Who Is Cirdán The Shipwright In 'The Lord Of The Rings'
Image Source: IGN
One of the newest additions to the roster of characters in The Rings of Power was a legendary elf, one that had been around since the awakening of the elves. His name is Cirdán, and he was one of the pivotal elves in the history of Middle-earth.
Cirdán was born or awakened with the name Nowë in Cuiviénen, the birthplace of the elves. Eru Iluvatar, in his grand design, intended for the elves to awaken in Cuiviénen, in Middle-earth, and then journey west to the sea, to cross over to Aman, and reside forevermore in Valinor. The Elves had a choice, however, and though three great clans of Elves set out from Cuiviénen, not all made it to the western shores of Middle-earth, electing instead to stay behind and populate the land, while some did make it to the shore and chose not to continue to Valinor.
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Image Source: Gamespot
Cirdán was of the Sindar, the last group to leave Cuiviénen on the Great Journey, but he elected to stay behind and search for one of the leaders of the Elves, Elwe, who had disappeared for some time after falling in love with a Maia. Like many Elves, Cirdán’s greatest wish was to leave Middle-earth and journey to Valinor, but his search for Elwe caused him to miss out on two of the departures to Valinor. Then, he received a vision that told him he could not sail to Valinor until his work was done.
That work turned out to be aiding the Elves of Middle-earth. He took up shipbuilding, earning the Sindarin name Cirdán, meaning shipwright. He became the single greatest shipbuilding in Middle-earth and aided Elves in their journey across the sea to Valinor, as well as in the defense of Middle-earth against Morgoth and Sauron. When Gil-galad died during the War of the Rings, Cirdán assumed the leadership of the Elves in Lindon and ruled from the Gray Havens, the port city that Elves depart from to Valinor. By the end of the Third Age, he was one of the last remaining Elves in Middle-earth, staying until the death of King Elessar (Aragorn) and finally sailed west to Valinor.
So why is he in The Rings of Power season two? Because he was instrumental in the events of Middle-earth since the forging of the rings. For his deeds in the First Age, Cirdán was gifted a greater ability at foresight than any other elf, and as such, he was perhaps the wisest of the Elves, and he could foresee things that others could not. This ability lent to his deeds during the Second and Third ages. He was not keen on the creation of the rings, urging Celebrimbor not to do it, but he was ignored. However, recognizing their power and how dangerous they were if Sauron were to wield them, he accepted Narya, the Ring of Fire, with the other two going to Galadriel and Gil-galad. He kept Narya for much of the second age.
That gift of foresight he had came to bear regarding Gandalf. He knew more than any other elf what the purpose of the Istari (wizards) was, and in Gandalf, in particular, he foresaw far ahead what he would do. As a result, he gifted Narya to Gandalf to become its keeper and aid him in his deeds against Sauron. Throughout the Third Age, he aided the Elves and Men of Middle-earth against Sauron and his growing darkness, being instrumental in the fall of Angband and, ultimately, the fall of Sauron in the War of the Ring. He had a representative attend the Council of Elrond in which it was decided that the Ring would be taken to Mount Doom and destroyed.
Image Source: Fandom
Another thing about Cirdán was his appearance. Elves are not frequently described as having facial hair, but that stereotype does not extend to Cirdán. In time, he grew a beard, a long gray one, perhaps befitting his age and wisdom. When he departed Middle-earth for the Undying Lands, he was the oldest elf to live there, and with his crossing, he was the last elf to have known of the Elder Days on Middle-earth.
Because of his role in the story of the Rings of Power, it is unlikely that we have seen the last of Cirdán in the show.
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Source(s): Fandom
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