jung.” The Jung Page. Retrieved from <http://www.cgjungpage.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=743&Itemid=54>.

Lakowski, Romuald Ian. (Spring-Summer 2007). “The Fall and Repentance of Galadriel.” Mythlore, 25(3- 4).

Ramaswamy, S., & Sundarsingh, J. J. (2010). The Lord of The Rings: Galadriel, the Light of Middle Earth.Language in India, 10(1), 234-240. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

The Return of the King film.

Schnier, Jacques. (Autumn 1956). “Book Review.” College Art Journal, 16(1), 78-80. Retrieved from JSTOR.