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Originally Posted by davem
And who wrote this statement - I mean within the Legendarium? Is the statement to be considered the opinion of that particular writer or one by the 'translator' Tolkien.
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The statement wasn't written within the Legendarium. It was one of Tolkien's essays, written about Middle-earth from without.
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Originally Posted by davem
Is the writer qualified to make an objective judgement or is he simply making a personal assessment?
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He's qualified to judge objectively. They're his creations.
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Originally Posted by davem
What standards is this writer using - what does he mean by 'greatest'? How is he using the term?
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It's used as you see it. A general "greatness of being," obviously not intended to indicate the size of the individuals. One might say that Tarkovsky is the greatest of all film directors, and while that statement is certainly debatable and the criteria for judgment obscure, the intended meaning is clear--Tarkovsky is superior to all other film directors. Unlike my example, the statement we're discussing is not debatable since it comes from the Creator. Since the statement is unqualified, the criteria for judgment are evidently all those things that make an Elda an Elda (or Noldo). It may be true that Feanor was a "greater" craftsman than Luthien, but that does not change that as individuals are estimated in greatness by their Creator, Luthien is greatest.