A further confusion is that Tolkien appears to have altered the jewel-smith of Gondolin from Enerdhil to Celebrimbor -- but when he later makes Celebrimbor Feanorian (published in the revised edition), does that mean readers are 'meant' to read the Elessar text as once again referring to Enerdhil?
With respect to the first version of the two competing Elessar tales, Hammond and Scull (Reader's Guide) also note that, in comparison to what was already published:
'... the tale seems to suggest that there was a breach of trust, in that Galadriel did not keep the Elessar for the one destined to receive it' because in
The Lord of the Rings Galadriel said that she had given the stone to her daughter. In the second version Tolkien explicitly refers to Galadriel giving the stone to her daughter, so it doesn't seem like he had forgotten this from
Lord of the Rings. I suppose Galadriel still could be said to have 'handed it on when the time came', as technically the jewel had come to her once again to give to Aragorn (if we look at Gandalf's statement more as a prediction), though even so, she handed it on before Elessar came to receive it.
In any case, maybe the following note solves the question by revising the initial idea, that being that there were two versions and:
'... which is true only those Wise could say who now are gone.'
Quote:
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'The Elessar was made in Gondolin by Celebrimbor, and so came to Idril and so to Earendil. But that passed away. But the second Elessar was made also by Celebrimbor in Eregion at the request of the Lady Galadriel (whom he loved), and it was not under the One, being made before Sauron rose again.'
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In other words, perhaps this is a rejection of the concept of two internally competing stories, thus eliminating the 'Gandalf version' altogether, as the first stone did not return in the Third Age (Tolkien possibly realizing that Galadriel should have Nenya by this time, and would not need the stone). This note seems to say more certainly that the first Elessar passed away, and so the jewel made by Celebrimbor is 'the second Elessar' -- although I must admit, I thought this note simply read as it does due to extreme compression; and it's still a guess that is does represent a rejection of the Gandalf version in any event.
I suppose it's possible that Tolkien originally
meant that the Gandalf tale be found problematic by the reader, and so readers would be able to pick one tale above the other even without the help of the Wise; but this seems a bit doubtful to me.
Thoughts?