What did Galadriel give Frodo in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings?

Galadriel gave Frodo the Phial of Galadriel in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. She presented it to him in Lothlórien after the Fellowship had been welcomed by the Elves.

The phial contains the light of Eärendil’s star, described as a reflection of the light of the Silmaril carried by Eärendil. Galadriel tells Frodo that it will shine in dark places when other lights fail. Its power is especially significant in Shelob’s lair, where Frodo uses it against the giant spider.

The gift is not another Ring of Power and does not function by ruling or dominating others. It represents preserved light, hope, and the older history of the Elves. Samwise Gamgee later receives Galadriel’s gift of earth from her garden, a separate gift that is sometimes confused with Frodo’s phial.