General changes in TftE

[Aiwendil]

Gondowe wrote:

And the matter of Orodreth brougth me a more difficult rework in the whole text, for that reason I kept him as son of Finarfin.

Indeed, the matter of Orodreth's parentage and children is among the most difficult in the Legendarium. I, at least, did not appreciate just how tricky an issue it is when I first read HoMe - only in actually working on editing the texts in this project did some of the difficulties become apparent. If nothing else, I do now better understand Christopher Tolkien's decision to leave Orodreth the son of Finarfin and Gil-Galad the son of Fingon.

I think we must leave the three original companions, but I think that in QS is said that they were companions of Eärendil in all the seas, or something like this.

QS says that they had 'sailed all the seas beside him'. It's not completely clear to me that this means that there was no occasion when Earendil sailed in a ship without them - but even if it does, we could still suppose any of the following:

- On his early voyages, Earendil's companions were Aerandir, Erellont, Falathar, Arminas, and Faramir

- Two of Aerandir, Erellont, and Falathar are merely other names for Arminas and Faramir (Elves have at least a mother-name and a father-name and often additional after-names)

- Arminas and Faramir were indeed with Earendil on his great voyage but either became separated from him or died in the course of his adventures before he and his remaining companions reached Aman