This article is part of a directory: LOTR: The Rings of Power Guide: News, Easter Eggs, Reviews, Theories and Rumors
Table of contents

The following contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1, Episode 3, "Adar," now streaming on Prime Video.

From a bird's-eye-view, The Rings of Power has had a solid start. Its first three episodes have done a great job of submerging viewers into Tolkien's Middle-earth. The visuals have been great, the character development has been detailed (or mysterious) and the plot could still take a number of different turns. However, as LOTR aficionados start to zoom in on the details, there have been a few issues.

The series' introduction left out the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, the Doom of Mandos and many other details about the happenings in the First Age. Likewise, The Rings of Power has elevated Galadriel to the rank of sacrificial hero, which flies in the face of her prideful characterization in Tolkien's work. While continuing to point out every discrepancy with the series and its source material wouldn't be beneficial, there is one mistake in The Rings of Power that's downright embarrassing for hardcore fans.

RELATED: LOTR Fans Are Divided on The Rings of Power - Is Their Harsh Criticism Justified?

Lord of the Rings Rings of Power Elrond Galadriel

There have been concerns about The Rings of Power from one segment of fans for months. Between arguments over Disa's beard and the inclusion of two Durins, hardcore fans have been quick to point out the adaptation flaws with Amazon's big-budget project. So, when a number of Elvish characters started speaking the wrong language in Episode 3, "Adar," fans pounced quicker than a dragon going after a hoard of gold.

For the uninitiated, there are two major Elvish languages in The Lord of the Rings: Quenya and Sindarin. Quenya was the original Elvish language, and the Elves took it with them to Valinor. Back in Middle-earth, a language known as Sindarin developed. It was almost a simplified version of Quenya, and for a time, the two languages coexisted. However, a big issue arose when Fëanor and the Noldor returned to Middle-earth.

In Middle-earth, King Thingol ruled over all the Sindarin Elves -- those that did not journey to Valinor. He was a great king, and he cared about his people. So, when he learned about the atrocities that Fëanor and his people had committed, Thingol forbade the speaking of Quenya in his realm to show his disdain for Fëanor's actions. Thus, Sindarin became the de facto language for nearly all the Elves in Middle-earth.

RELATED: Why Elrond Is Different From the Other Elves on The Rings of Power

Rings of Power

Granted, many of the High Elves continued to speak Quenya, but even for them, the language was used more as a lingua sacra, rather than a common tongue. In fact, by the Second Age, Sindarin was the Elvish language, and when Tolkien's work refers to "Elvish," it means Sindarin, not Quenya.

For that reason, it was weird when Arondir and his Elf companions started speaking Quenya while in the Orc camp. Arondir is a Silvan Elf -- Wood Elves, who lived East of the Misty Mountains -- not one of the High Elves. Even though he was subservient to High King Gil-galad and could have had a working knowledge of Quenya, it wouldn't have been his go-to language. Thus, when Arondir spoke to his companions, they should have been speaking Sindarin. There could be an explanation for Arondir's curious choice of language, but at the moment, it looks like an embarrassing snafu for The Rings of Power.

New episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power stream Fridays on Prime Video.