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Ennoblement doesn't derive from victory or triumph
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But in the context of the work, lack of victory would have made all ennoblement equal to zero. If they failed, there won't be any noble or sanctified beings - you cannot divide these two.
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Tolkien qualified ennoblement by offering sanctification as an alternative; surely a term that implies a spiritual process, not the defeat of insurmountable odds.
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However, it is this sanctification, that brings about the happy end:
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Originally Posted by Letter #153
it is the Pity of Bilbo and later Frodo that ultimately allows the Quest to be achieved
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Originally Posted by Letter #191
He (and the Cause) were saved – by Mercy : by the supreme value and efficacy of Pity and forgiveness of injury.
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this is their part in the great tale, their participation. Their inner process, if you like the phrasing, brings about the victory.
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it seems unlikely that a Maia could be defeated by a human sorcerer
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However, he was "hard put" to fight them at Wheatertop, and (barely) escaped in the morning.
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Aye...
The Shibboleth of Feanor
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I would note however that the Shibboleth is somewhat experimental in nature, beginning with the new names of Feanor's sons, and ending with a death of one of them - none of these, including the refference to Luthien, are found in the Silmarillion, or anywhere else, as far as I know.