I just saw an interesting interpretation of Galadriel's gift to Gimli on Reddit today, I retraced the source of the image to this tumblr post:

The scene

If you’ve read the Silmarillion, you know who Fëanor was. If you don’t, Fëanor was the dickhead who created the Silmarils: three indescribably beautiful and magical jewels that contained the light and essence of the world before it became flawed. They were the catatlyst for basically every important thing that happened in the First Age of Middle Earth.

It is thought that the inspiration for the Silmarils came to Fëanor from the sight of Galadriel’s shining, silver-gold hair.

He begged her three times for single strand of her beautiful hair. And every time, Galadriel refused him. Even when she was young, Galadriel’s ability to see into other’s hearts was very strong, and she knew that Fëanor was filled with nothing but fire and greed.

Fast forward to the end of the Third Age.

Gimli, visiting Lorien, is also struck by Galadriel’s beauty. During the scene where she’s passing out her parting gifts to the Fellowship, Galadriel stops empty-handed in front of Gimli, because she doesn’t know what to offer a Dwarf. Gimli tells her: no gold, no treasure… just a single strand of hair to remember her beauty by.

She gives him three. Three.

And this is why Gimli gets to be an Elf Friend, people. Because Galadriel looks at him and thinks he deserves what she refused the greatest Elf who ever lived—and then twice* that. And because he has no idea of the significance of what she’s just given him, but he’s going to treasure it the rest of his life anyway.

Just look at that smile on Legolas’s face in the last panel. He gets it. He knows the backstory. And I’m pretty sure this is the moment he reconsiders whether Elves and Dwarves can’t be friends after all. [source]

I didn't finish The Silmarillion, so I wonder; Is that true? Did Tolkien confirm this interpretation?

*: "twice" is in the source being quoted here; "three times" of course would be the correct amount but "twice" is retained to preserve the quote.

  • 4
    @NominSim: Does the novel explicitly state Legolas's reaction?
    – bitmask
    Nov 26 '12 at 21:16
  • 7
    @bitmask It states that "The Elves stirred and murmured with astonishment...", but Legolas' reaction is not specifically mentioned. However upon just reading it over, Galadriel does specifically state, "For none have ever made to me a request so bold and yet so courteous." I'll have to look back at The Silmarillion and see whether the Feonor request actually happened (I don't remember it but am less familiar with The Silmarillion than with LOTR).
    – NominSim
    Nov 26 '12 at 21:23
  • 8
    @bitmask Doing a search of The Silmarillion with the following separate keywords; Galadriel, Fëanor, and hair all turn up nothing regarding any such request as stated in the quoted information from Reddit. Upon further research the interaction between Fëanor and Galadriel is in The Unfinished Tales, and not The Silmarillion. The Unfinished Tales can perhaps be stated as canon, but there are a lot of inconsistencies, so...it will be difficult to state categorically that that was what caused Legolas' "smiling" reaction.
    – NominSim
    Nov 26 '12 at 21:40
  • 64
    By the way, and native speakers miss out the nuance as well, he deserves what she refused the greatest Elf who ever lived—- and then twice that, implies that he got one lot of what Fëanor requested (1*x) and then twice that again (+2*x) for a total of three (1*x + 2*x= 3x). So the source isn't incorrect at all.
    – AncientSwordRage
    Jan 27 '14 at 8:15
  • 4
    Quick comment, Gimli didn't ask also. He was commanded to tell her his wish (well in the book) basically trapping her in courtesy
    – user001
    Sep 17 '15 at 8:25

This blog post from 2011 discusses Gimli and Feanor, and their requests of Galadriel, in a bit more detail. There's some comparisons to Aule's creation of the dwarves, as well as a reference to a letter that may perhaps contain an answer:


The post goes on to suggest that Galadriel gave him the hairs because, ironically, the dwarf didn't want the hairs as a physical thing for himself. Rather, he wanted them as symbols of new friendship between elf and dwarf.


Yes, this did happen. I don't remember if it's described in The Silmarillion or the Unfinished Tales, but three times Feanor asked for a strand of Galadriel's hair, and three times she refused because she could see the pride and darkness in him. I think in this quote: "For none have ever made to me a request so bold and yet so courteous", the key word is "courteous". It is the difference in the manner Gimli asks for the hair that I think is the reason Galadriel gave to him what she wouldn't give to the mightiest of all elves that ever existed.

Also, it's true that while it's pretty hard to capture on film, Galadriel's hair is basically the eighth wonder of the world.

  • The sfx people did attempt to add a soft glow and ambient illumination to her hair. Not all that noticeable, but it is there. Sep 8 '17 at 21:43
  • 3
    ' It is the difference in the manner Gimli asks for the hair that I think is the reason Galadriel gave to him' Not to mention the fact Galadriel insisted that Gimli is given a gift too: 'None, Lady,' answered Gimli. 'It is enough for me to have seen the Lady of the Galadhrim, and to have heard her gentle words.' 'Hear all ye Elves!' she cried to those about her. 'Let none say again that Dwarves are grasping and ungracious! Yet surely, Gimli son of Glóin, you desire something that I could give? Name it, I bid you! You shall not be the only guest without a gift.'
    – Pryftan
    Sep 19 '17 at 16:50

As has already been answered, there is significance. Feanor asked for a single strand three different times and Galadriel refused him for his apparent (to her) dark intentions or mood. Frustrated, Feanor is inspired to make the Silmarils that will also capture the light of the trees of Valinor (as Galadriel's hair was poetically said to do). The Silmarils, in turn, cause pretty much all of the conflict read about in the Silmarillion.

Fast forward a couple of ages to Gimli asking Galadriel for a single strand (as Feanor had done before). Before giving him three, Galadriel asks what he would do with it. "Treasure it, Lady,' he answered, 'in memory of your words to me at our first meeting. And if ever I return to the smithies of my home, it shall be set in imperishable crystal to be an heirloom to my house, and a pledge of good will between the Mountain and the Wood until the end of days." (Fellowship of the Ring, Farewell to Lorien).

Feanor wanted the hair, but when denied, made jewels that he coveted far too greatly. It caused tragedy upon tragedy in Middle-Earth lasting for thousands of years. Actually, the last vestiges of the evil ripples caused by Feanor's oath regarding the Silmarils is undone with the destruction of the One Ring.

Gimli also wishes to make it a jewel. However, in contrast, he will not covet it maliciously, but wishes it to be a symbol of good will between the peoples of Middle-Earth. Gimli, an otherwise unremarkable dwarf (from a historical standpoint) is surpassing the quality of the "greatest" of all elves. In a book filled with historical subtexts, this scene has one of the best and most important. It is showing that world history (along with many other things) has a chance at redemption.

  • 3
    Some newlines, please!
    – o0'.
    Jan 27 '14 at 10:10
  • 1
    I find it appropriate that a son of Aulë is making such an artifact of peace and friendship. Feanor learned craft as a foster-son, but it takes a true son to make a true gem of light. Apr 26 '15 at 23:33
  • I love Gimli's attitude! Apr 12 '20 at 19:46

I think that in the book, Gimli doesn't even request three hairs. He refuses to request anything from Galadriel, yet Galadriel bids him to merely name his desire. It is only this that he does and only at her bidding.

Contrast this with Fëanor, who twice disrespects or ignores her saying no.

Had Galadriel denied Gimli, there is no way that he would have asked a second or third time. So since Gimli never actually asked, perhaps he got one hair for every time that Fëanor had bothered her.

  • 3
    This is important. Gimli knows that his request is too much (even if he does not know just how much). Galadriel insists that he tell her and she laughs at his "Trap" and how can she refuse what she has commanded be told.
    – user001
    Dec 8 '15 at 15:47

A thread I found in research that was helpful, I also retooled the meme a bit. http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?16561-The-significance-of-Galadriel-s-gift-to-Gimli

text given below

This scene is a nod to the backstory of Middle Earth, and forges their friendship.

In the Silmarillion, Faenor [sic] captured the light of the Two Trees of Valinor to make the Silmarils… magical stones at the heart of Middle Earth lore that were “alive, imperishable, and sacred.” Legend has it his inspiration to craft these artifactss came from him being enamored by the hair of Galadriel.

The Shibboleth of Fëanor: For Faenor [sic] beheld the hair of Galdriel [sic] with wonder and delight. He begged three times for a tress, but Galadriel would not give him even one hair. These two kinfolk, the greatest of the Eldar of Valinor, were unfriends forever.

Gimli, when commanded by Galadriel to name his desire, asked for but “a single strand of your hair, which surpasses the gold of the earth as the stars surpass the gems of the mine. To which Galdriel [sic] replied, “none have ever made me a request so bold and yet so courteous.”

Legolas understands the significance, and approves.

Also this: http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Shibboleth_of_F%C3%ABanor

  • 1
    Link-only answers are discouraged. Is it possible to incorporate some of the information in those links into your answer? Apr 20 '15 at 1:53
  • 1
    I like this a lot better than the original Tumblr post.
    – user44330
    Apr 22 '15 at 22:19

Tolkien did not confirm this (plausible) interpretation

There is great information in the existing answers, but I believe the answer to the question is "No" Tolkien did not confirm this interpretation of why Galadriel gave Gimli three hairs.

The story of Fëanor asking three times for some of Galadriel's hair is in Unfinished Tales and The Peoples of Middle-earth.


Unfinished Tales Part Two, Chapter IV: The History of Galadriel and Celeborn
Page 230 (Houghton Mifflin 1980 hardback edition)

Also The History of Middle-earth Volume XII, Part Two, Chapter XI: The Shibboleth of Fëanor
Page 337 (Harper Collins 2015 paperback edition)

As Buzz points out in a comment, this was probably first written after The Lord of the Rings. The version I quoted was, according to Christopher Tolkien (in both Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth), written in 1968 or later.

Might Tolkien have dreamed up the story of Fëanor's request after writing The Lord of the Rings in order to give additional meaning to Galadriel's gift to Gimli? Perhaps; or perhaps the he had thought of the story earlier and it influenced what he wrote about Galadriel and Gimli in The Lord of the Rings.

In the end, I think we must accept the story of Fëanor asking three times for a tress of Galdriel's hair as canon, and that in-universe it happened before Gimli met Galadriel. In that case, Galadriel giving Gimli three strands of hair when asked for one was either a coincidence or not. I choose to believe it was not, but you can choose as you like (and I think Tolkien would be okay with that).

  • 1
    Of course, that part of the legendarium was written after the Lord of the Rings.
    – Buzz
    Sep 9 '17 at 20:12
  • @Buzz and also Blackwood. Even if it was written after The LR (which seems odd to me since Fëanor was dead long before The War of the Ring) it still happens long before. Mind you I've not read that far into HoME (mostly because things keep coming up so I only get so far and then I want to start over) so maybe it's said there that it was written after but either way it seems only a trivial issue.
    – Pryftan
    Sep 19 '17 at 16:59
  • @Pryftan. After writing The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien returned to work on the stories of the First Age. HoME says that the passage I quoted was written on the back of a publication note dated February 1968. While this may the be earliest existing version of this event, it's always possible that there was an earlier version that was lost.
    – Blackwood
    Sep 19 '17 at 17:10
  • @Blackwood Interesting, thank you :) For some reason I always assumed the Unfinished Tales came first but thinking about it now I never actually gave it conscious thought (I've read parts of UT but not fully); it does seem odd somehow but it's probably only odd in that for some reason I anticipated they would come first for whatever reason. Thanks for the information. I really should continue reading HoME but I have a lot going on and I have other books I read as well (often more than one book at the same time but right now none). And I suppose there could be an earlier version but who knows?
    – Pryftan
    Sep 20 '17 at 1:22
  • @Blackwood Or am I reading that wrong? I could have sworn someone said above it was in UT but maybe it's actually in HoME (or both)? Anyway, appreciate the comment.
    – Pryftan
    Sep 20 '17 at 1:23
