[Legolas]

It's realistic, Legolas, it's just not all that nice. And you're right about the fact that we can only judge the actions that occured; how can we argue about how mere speculations as to different courses could have changed things?

If so, crossing the Grinding Ice was a more realistic and more integral option. Killing kindred because they were unwilling to help (and for good reason) should not be even considered as an option. The possibility is certainly there, but that's as far as it should've been "developed" (thus remaining undeveloped).

Feanor's sort of self-obsessed, do-what-I-want-no-matter-who-else-suffers approach cannot be excused or simply cast off as understandable.

Another point to ponder: put Feanor and his Noldorin camp in Olwe's shoes. Would he have allowed Olwe's Teleri to take his own boats across the ocean? Surely not. He probably would not have responded as calmly as Olwe did. He might have allowed them to do so if they bribed him enough. Olwe and Finarfin really prove to be the wisest here.

I agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your post (about a simple/single action's great importance). It is exactly because of that that we cannot see much of what would've happened without Feanor's rebellion and kin-slaying.

What we can presume is that the situation would've been handled. No one can say that "No Feanor's rebellion = Beleriand falls, Morgoth takes over all of Middle-earth." It's not like that the only thing that could've happened - in the event of no rebellion, it's not like everyone would've sat around in Valinor and danced/sang/drank merrily until Morgoth took over the rest of the world.

[ July 06, 2003: Message edited by: Legolas ]