why did Celebrimbor allow Sauron?

[Alfirin]

The Phial is described by Galadriel as being "the light of Earendil's star, set amid the waters of my fountain". Doesn't that sort of imply that Gladriel made the phial herself, or at least that she had some way of opening it and filling it. At the time Celembrimbor was making these things and Galadriel was living in Eregion, she wasn't ruler of Lothlorien yet (she and Celebron had made contact with it, but they didn't come to rule until after she had fled Eregion), so she would not have a special fountain to provide such waters (assuming that 1. Galdriel does not have the ability to create such a fountain whereever she is and 2. the fountain in question isn't some otherwise undescribed water effect she had in the front of her house in Eregion.) Celembrimbor may have made the vessel but it would have been up to Galdriel hereself to put the power into it.

[Galin]

Originally Posted by Pengolodh

The Elessar then comes back by the hands of Mithrandir who gives it to Galadriel, to heal her land. He notes though, that it is not for her to keep and that it is meant for who we will come to know as Aragorn, son of Arathorn.

On a side note, this version of the tale of the Elessar-jewel makes me wonder -- because Galadriel would have had Nenya before Gandalf arrived to give her the green stone. I note what is said about her receiving Nenya in the second version, with respect to the jewel, as in this version she had the Elessar-jewel before she had her ring.

Comments?

[John Johnston]

Just to pick up on a couple of points from earlier - I had always pictured the Silmarils as being white light, perhaps with a yellow tinge, a mix of the light of the Trees. I'd certainly always thought of them as being all the same colour, although the idea of Morgoth sitting deep in the bowels of Angband wearing a traffic light on his head is quite appealing.

And for the Rings - my feeling is that the Elves could, potentially, have made their own without advice from Sauron. They could certainly make "magic" things by themselves, and they had great knowledge both from their own study of Arda and from (long ago) the teachings of Aulë. The Three were instruments of stasis and preservation, not command and control, but a Ring-shape - circular, enclosing - is appropriate to both tasks.

[alatar]

Originally Posted by John Johnston

Just to pick up on a couple of points from earlier - I had always pictured the Silmarils as being white light, perhaps with a yellow tinge, a mix of the light of the Trees. I'd certainly always thought of them as being all the same colour, although the idea of Morgoth sitting deep in the bowels of Angband wearing a traffic light on his head is quite appealing.

Too funny!

And for the Rings - my feeling is that the Elves could, potentially, have made their own without advice from Sauron. They could certainly make "magic" things by themselves, and they had great knowledge both from their own study of Arda and from (long ago) the teachings of Aulë. The Three were instruments of stasis and preservation, not command and control, but a Ring-shape - circular, enclosing - is appropriate to both tasks.

Why then did they accept the help of Annatar? Was Sauron that good at selling his help, or were the elves just greedy for knowledge?

[Hakon]

I am not sure about the other elves but I am sure that Celebimbor was that greedy for knowledge. I think he was jealous of Feanor's achievement of the Silmarils, and he would have accepted any help possible.

[Galin]

Also, it wasn't only Celebrimbor who had dealings with him there. It has been mentioned above that Galadriel suspected Annatar, but it really does beg the question of why, if she knew his true nature, she allowed him to remain and have his will with the rest of the Noldor.

By the way, this is a good question, especially considering that Galadriel and Celeborn represented (in this version) the initial power in Eregion, and had actually established the realm.

Keeping in mind that Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn is a short and hasty outline, very roughly composed, I think Tolkien had a problem here: he wanted Galadriel to be perceptive enough to scorn Sauron -- but why was he then accepted in Eregion where Gil-galad (who was to become the grandson of her brother, incidentally) had shut out Sauron himself?

For the second edition JRRT not only added that Celebrimbor was descended from Feanor, but that he was Lord of Eregion (and the greatest of their craftsman). While some might think this can mean Celebrimbor ultimately became Lord of Eregion, in keeping with Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn, I rather think that Tolkien abandoned this earlier notion -- or in any event, the published addition need not agree with ideas from an earlier, rapid outline.

So I think it would be Celebrimbor the Feanorian who would decide to receive Annatar in Eregion, and if I am correct it would have been interesting to hear of Galadriel's reaction to Sauron (in a phase before the 'unstained Galadriel' idea appears to have kicked in).