[+] The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - SPOILERS ALLOWED

[Sepulchrave II]

It helps if you know the full meaning, rather than just read the first thing that pops up on an online dictionary. A herald, as used by Tolkien, is the representative of a ruler. It's almost the same as an ambassador, apart from a herald represents an individual, rather than a nation.

And an ambassador is a professional politician.

Another example, as used by Tolkien, is the Mouth of Sauron, who is Sauron's Herald.

All the stuff about heraldry evolved later, in the medieval period. But Tolkien was a Saxon scholar, not a medievalist.

Heralds absolutely prefigured ambassadors; historically, they were generally given a good deal of room to negotiate - especially considering the speed of communication.

Also, in the kind of feudal (or quasi-feudal) system to which Tolkien alludes, the political class (or ruling class) are the warrior class.

Interestingly, Eonwe, the herald of Manwe, did not have the authority to pardon Sauron at the end of the First Age - but by his own judgment. Sauron, presumably, thought he might - or he wouldn't have appealed to him.

 

[Hriston]

It helps if you know the full meaning, rather than just read the first thing that pops up on an online dictionary. A herald, as used by Tolkien, is the representative of a ruler. It's almost the same as an ambassador, apart from a herald represents an individual, rather than a nation.

And an ambassador is a professional politician.

Another example, as used by Tolkien, is the Mouth of Sauron, who is Sauron's Herald.

All the stuff about heraldry evolved later, in the medieval period. But Tolkien was a Saxon scholar, not a medievalist.

It helps if you read what I posted. Although there is an overlap in meaning, herald does not have the same meaning as politician. A herald does not necessarily act "in a manipulative and devious way," which is how I was using the word in context.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It helps if you read what I posted. Although there is an overlap in meaning, herald does not have the same meaning as politician. A herald does not necessarily act "in a manipulative and devious way," which is how I was using the word in context.

Shock news: not all politicians - especially ones who are appointed rather than elected - are dishonest.

 

[Hriston]

Shock news: not all politicians - especially ones who are appointed rather than elected - are dishonest.

Again, words can have nuanced meanings.

This TV show depicts the fictional character of Elrond, Herald of the High King, as a less than honest, behind the scenes puller of strings. In his conversation with Galadriel, although he professes to be her friend and tells her he's going to speak plainly, he doesn't tell her that, at the ceremony, the High King is going to declare an end to war and grant her passage to the West, which he obviously knew ahead of time because he wrote the speech. And although he looks surprised at her reaction, it came off, at least to me, as a set-up to maneuver her into an awkward position where she could no longer pursue her goals. This was not to my liking. (ETA: Perhaps more importantly, this type of behavior is not implicit in the description herald.)

 

[Ryujin]

Again, words can have nuanced meanings.

This TV show depicts the fictional character of Elrond, Herald of the High King, as a less than honest, behind the scenes puller of strings. In his conversation with Galadriel, although he professes to be her friend and tells her he's going to speak plainly, he doesn't tell her that, at the ceremony, the High King is going to declare an end to war and grant her passage to the West, which he obviously knew ahead of time because he wrote the speech. And although he looks surprised at her reaction, it came off, at least to me, as a set-up to maneuver her into an awkward position where she could no longer pursue her goals. This was not to my liking.

Though it might be the sort of thing that a friend would do, if they thought that their friend was self-destructing.

 

[Aeson]

Though it might be the sort of thing that a freind would do, if they thought that their friend was self-destructing.

He thought he was protecting her from herself. I can see it.

 

[Mort]

It's interesting how the show portrays Galadriel and Elrond as contemporaries.

In the books Galadriel is significantly older than Elrond (She's actually older than Gil Galad) and is, in fact, his mother in law.

Also no mention of Galadriel's husband (or her even having one). I wonder if the show will ignore that entirely or it'll be something that develops on the show.

 

[Hriston]

Though it might be the sort of thing that a friend would do, if they thought that their friend was self-destructing.

He thought he was protecting her from herself. I can see it.

He might have the best of intentions, but using a public ceremony to pressure someone into making a decision with which you know they disagree is highly manipulative. That being said, I think the whole vowing revenge on Sauron thing is extremely stupid.

 

[Ryujin]

He might have the best of intentions, but using a public ceremony to pressure someone into making a decision with which you know they disagree is highly manipulative. That being said, I think the whole vowing revenge on Sauron thing is extremely stupid.

Think of it like an intervention, which is also a manipulative exercise.

 

[billd91]

It's interesting how the show portrays Galadriel and Elrond as contemporaries.

In the books Galadriel is significantly older than Elrond (She's actually older than Gil Galad) and is, in fact, his mother in law.

Also no mention of Galadriel's husband (or her even having one). I wonder if the show will ignore that entirely or it'll be something that develops on the show.

I think that with an elven lifespan, they might as well be contemporaries. What's a thousand years here and there when you've all got more than one millennia under your belt?
And I believe Galadriel becomes Elrond's mother in law early in the Third Age, quite a chunk of time after this transpires.

But there are still things I'm wondering about. Galadriel is already married to Celeborn as of the end of the First Age and there's been no mention of him at all so far. There are elements of the stories that suggest they spend long times apart doing their own thing - but one of them jumping ship heading to the Undying Lands is kind of a weird take on the saga.