The Rings of Power: Is Galadriel really older than the Orcs?

• Estimates of age in Tolkien’s universe are inherently always complicated
• Were there really no orcs in Galadriel’s childhood?
• When were the minions of the Dark Lord created?

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Orcs have always been considered the enemies of all free peoples, and the most ferocious and numerous of the servants of Morgoth and Sauron. In episode 7 of “The Rings of Power”, Galadriel mentions to Theo that there were no orcs when she was a child. So when and where do they appear in the Middle-earth timeline?

The stunted second born

According to the official background story, the orcs are one of the oldest races in Middle-earth, alongside the elves. In the Tolkien universe, the first awakened Elves were abducted and deformed by Morgoth before the Vala Orome found them. There are many theories about the origin, nature and origin of the orcs. Even Tolkien himself speculated on this in his letters and later works.

But that the first orcs were captured and corrupted elves is canon. Since there were huge wars with Melkor shortly after the creation of the world, in which the orcs fought, their origin and occurrence can be dated well.

Older than the sun

The orcs already existed in the ancient times of the First Age, and are therefore even older than humans. From the Avari Elves remaining in Middle-earth who did not go to Valinor with the Valar, Melkor created more Orcs and experimented with them and other creatures of Middle-earth.

When the Valar fought Melkor for the second time in the War of Powers, the orcs were already among his hosts. After the conquest of Melkor’s fortress of Utumno, peace returned to Middle-earth for a long time, but evil still slumbered in the dungeons of Angaband. This all happened centuries before Galadriel was born in Valinor.

When Galadriel first saw the light of the Two Trees in 1362 of the First Age in the Years of the Trees (E.Z. (J.B.)), there was a long peace. This time is also referred to as the time of bliss. Without Melkor’s guidance, the orcs lived in the darkness of Middle-earth. Because at that time there was no sun or moon to light up the sky. So they waited until their master’s return to show themselves again and make war.

Galadriel’s childhood without orcs

That it might seem to Galadriel that there were no orcs in her childhood is understandable, but not entirely true either. The Orcs existed in the Years of the Two Trees in the First Age, but of course they did not live in sanctified Valinor where Galadriel resided. After Melkor’s defeat, they hid deep within the earth and its ancient fortress, Angaband.

Galadriel came to Middle-earth only after the destruction of the Two Trees, in the years that followed the Sun. Along with other Noldor Elves, she waged war against Melkor and his hosts in Beleriand. It was only in her youth that Galadriel first came into contact with the orcs. These were among the fiercest enemies of the Elves in Middle-earth at the end of the First Age.

Even if one can assume that the childhood of the elves lasts extremely long, it does not change the fact that the orc race itself is older than Galadriel. While there was a time when they were virtually no threat to Arda, Valinor and the Elves, they never ceased to exist.

Galadriel’s childhood was a time without worries, fears and wars, when it must have seemed to her that orcs really didn’t exist. After Melkor’s return and the robbery of the Silmaril, however, that changed abruptly. In her youth she belonged to the first group of elves who opposed the Dark Ruler and his orc legions in Middle-earth and only then made “acquaintance” with this “primal enemy” for the first time.

Her impression and her knowledge seem to deceive Galadriel in “The Rings of Power”, which can be an expression of her youth, but also of her zeal. Their hatred of the orcs runs deep. After all, they too were responsible for the death of their brother and the end of their “blissful days” on Valinor.

The next final episode of “The Rings of Power” will be released on October 14, 2022 in the Amazon Prime Video news program.