In examining "wise", we can see that it is a very powerful, ancient, and flexible word.

"Wise" comes to us from the Indo-European root word "weid-", "to see". The adjective "wise" refers to something perceptive, shrewd, prudent, or to a person who possesses great knowledge, keen judgement, or the ability to perceive what is right and true. As a noun, "wise" may be used to refer to "a way" (as of doing things); or it may refer to people who are deemed to be wise, as in the Bible's references to "the wise (who did something prudent)".

Tolkien's Elven-wise, the Wise, are not simply prudent people, although both Gildor and Glorfindel seem rather prudent. Nor are they merely knowledgeable or perceptive people. Elrond is a master of wisdom and lore, but he also foresees many things, and perceives hidden meaning behind events. Galadriel, too, possesses great wisdom, though hers seems more born of experience than learning (as Elrond's seems to derive mostly from study), but Galadriel is also very perceptive, seeing deeper into the hearts of others than anyone else.

Celeborn is called "the wise" but many readers feel he doesn't live up to his reputation. The general view seems to be that Galadriel could outmaneuver Celeborn in a one-way street, or lead him any way she pleases. Galadriel only really outshines Celeborn in one scene, but she does get her own scene with Frodo and Sam, whereas Celeborn sits back and lets Galadriel do most of the work in ferreting out the Fellowship's motives and intentions.

It is Celeborn, however, who understands and acknowledges the implications of the Fellowship's actions or indecision. Galadriel is praised for her gentle admonishment to Celeborn when he regrets his welcome of Gimli and his companions, upon learning that a Balrog dwells near the border of Lorien. But Celeborn does quickly assess the danger to his people: if the Balrog had been roused by the Dwarves, then it plainly might follow the Fellowship into Lorien. Gandalf, too, seems to have understood what could happen -- and that is why he sacrifices himself. There is no other way to prevent the Balrog from achieving whatever end it has in mind. Frodo and the Ring are in the gravest peril from the Balrog, and even Lorien's Elves wouldn't be able to protect him.

Celeborn also perceives the doubt and confusion in Aragorn, when it is time for the Fellowship to depart from Lorien, and therefore Celeborn gives Aragorn some extra time to think by providing the Company of the Ring with boats. The boats allow Aragorn to defer his choices for at least a few more days. But Celeborn, like Elrond before him, engages in a bit of foresight. When the Fellowship leaves Rivendell, Elrond and Gimli exchange truisms about oaths and abiding by them. Their words foreshadow events to come.

In a similar, though briefer exchange, Boromir elicits a warning from Celeborn concerning Boromir's mistrust of old wives tales. Those old wives, Celeborn points out, often remember things that were once important to know. Although Fangorn Forest is the subject of Boromir's scoffing, it is an old wife in Minas Tirith, Ioreth, who later on recalls rhymes of lore which inspire Gandalf to bring Aragorn into Minas Tirith to heal Merry, Eowyn, and Faramir (and, ultimately, many of the city's sick people -- thus endearing Aragorn to the population and proving that he is the rightful king).

Celeborn thus exhibits a perception unlike Galadriel's, yet proves he is one of the Wise. But his wisdom lies in his shrewd ability to judge people's needs and address those needs. Galadriel's wisdom is more a wisdom born of long and sad experience. She has learned the bitter lessons history has to teach, and she is wiser for such experience. Galadriel and Celeborn complement each other, but neither is strikingly superior to the other. Celeborn is, in fact, quite decisive, whereas Galadriel is deliberative and cautious.

The contrasts between Galadriel and Celeborn underscore just how difficult it is for the reader to understand and identify all of Tolkien's Wise, or Elven-wise, "lords of the Eldar from over Sea". Not all of the Wise are from over Sea (Elrond was born in Middle-earth, for example).

It is curious that Tolkien should distinguish the Wise as "lords of the Eldar". Are all the Wise members of the nobility? If so, what is it that makes them Wise? They may possess great learning, which among mortal men is more likely to be acquired by wealthy families than poor families. But Elves live long enough that even their poorest families must eventually accumulate a great deal of lore.

Wisdom is the product of education, experience, and reason. One need not acquire a formal education in order to become wise (and an educational system cannot guarantee results in any event). The Elves in general were very wise, possessing a great deal of experience. Tolkien successfully distinguishes between Elves by limiting their experiences and filtering their values through cultural motifs. Hence, Legolas thinks of the Elves of Eregion as strange and foreign to his own woodland folk. The Elves of Lothlorien are even less worldly than Legolas, except for Galadriel and Celeborn. Haldir the march-warden knows about Hobbits but hasn't seen any for many years. And he is one of the few scouts who are occasionally sent out to have dealings with other peoples. Legolas is not surprised to know about Hobbits, but then, he has already met Bilbo and dealt with Gollum. And Gildor Inglorion and his folk pass through the Shire frequently, so they are quite comfortable with Hobbits.

Each Elf who encounters the Hobbits in the story accumulates some new experience, and gains a little wisdom thereby, but the Elf who exhibits the most growth is Legolas. By traveling with Frodo and the Company of the Ring, Legolas gains a unique experience which even Feanor, Finwe, Elwe, and all the great Elves of old cannot match. He seems a bit rustic when the reader first meets him in "The Council of Elrond", but by "Many Partings" Legolas has proven he possesses the wisdom and courage of a great leader, and that he can take on the wider world without stumbling in wide-eyed fashion. Some of the Elves, such as Lindir in Rivendell, would seem a bit out of place in the mortal world. Legolas may not be one of the Elven-wise, but he is a wise lord of the Elves.

So, if a wise lord of the Elves is not one of the Wise, how does one join the elite club? Are only lords of the Eldar admitted to the ranks of the Wise? If so, does Celeborn, originally conceived of as a Wood-elf, count? Or are only Noldor and Sindar considered eligible? And who makes the final determination? How do the Elves recognize their Wise lords, as opposed to their wise lords? Erestor was the chief counsellor of Elrond's household, but was he, like Elrond (and probably Glorfindel) one of the Wise? Were Elrond's sons, Elladan and Elrohir, who elicited a great deal of admiration from Legolas, counted among the Wise? Or, being only about 3,000 years old, were they still working on their apprenticeship?

There may have been only four Elves at the time of the War of the Ring whom all readers would regard to be numbered among the Wise: Cirdan, Glorfindel, Galadriel, and Elrond. Most people would probably accept Gildor, too. And maybe a lot of people would accept Celeborn despite the contrast Tolkien draws between Galadriel and Celeborn. But all other Elves and Half-elves encountered in the story, including Arwen and her brothers, and Erestor and Legolas, are merely wise Elves, not members of the Wise (so far as we know). The distinction, if there is one, seems to be that the Wise were members of the great families of the Eldar, the royal houses, except for Glorfindel. But Glorfindel was himself an ancient prince among the Eldar in their greatest city in Middle-earth.

Cirdan and Galadriel were both very ancient, Cirdan being the elder of the two. He had communed with one or more of the Maiar and Valar before the rebellion of the Noldor. And he may have communed with them after the First Age. Galadriel had lived in Aman and therefore had known many of the Valar and Maiar personally. She would have learned directly from the master architects of creations. And later, after the rebellion of the Noldor, Galadriel was introduced to Melian, who had taught the Sindar of Menegroth many things.

The Elven-wise were thus members of the most ancient Eldarin civilizations, or the direct heirs of those civilizations. Elrond was born after all the old kingdoms of Beleriand had been destroyed, but his father was Earendil and his foster father was Maglor. Maglor, though renowned mostly as a great singer and warrior, was the second son of Feanor. Feanor was the greatest among the Eldar in arts and lore (presumably, "lore" here being what Tolkien called "technology" as acquired and applied by the Noldor). Elrond's apprenticeship under one of the last Feanorians who had walked in Aman might not have been equivalent to an education in Aman, but he would have benefitted from Maglor's experience in many ways. When Elrond met Frodo and Sam in the Shire, he was playing a harp. Was his musical skill derived from Maglor?

The lords of the Eldar seem to have been the most powerful of the Elves. Finrod engaged in a contest of sorcery with Sauron, and though Sauron prevailed Finrod's deed is considered a great achievement. Luthien was the greatest of all Elven enchantresses, but she was also the daughter of Melian the Maia. Feanor had the greatest power, and he was able to sway most of the Noldor toward rebellion and exile. It would seem, therefore, that the chief power was invested in the Finweans and Elweans. That is, the families of the Eldarin kings displayed greater power or sorcery than other Elven families. Hence, Celebrimbor alone could make three Rings more powerful than the other Rings which the Gwaith-i-Mirdain had made with Sauron's aid. Galadriel could cast down the walls of Dol Guldur.

Glorfindel proved to be an exceptional Elven lord, and was certainly a very powerful lord at the end of the Third Age. But in fleshing out Glorfindel's history, Tolkien determined that Glorfindel's status as a re-embodied Elf enhanced his gifts and power. He had become more powerful, and was almost like one of the Maiar. Glorfindel might not have been able to assume a huge, mountainous form like one of the Maiar, but he might have been able to achieve some pretty powerful magic. So, Glorfindel's ancient age, his accumulated wisdom and experience, and his great power virtually assured him a place among the Wise. But when did the Wise become the Wise? When did the Elves look at these great lords and realize there was more to their wisdom and lore than just the sum of their experience and education?

The Wise are found in Tol Eressea as well as in Middle-earth. At least, in considering the possible origins of the Orcs, The Silmarillion tells us that the Wise of Tol Eressea believe the Orcs were bred from Elves whom Melkor captured soon after their awakening at Cuivienen. So, who are these Wise of Tol Eressea? None of the Finweans return to Aman after the First Age. Plenty of them die during the Wars of Beleriand, but are they the Wise of Tol Eressea to whom the narrative refers? How many of them are released from Mandos after the First Age? Finrod, at least, is said to have been brought forth. He walks under the trees of Eldamar with his father, Finarfin. Yet Tol Eressea becomes the home of the Eldar who sail over Sea to Aman after the War of Wrath. That is, the Noldor led by Finarfin continue to live in Aman itself, and Finrod when he emerges from Mandos must settle in Aman, in Eldamar, rather than on Tol Eressea.

It may be that Turgon, Finrod, Orodreth, Angrod, Aegnor, Fingolfin, and Fingon were all eventually restored to life and that most of them if not all of them settled in Tol Eressea. There they could have become the Wise of Tol Eressea, and devoted ages to examining the questions they didn't have time to answer during the Wars of Beleriand. Or it may be that other Elven lords, from less important families, assumed roles of leadership among the Eldar of Tol Eressea, and became the Wise of Tol Eressea. In Tol Eressea's original conception, developed for The Book of Lost Tales, Littleheart was one of the leaders of the Eldar on Tol Eressea. He was the son of Bronweg, who eventually became Voronwe. Voronwe, in "Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin", claimed to be related to Cirdan through his mother. But he also claimed to be "of the House of Fingolfin" when he named his father, Aranwe, in approaching Gondolin. No genealogy has been published which shows how Voronwe could have been related to either Cirdan (and thus Elwe, Cirdan's kinsman) or Fingolfin.

Nonetheless, if Voronwe, Tuor, and Idril did eventually reach Aman (as some people believe), and Tuor was admitted to the kinship of the Noldor, they may have formed the core of the Wise of Tol Eressea. Should Tuor and Idril have had more children than just Earendil? Perhaps. But Voronwe could have established a family of Elven lords who assumed an important place in Tol Eressea's society.

But we are left with the question of whether bloodlines really matter. For what were the Eldarin kings before they became kings? Were they the mightiest of the Elves in wisdom and power to begin with? Were they already leaders of the Elves? And, if so, how did they become so important? In the story of the First Elves, Imin, Tata, and Enel awaken before all the other Elves. They begin the process of inventing language, and because they were the eldest they possessed more experience than other Elves. But would they ever have become Elven-wise? Did they possess great power or acquire knowledge which made them and their children superior in any way to other Elves?

It may be that a natural order was established in which authority was conferred upon individuals for the sake of presiding over communities. That is, those Elves who became leaders among their peoples were enhanced. Their authority would require that they be able to judge matters fairly, if they applied their gifts fairly. The choices these leaders made would not be preordained for them. They would not always choose the wisest path. But they would be empowered to discern more clearly than the people in their followings. Which is not to say that an average Elf couldn't see through an empty window. Rather, the Elven leaders may have gained an increase in their perceptive abilities, or their analytical abilities, as they built their communities.

In a sense, the Elves themselves may have been responsible for empowering their leaders. Each Elf, in giving his or her loyalty to a particular leader, would emotionally and mentally support that leader. It seems strange that so many Noldor would abide Feanor's treachery, for example, and participate in the Kin-slayings at Alqualonde, Doriath, and Arvernien. But what if the Elves had in some way become tied to their leaders, such that part of each follower's power passed into or bequeathed upon the leader a small enhancement? A powerful bond could form between an Elven leader and followers, and the followers might begin to share their leader's temperment. The rare breach between leader and followers might prove to be an emotional and potentially debilitating experience.

Hence, when Finrod left Nargothrond, he would have been diminished, because most of his people had refused to support his commitment to the family of Barahir. But the Elves of Nargothrond would, in their own way, have been diminished because of the loss of their leader. Even though Orodreth eventually became King of Nargothrond and forced Celegorm and Curufin to leave (without their own followers), Orodreth may not have benefitted from the bond between King and Folk because it had not passed to him naturally. That is, the Elves may have lost some of their strength when they allowed their bond to Finrod to wither. Hence, Orodreth could never be the leader his brother had once been.

A bond between leader and followers, established by the individual choices of the Elves, empower the authority of leaders as no mortal contract could. The relationship between leader and follower may not have been one of mutual obligation but rather one of mutual enchantment. A great people would literally make a great leader, and the great leader would make better choices for his people. And, hence, the Elven-wise would be the lords of the Eldar because they were empowered by their people to see matters more clearly, to choose and judge for their people, to exercise the communal wisdom and lore. Elrond is said to have been made a master of lore when he chose to be of Elven-kind. Who made him such a master? Eonwe? Manwe? Or did the Noldor who accepted him into their ranks as an Elven-lord bestow upon him a communal trust and bond?

The process of creating and sustaining the bond between leader and follower would be magical, an act of sub-creative will. It would be something only an Elven people could or would do. Under such a system, it would be easy to identify the members of the Wise: they would be the leaders of the communities, or at least the larger communities. Elrond, therefore, would not have been among the Wise until he became the leader of a community. Gildor Inglorion would be one of the Wise because he was the leader of a company of Elves. The Wise were not Wise because of what families they came from, but rather because of how many Elves followed them. An Elf king might be one of the Wise, but only if he were personally bonded to a community of Elves.

The communal bond need not enhance the leader's power, or strength. Rather, individual strength would remain constant, but the wisdom to use that strength would be enhanced. The communal bond could, however, extend to entire families. Hence, Elven realms would be more likely to maintain a dynasty than mortal realms. The Noldor were contentious and fractious, but after Feanor's rebellion they remained fairly stable.

The Elven-wise are also loremasters, great scholars and philosophers. Any Elf may learn whatever knowledge is made freely available. But the great insights provided by leaders like Finrod and Elrond might be achieved only by members of the Elven-wise, the leaders, because of their enhanced abilities. Hence, an Elf like Lindir of Rivendell may seem less wise when compared to Legolas or Elrond, but is not really dense or ignorant. Lindir trusts Elrond to lead the community with the insight of the Wise.

The Wise are credited with discerning or ferreting out truths behind events and mysteries. The Wise of Tol Eressea thus speculate that Orcs are bred from ancient Elves. The Wise (of Middle-earth) suspect that the Necromancer may be Sauron or one of the Nazgul returned. The Wise are the chief lords of the Eldar. They must act as the judges of the Eldar, and not just their intelligence agency. The Wise are therefore something like the ancient Hebrew Judges in pre-Davidic Israel. The Wise discern the threats to the Eldar, choose how those threats are to be met, and lead the Eldar in their wars against whatever threatens them.

If the Wise depend upon a leader-follower bond to distinguish who is among the Wise, then it should be no wonder that only Elves are ever referred to. Men, even Numenoreans, would not be able to establish such a bond. The secretive and jealous Dwarves have their own customs, but probably would not invest their strength in communal leaders. Ents don't seem to have had much in the way of sub-creative faculties. So, among Rational Incarnates (Elves, Dwarves, Men, Ents), only the Elves could develop a class of leaders who would be collective judges and guardians of the communal wisdom. The Wise are a very Elvish concept, and the greatest among them would have to be "the chief lords of the Eldar".

Michael Martinez is the author of Visualizing Middle-earth, which may be purchased directly from Xlibris Corp. or through any online bookstore. You may also special order it from your local bookstore. The ISBN is 0-7388-3408-4.