Elves of The Galadhrim

Lothlorien was named after the Gardens of Lórien in Valinor and was also called Dwimordene, the Golden Wood, Laurelindórenan, Lindórinand, Lórinand, and Lórien.

Lothlórien is the woodland realm between the rivers Celebrant and Anduin. It has for ages been inhabited by the Galadhrim or "Tree-People", the Silvan Elves, and in the Second Age Galadriel and Celeborn settled there with their retinue of Noldor and Sindar. The Galadhrim had flourished undisturbed from the founding of Lórien in the Second Age until the Third Age of 1980, when the Balrog of Khazad-Dum was freed. This event caused many of the Galadhrim to flee south to Dol Amroth. Many of the Gladhrim at that time sailed over Sea. Although forced to become more martial the Galadhrim still live happily in Lórien. With the growing threat from the orcs and Balrog in Moria, and Sauron from Mordor and Dol Goldur the Galadhrim became more adept at martial warfare. The Galadhrim are now known for their skill in archery and knife-fighting, which they train in tirelessly. No other race can match their skills with the bow or the knife and their accuracy and speed is legedary. When a Galadhrim is ready to sail west over the Sea they will head to the port and castle of Dol Amroth, where the white ships of the Elves of Lorien are docked. Dol Amroth is the chief city of Belfalas, Gondor. The Dunedain of the city are said to have Elven blood in their veins

In the Second Age Lady Galadriel founded Lórien on the model of Doriath, the great Sindarin kingdom if Beleriand. Most of the people of Lórien are Silvan elves, and Sindarin is the language of Lórien. In the Second Age Lórien aided Elrond at need, but otherwise Lorien chooses to remain isolated from the outside world.
The name Lórien was picked by Galadriel as a reminescence of the Gardens of Irmo in Valinor; the older name the silvan elves used was Lórinand; among the Noldor the wood was called Laurelindórenan, "valley of the singing gold", or "gold-song-land-valley". later it was renaimed Lothlórien, "blossoming dream-garden", or "Dreamflower". All of these names are inspired by the golden-yellow blossoms of the Mallorn trees, which Galadriel is said to have planted there, and which always remained the joy of all who saw them, and remained the greatest trees in Middle-Earth.

The terrain slowly rose from the Anduin into the wood, and near the north-eastern border of the land lay the hill of Cerin Amroth, where Amroth and Nimrodel had dwelt, and where Aragorn and Arwen became engaged. Near the area where the Celebrant joined the Anduin lay Caras Galadhon, the city of the Galadhrim, on a hill which was clad with tall Mallorn trees. The elves did not live on the ground, but rather on flets, talan, high among the tree-tops. The city was guarded by a trench, and a green wall which had gates to the south-west. Placed in the top of the highest tree was the flet where Galadriel and Celeborn met their guests in hall with a high roof, richly adorned and as wide as a hall of Kings.

Lothlórien was guarded against all evil by Galadriel and the power of the elven ring Nenya she possessed. However, Lórien was also cut off from the outside, and soon people in Gondor and Rohan saw it as a strange place, which the Rohirrim called the Golden Wood as well as Dwimordene, "valley of ghosts". They accused the Lady of the Golden Wood of witch-craft (not without reason, of course), and avoided to come near her land.

When the Fellowship came to Lothlórien, they could well feel the effects of the "magic" of Galadriel. To strangers like the hobbits it seemed as a land of ancient times, which is still preserved into the present, and where time has a different meaning then on the outside. To the weary travellers the fair and unmarred land of Lórien provided much-needed rest, and the hearts were lifted after the shadows of Moria. No one of the Fellowship was able to restrain the tears in their eyes when they had to say farewell again.

Often in its history did Dol Guldur cast its shadow on Lothlórien. In the War of the Ring its forces assailed the forest again and again, but could not overcome the Silvan elves led by Celeborn, and were eventually driven back. After the War, Lórien was expanded to the north and north-east with reconquered territory.