Sam would use these enchanted items to help restore the Shire after returning home from Mordor, but since Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings cut the Scouring of the Shire chapters, these gifts would've been pointless on screen.
Here, Sam nabs the rope for himself thinking it might come in handy (it does) and is given an entirely different gift by Galadriel - a precious box containing Elven earth and the nut of a Mallorn tree. The situation is a little different in Tolkien's original story. There's also a sense that Galadriel is foresighted, predicting Sam would have use of the rope in the not-too-distant future. This is because Sam is plainly not a fighter he's Frodo's strong and stable support - his rope, essentially. On screen, Galadriel makes a point of not giving Sam a dagger, even though he bashfully asks for one. As well as easily holding the Hobbits' weight, the rope unfurls at the gentlest of pulls, indicating the quality of craftsmanship, and this scene only makes sense after seeing Galadriel hand out the gifts in the previous film. Part of the reason Jackson was so keen to include the Lothlórien gifting scene in the extended edition of Lord of the Rings was because Sam uses the rope in The Two Towers when he and Frodo descend Emyn Muil on their way to Mordor. Galadriel's gifts to Samwise Gamgee differ somewhat between the books and movies, but the inclusion of Elven rope can be found in both. This significance might be lost on Gimli himself, but Legolas almost certainly understands the gravity of the gift. This story encapsulates another key theme in The Lord of the Rings: that heart is most important in judging a person. Fëanor was a mighty, noble elf, but Galadriel would rather placate a simple Dwarf if his heart be fairer. However, she's happy to give Gimli more than he asked for because not only did the dwarf ask humbly, but she could see he was pure of heart. Long before The Lord of the Rings, fellow Elf and creator of the Silmarils, Fëanor, would beg for a strand of Galadriel's locks, but was always refused, simply because Galadriel could sense he was a bad egg. Gimli's gift is also significant because he wasn't the first to ask for some of Galadriel's hair. Related: Lord Of The Rings: The Actors Who Almost Played AragornĪlthough the giving of hair as a present might be frowned upon for Christmases and birthdays, the strands are a token of Gimli's admiration for Galadriel, having previously had very little love for Elves of any kind, and a sign of stronger relations between the historically uncooperative races. This strange request is accepted, with Galadriel extending her kindness to a total of three strands. Although the Dwarf initially requests nothing from Galadriel, he is pressed into asking anyway and claims to desire a stand of hair, given that Galadriel is the fairest creature Gimli has ever set eyes upon.
The most curious gift of Galadriel's, and one that is consistent in both the book and movie versions of The Lord of the Rings, are the three strands of hair given to Gimli.