I'm going to be hypocritical.
Just five minutes ago I told davem I wasn't going to be arguing any more today abut this. But then I looked at Christopher Tolkien's introduction to the Sil:
Quote:
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A complete consistency (either within the compass of The Silmarillion itself or between The Silmarillion and other published writings of my father's) is not to be looked for, and could only be achieved, if at all, at heavy and needless cost.
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Christopher Tolkien too notes how the pursuit of consistency would have a high cost. Dropping The Hobbit is too high a price to pay for me, as consistency is not half as attractive as is diversity within the legendarium.