White Council

For other uses, see White Council (disambiguation).

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In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the White Council is a group of Eldar Lords and Wizards of Middle-earth, formed to contest the growing power of Dol Guldur, at the request of Galadriel. In the narrative, it is officially the Second White Council, a successor of that of the Second Age.

First White Council

Little is known about the First White Council, the members of which were mostly the same as the Second, but led by Gil-galad and not including the Istari. It was formed after Sauron's defeat in Eriador in S.A. 1701. Its main decision was that Eregion was to be abandoned in favour of Imladris.

Second White Council

The Second White Council's membership included the Wizards Saruman the White, and Gandalf the Grey, and the chiefs and rulers of the Eldar including Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien, Master Elrond of Rivendell and Círdan the Shipwright of the Grey Havens. Arahad I, the seventh Chieftain of the Dúnedain, was also a member during his lifetime. Saruman was the head of the White Council, against the wishes of Galadriel, who later described this as the beginning of the long defeat. Other possible members are said to be among the mightiest of Elves, the Elf-lord Glorfindel; Elrond's chief counsellor Erestor; and Celeborn, Galadriel's husband, whom Galadriel herself called "Wise". The two Blue Wizards were not part of the Council. Tolkien does not give a list of all the members of the council, 'other lords of the Eldar' is as close as The Silmarillion gives to a list. Unbeknownst to the other members of the Council, Círdan (later Gandalf), Galadriel, and Elrond were also the bearers of the Three Rings of the Elves.

The Second White Council first met in T.A. 2463 to counter the growing threat from Dol Guldur. Gandalf travelled through Southern Mirkwood in T.A. 2850, and had learned of the identity of the Necromancer, who ruled over Dol Guldur. In T.A. 2851 the White Council met to decide whether to act on Gandalf's discovery, but Saruman dissuaded the others.

When he realized that the One Ring was possibly still in the area of the Gladden Fields and that Sauron was actively seeking it, Saruman relented and in T.A. 2941 Sauron was driven out of Dol Guldur, only to re-appear in Mordor, long prepared for him. This White Council meeting, of late summer T.A. 2941, was also the reason that Gandalf was unable to accompany Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves on a portion of their trip to the Lonely Mountain, in The Hobbit.

The Council last met in T.A. 2953 to discuss Sauron's attempts to find the One Ring. At this meeting Saruman insisted that the One Ring had fallen into the Anduin, and had been swept out to sea. During this meeting there was much tension between Saruman and Gandalf, for Gandalf already suspected Saruman of desiring to possess the One Ring.

Video game

Main article: The Lord of the Rings: The White Council

In July 2006, Electronic Arts announced development of an open world role-playing game called The Lord of the Rings: The White Council, due for release in late 2007, in which players would serve the Council. The game is said to include elements of Peter Jackson's film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and other Tolkien books, since Electronic Arts held licenses to both at the time. The game was set to be released for Sony's PlayStation 3, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and for personal computers, but the game has been delayed and ultimately may be cancelled.

Movie version of The Hobbit

In a May 2008 joint online interview, producer Peter Jackson and director at the time Guillermo del Toro said that the White Council will be appearing in their two-movie adaptation of The Hobbit, now officially set for release in 2012-13.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Blue Wizards
• Maia (Middle-earth)
• Wizard (Middle-earth)

References

• Tolkien, J.R.R., The Lord of the Rings, 'The Council of Elrond'
• Tolkien, J.R.R., Unfinished Tales, 'Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn'

External links

• Encyclopedia of Arda - White Council