The History of Galadriel and Celeborn

[Galin]

Lastly there is the question of the Elessar. For me the only version that seems to fit with the story is the first case. Where Gandalf brings the stone back from Earendil. In this version Galadriel keeps her nobility and Celebrimbor is not said to be Noldor elf from Gondolin. It foreshadows her giving it to Elrond and it shows she had the favour of the Valar.

Not that you said otherwise, but both these versions are meant to be internal in my opinion; that is, both versions were told or written in Middle-earth -- as compared to the external perspective of Tolkien working on two different versions to decide for himself which one was to be the story told within Middle-earth (rejecting the other one).

That said I find that both versions carry 'problematic' ideas, to my mind a notable one in the Gandalf scenario being that by this time Galadriel can already employ Nenya.


In the second scenario, at least with respect to the matter of Celebrimbor anyway: since it seems the case that Celebrimbor was not yet imagined as a Feanorean at this point, an easy fix in my opinion would be to go back to Enerdhil as the smith of Gondolin.

It's attested, although yes, from an external perspective the note at the end of the text revises Enerdhil to Celebrimbor, but when Celebrimbor becomes a Feanorean I think it very likely that the Smith of Gondolin was to receive a different name...

... so why not back to Enerdhil?