[Rumil]

Hi all,

agreeing with Inzil that it sounds as if gifts to the Faithful of Numenor is the best explanation.

I think that Melkor would have had a use for them, ie finding Gondolin! However, during his raid on Feanor's hoard (if that's where they were) perhaps he didn't have time to check everything out in detail. Glass balls? - nah, I'll have the jewels thanks.

Maybe Feanor shyed away from publicising the palantiri - after all they might carry a connotation of 'spying'. I doubt Fingolfin would have been very impressed if he knew that Feanor had made a snooping device.