It seems to me, as I was just finishing off some old tales, that none of Tolkien's love triangles expect for the Aragorn-Arwen-Eowyn one ended in happiness. All the others were tragic, like the Turin-Nienor-Brandir, the Tuor-Idril-Maeglin, the Finwe-Indis-Miriel, the Turin-Finduilas-Gwindor etc.
Just thought that it would be interesting to point out, for obviously Tolkien favoured people of the Third Age more and made their days happier and less dark than the First Age.
Thread: Tolkien's Love Triangles
Planet Tolkien is archived and no longer updated, but the forums remain browseable. We have established a Telegram group for old and new visitors to stay connected and discuss all things Tolkien.
’owyn and Aragorn were not romantically involved, nor were Idril and Maeglin. These are not love triangles, but imaginary love and impossible love, respectively.
Leelee, you forgot the Daeron-Luthien-Beren, not to mention the spoiler in HP-7 
Most love triangles have one leg that is out of step: their love is one-way gaining only pain in return.
Most love triangles have one leg that is out of step: their love is one-way gaining only pain in return.
One can only speak of love triangles when one person is torn by romantic feelings for two different persons.
Daeron loved L’thien, but L’thien did not love Daeron. Here we simply have a case of jealous spite as L’thien's trust was betrayed by Daeron.
Daeron loved L’thien, but L’thien did not love Daeron. Here we simply have a case of jealous spite as L’thien's trust was betrayed by Daeron.
Most love stories do have a sort of triangle, there's always one that has a secret love or just plainly an infactuation, otherwise most love stories or movies would not have the same impact... Is that what you mean Clover?
I suppose it's how you view it, as there can be different sorts of triangles, different situations of how the story pans out...you have equilateral, scalene...blah blah.... maths lingo..... blah blah blah
I suppose it's how you view it, as there can be different sorts of triangles, different situations of how the story pans out...you have equilateral, scalene...blah blah.... maths lingo..... blah blah blah
Tuor-Idril-Maeglin ended happily, at any rate. The damsel in distress was saved by her noble champion and the evil knight utterly vanquished. Callooh! Callay!
No, it didn't. Gondolin fell as a result of Maeglin's jealousy of Tuor and his lust for Idril. And I do think that Loss has grasped the idea well. I mean, not all love triangles have to have a person torn in heart between the two others. As Grondy said, a simple out-of-step character would suffice as the third point of te triangle. But if you are used to using using your terminology and definitions, then suit yourself. But here, we shall talk of all such cases of triangles.
And Grondy, did you mistake me for Leelee?
And Grondy, did you mistake me for Leelee?
Quote:
And Grondy, did you mistake me for Leelee?
Obviously. If I can't remember which thread I'm supposed to be writing in, how can anyone expect me to remember whose post I'm replying to? I wish we had a forum where you could cursor up to the earlier posts while responding to one of them. I suppose I could open two tabs in each thread, like I have to do when its my Wheel of Tolkien, but that seems like such a lot of work. And Grondy, did you mistake me for Leelee?
Melkor-Varda-Manw’ was the primordial "love triangle", it seems.
Varda scorned Melkor, causing him to draw back into the Void in tears, where after some brooding he emerged full of dark thoughts and caused much mayhem in Arda.
To make matters even more humiliating, Varda deliberately lived together with Melkor's brother Manw’, making the fiend even more fiendish.
I believe Celebrimbor-Galadriel-Celeborn was a love triangle too, according to UT.
Varda scorned Melkor, causing him to draw back into the Void in tears, where after some brooding he emerged full of dark thoughts and caused much mayhem in Arda.
To make matters even more humiliating, Varda deliberately lived together with Melkor's brother Manw’, making the fiend even more fiendish.
I believe Celebrimbor-Galadriel-Celeborn was a love triangle too, according to UT.
I too agree with Loss, there is no set formula to a love triangle really and that is what makes it so hard to hem in in terms of emotion and reason.
Oh well that is a relief that Grondy mistook you for me Cloveress, I thought I was having a relapse from my head injury.
Oh well that is a relief that Grondy mistook you for me Cloveress, I thought I was having a relapse from my head injury.
Those so-called love/lust triangles are needlessly messy. If you can't choose, choose none or choose both. Or just flip a coin and that's that.
To coin Oscar Wilde's winged words : Une grande passion is the privilege of people who have nothing to do.
To coin Oscar Wilde's winged words : Une grande passion is the privilege of people who have nothing to do.
Ocsar Wilde said a remarkably wise thing. But still, these characters were rather luxurious people/Elves/Vala...
oh that reminds me: Galadriel/Celeborn/Gimli!
oh that reminds me: Galadriel/Celeborn/Gimli!
Too true, Gimli would constitute as a part of a small love triangle... Maybe Galadriel left Celeborn to go to Valinor on purpose because she knew that Gimli would go there also with Legolas (by using her fancy mirror of course) and secretly meet him... we all know she's got a school-girl crush on him 
I find suggestions that Gimli & Galadriel were romantically involved as sickening and puerile as innuendos about Samwise & Frodo.
No, Galadriel might've had a glint of a love triangle with Celebrimbor, instead; for in UT tis mentioned in one version that Galadriel had lived for a long time in Ost-in-Edhil alone (where Celebrimbor lead the Gwaith-i-M’rdain), without her daughter and husband.
Tis mentioned elsewhere in UT, I believe, that Celebrimbor made the Elessar for Galadriel because he greatly admired her and that she initially used this jewel to prevent her forest realm to wither. Or rather, this gem was merely a tool for consoling her as looking through it showed the initial beauty of something before the withering.
No, Galadriel might've had a glint of a love triangle with Celebrimbor, instead; for in UT tis mentioned in one version that Galadriel had lived for a long time in Ost-in-Edhil alone (where Celebrimbor lead the Gwaith-i-M’rdain), without her daughter and husband.
Tis mentioned elsewhere in UT, I believe, that Celebrimbor made the Elessar for Galadriel because he greatly admired her and that she initially used this jewel to prevent her forest realm to wither. Or rather, this gem was merely a tool for consoling her as looking through it showed the initial beauty of something before the withering.
Quote:
this gem was merely a tool for consoling her as looking through it showed the initial beauty of something before the withering.
this gem was merely a tool for consoling her as looking through it showed the initial beauty of something before the withering.
A green lens from a rosy pair of glasses, eh what?
Surely no one suggests that Gimli and Lady Galadriel were in fact romantically involved. He was smitten by her but she was merely courteous and polite to him as befitting her role.
Quote:
Surely no one suggests that Gimli and Lady Galadriel were in fact romantically involved.
Surely no one suggests that Gimli and Lady Galadriel were in fact romantically involved.
You'd be surprised how many fan fics there're about this non-topic.
Quote:
Surely no one suggests that Gimli and Lady Galadriel were in fact romantically involved.
No, but when times are slow we can say, "Only in Gimli's dreams." Besides which, she has never appreciate being that close to male facial hair: like beards and moustaches. Surely no one suggests that Gimli and Lady Galadriel were in fact romantically involved.
I am quite surprised there was no law stating that any facial hair was to be removed before entry to Lothlorien and standing before the Lady. It seems so gauche and u nbefitting somehow in that particular atmosphere.Just the way a green sort of wrinkled leaf might be amongst the glorious golden ones.
Quote:
I am quite surprised there was no law stating that any facial hair was to be removed before entry to Lothlorien and standing before the Lady. It seems so gauche and u nbefitting somehow in that particular atmosphere.Just the way a green sort of wrinkled leaf might be amongst the glorious golden ones.
I am quite surprised there was no law stating that any facial hair was to be removed before entry to Lothlorien and standing before the Lady. It seems so gauche and u nbefitting somehow in that particular atmosphere.Just the way a green sort of wrinkled leaf might be amongst the glorious golden ones.
Maybe that's the real reason why Gandalf went AWOL in Khazad-d’m. He did not want to offend the Dark Queen. Or rather, he did not wish to be stripped of his beard.
Also, now it is clear what Faramir meant when he was mumbling that 'nobody who enters Lothlorien comes out unchanged'.
Nobody trusts an Elf!
