LOTR quiz: What does Galadriel's name mean and who did Tolkien say he drew upon as an archetype for this character?

A: Galadriel means "lady of the glittering garland," with reference to her golden hair. Tolkien wrote in a letter that his portrait of Galadriel was influenced by "Christian and Catholic teaching and imagination about Mary." He added, though, that, unlike Mary, Galadriel was "a penitent," someone who had rebelled against the Valar (angelic guardians) in her youth, but had been pardoned because she resisted the temptation to grasp the One Ring (Letters, 403).