How old is Galadriel and who are her parents in ‘The Lord of the Rings?’

The Lord of the Rings is one of the most famous and lore-rich franchises ever created. The series has many events that are merely alluded to or mentioned rather than shown to the audience. This is one reason the franchise is still so popular today, as Middle Earth feels like a living, breathing place with untold possibilities. 

One of the series’ most famous characters is Galadriel. She is called “the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth” in The Silmarillion. And it isn’t hard to see why, as she plays a massive role in the setting’s history. She was also present at some world-defining moments. 

But how old is Galadriel, and who are her parents? 

Who Are Galadriel’s Parents? 

Galadriel was born in Valinor. These are the inhabited lands of the continent of Aman, which is home to the three kindreds of Elves. Galadriel’s father is Finarfin, most known as the third King of the Noldor, and her mother was the legendary elf Eärwen. 

This means that Galadriel is the youngest sibling of Finrod Felagund, who would become the ruler of Nargothrond, Angrod, who would later succeed Finrod as King of Nargothrond, and Aegnor.

How Old Is Galadriel?

Galadriel’s age is a hotly debated topic in the Lord of the Rings fandom. While J. R. R. Tolkien put a lot of dates in the books and supplemental material, time flows differently in Middle-earth. And this can quickly get confusing. 

Also, much of this information comes from The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth. These books consist of J. R. R. Tolkien’s unfinished manuscripts that were compiled, edited, and cleaned up by his son Christopher Tolkien after J. R. R. had died. So, this leads to some continuity issues and omissions as these stories were not finished, or the elder Tolkien deemed them not fit for publication. 

According to Morgoth’s Ring, the tenth volume of The History of Middle-earth series, Galadriel was born in the 1362nd year of the Years Of The Trees era. The Annals of Aman says each year within the Years Of The Trees lasts for 9.582 of our years. Galadriel lived through 138 years of the Years Of The Trees era. Which is around 1322 Earth years. 

After this came the First, Second, and Third ages, the Third age being the period where Lord of the Rings is set. Sauron died in T.A. 3019, or the 3019th year of the Third Age, with the Third Age itself ending in T.A. 3021. In total, the First, Second, and Third ages lasted for around 7,050 years. So if we add this to the 1322 years she lived during the Years Of The Trees, Galadriel’s age is around 8372 by the end of Lord Of The Rings.

However, this is a hotly debated topic within the Lord of the Rings fandom, with many people having their preferred age for Galadriel depending on what they consider canon material. 

So, if the upcoming Rings Of Power show is set during the Second Age, the version of Galadriel seen in it will be around a thousand years younger than the one seen during Lord of the Rings.