Elbereth

Elbereth is the Sindarin name for Varda, a Valar in J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium. She is known as the Queen of the Stars and is paired with Manwë as one of the chief Valar in the blessed realm of Aman. In the Elvish tradition, she is revered as the creator and guardian of the heavens’ lights; she raised the stars and gave light to the night.

Elbereth Gilthoniel is a common epithet and title used in Elvish hymns. It is often translated as Star-kindler or Star-queen, reflecting her role as the bringer of celestial light. In Quenya her name is Varda, and she bears the epithet Elentári, meaning Star-queen or Queen of the Stars. She dwells with Manwë on Taniquetil, the highest peak in Valinor, and is described as the fairest and most revered of the Valar by the Elves.

In Tolkien’s mythos, the light of the stars that the Elves first saw and trusted in the earliest ages is associated with Elbereth. After the destruction of the Two Trees in the First Age, Varda’s starry lights remained as the celestial heavens that guide travelers and inspire hope. In the lore and in later adaptations, Elbereth is invoked by Elves and even Hobbits in songs and prayers, especially to ward off darkness and fear in times of peril.

The figure of Elbereth thus serves as a central symbol of light, endurance, and the bond between the Elves and the Valar within Tolkien’s world.