Of the Three and the Fading of the elves - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Galin · 03-13-2010, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gorthaur the Cruel

(...) especially Nenya, which Tolkien intended later in life as the 'Chief of the Three'.

Hmm, but did he? While the Elessar manuscript was written after The Lord of the Rings of course, I'll just add that it is not what I would call a very late text, nor did Tolkien revise 'Vilya, the mightiest of the Three' for the second edition of The Lord of the Rings, which came later.

Sorry -- straying a bit off topic (moreover, based on one small part of your post!), but I couldn't resist.

Eönwë · 03-13-2010, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galin

Hmm, but did he? While the Elessar manuscript was written after The Lord of the Rings of course, I'll just add that it is not what I would call a very late text, nor did Tolkien revise 'Vilya, the mightiest of the Three' for the second edition of The Lord of the Rings, which came later.

I agree, and it wouldn't make sense for Celebrimbor to not give Gil-Galad the mightiest of the three, but just because it was the strongest, it doesn't necessarily mean that Vilya was "The one that can best preserve the nearby environment". After all, it doesn't seem that Gandalf used Narya in such a way. The power of Three wasn't the same but just at different strengths. Though they had a hierarchy of strength, they were each related to a different element, and so power they gave their holder probably had different characteristics.

Galin · 03-13-2010, 02:49 PM

While it's true that Tolkien could be making a distinction between 'mightiest' and 'chief', and while I also don't think he necessarily need feel bound by a letter, still, in lettter 131 he noted that the chief power of all the rings alike was the prevention or slowing of decay...

... adding that the Three were supremely beautiful and powerful '... and directed to the preservation of beauty'.

If Tolkien wants to explain how Nenya is the chief and Vilya is the mightiest, he certainly has the creativity to come up with something, but he might just have forgotten what he had published concerning Vilya too, and considering the other questions The Elessar manuscript raises, I might question this detail as well.

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03-13-2010, 02:49 PM	#3
Galin Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,036	While it's true that Tolkien could be making a distinction between 'mightiest' and 'chief', and while I also don't think he necessarily need feel bound by a letter, still, in lettter 131 he noted that the chief power of all the rings alike was the prevention or slowing of decay... ... adding that the Three were supremely beautiful and powerful '... and directed to the preservation of beauty'. If Tolkien wants to explain how Nenya is the chief and Vilya is the mightiest, he certainly has the creativity to come up with something, but he might just have forgotten what he had published concerning Vilya too, and considering the other questions The Elessar manuscript raises, I might question this detail as well.