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The Silmarillion would be Bilbo's translations from the Elvish and the Hobbit is the tale of Bilbo's adventures, andwe know that he economised with the truth about them..... if we have to accept them as "fact" in the same way as the LOTR then it means that most Elves of Rivendell metamorphasised in fifty years from being insanely camp and inane beings tralalalallying in their valley to being founts of nobility and wisdom (though not entirely uncamp). As for "translations" - well if only Elrond remains even at RIvendell who knows all the old lore correctly,
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Regarding tralalalallying: I do not think that the average elf was too stuck up for silliness. I think they were as changeable in their emotions as other folk; profound and merry, serious and silly. Recall Sam's opinion of Galadriel: "But I wish I could make a song about her. Beautiful she is, sir! Lovely! Sometimes like a great tree in flower, sometimes like a white daffadowndilly, small and slender like. Hard as di’monds, soft as moonlight. Warm as sunlight, cold as frost in the stars. Proud and far-off as a snow-mountain, and as merry as any lass I ever saw with daisies in her hair in springtime."
LOTR is written by Frodo back in the Shire, and I'm not surprised he remembered the uber-serious side of the elves, since he knew he'd be sailing west. Bilbo was a more relaxed sort, who enjoyed a good laugh. Frodo wrote about the Hall of Fire and songs to Elbereth; Bilbo wrote about dancing by the riverside on Midsummer's Eve.
Fordim Hedgethistle can be, and often is, quite profound. But he's not above throwing a gauntlet and being downright silly in the process. If he were unable to take himself lightly on occasion, I would be less likely to take him seriously the rest of the time.
Professor Tolkien could jest with his children, philosophize with other professors, drink beer while studying myths, and publish satires on old nursery rhymes. Judging by his own letters, he tried hard not to take himself too seriously. He wrote stories about the creation of the world, and he wrote stories about toy dogs lost at the beach. THe same guy that wrote The Lay of Leithan wrote Bombadil goes Boating.
Why are we so sure that Elrond wouldn't have joined in a round of Tralalalally? I'm not. I think he would have enjoyed it, taking a break from all the weightier matters.
Translations: "if only Elrond remains even at RIvendell who knows all the old lore correctly"-- where do you find this? Glorfindel doesn't count? And with all the travel Arwen does between Rivendell and Lorien, wouldn't she get the stories straight? Her grandmother knew them all, I'm sure.
