Mary Johnson: exploring the inner universe

There’s been a great deal of discussion about the conversation between little Nerwen and her big brother Finrod at the start of The Rings of Power. Critics are saying things like: Elves know physics! They build boats! They know perfectly well why a ship floats.

This image is cited in:

https://www.dailyhindnews.com/finrod-in-the-rings-of-power-who-is-galadriels-brother-in-the-lord/ Image of Little Nerwen and her big brother

That, of course, is true. At least one Elf all Tolkien fans know of is a skilled ship  builder—and Cirdan is not alone. But, as this article points out, Finrod is not trying to teach his little sister about physics.

This image is cited in:

https://www.themarysue.com/what-did-finrod-say-to-galadriel-in-the-rings-of-power/

As the author above points out, Finrod has just broken up a fight (some very astute fans noted this is a subtle reference to the Kinslaying and the theft of ships in Tolkien’s legendarium), and he’s trying to teach his small sister how to discern right action. Young Galadriel points out that light can be reflected, and reflected light is not the true light. “How am I to know which light to follow?” she asks.