[Angry Hill Troll]

Actually Fëanor's rashness provided a solution for the otherwise impossible dilemma in which the Valar found themselves. The following quote is from the "Myths Transformed" section of HoME X: Morgoth's Ring

...Morgoth lost (or exchanged, or transmuted) the greater part of his original "angelic" powers, of mind and spirit, while gaining a terrible grip on the physical world. For this reason he had to be fought, mainly by physical force, and enormous material ruin was the probable consequence of any direct combat with him, victorious or otherwise. This is the chief explanation of the constant reluctance of the Valar to come into open battle against Morgoth. Manwë's task and problem was much more difficult than Gandalf's. Sauron's, relatively smaller, power was concentrated, Morgoth's vast power was disseminated. The whole of 'Middle-earth' was Morgoth's Ring...the dilemma of the Valar was this: Arda could only liberated by a physical battle; but a probable result of such a battle was the irretrievable ruin of Arda. Moreover, the final eradication of Sauron (as a power directing evil) was achievable by the destruction of the Ring. No such eradication of Morgoth was possible, since this required the complete disintegration of the 'matter' of Arda.

Fëanor, somewhat unwittingly, provides the solution to this problem:

If we consider the situation after the escape of Morgoth and the reëstablishment of his abode in Middle-earth, we shall see that the heroic Noldor were the best possible weapon with which to keep Morgoth at bay, virtually besieged, and at any rate fully occupied, on the northern fringe of Middle-earth without provoking him to a frenzy of nihilistic destruction. And in the meanwhile, Men, or the best elements in Mankind, shaking off his shadow, came into contact with a people who had actually seen and experienced the Blessed Realm....[at the time of the War of Wrath] Morgoth though locally triumphant had neglected most of Middle-earth during the war; and by it he had in fact been weakened: in power and prestige (he had lost and failed to recover one of the Silmarils), and above all in mind...he had fallen to like being a tyrant king with conquered slaves, and vast obedient armies.

But what would have happened if Fëanor had listened to "reason" and not left Valinor without Manwë's permission? What exactly was Manwë's preferred course of action for dealing with Morgoth, who after all "had to be fought"? If the previous experience of the attack on Utumno after the awakening of the elves is any guide, it probably would have been to delay any action far longer than would have been prudent:

Eru 'accepted and ratified the position' - though making it plain to Manwë that the Valar should have contested Melkor's domination of Middle-earth far earlier, and that they had lacked estel: they should have trusted that in a legitimate war Eru would not have permitted Melkor so greatly to damage Arda that the Children could not come, or could not inhabit it.
-Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth

I think the same situation applies in this case. Morgoth was, as others have pointed out in this thread, about to completely conquer Beleriand when the Fëanorians showed up and chased him back to Angband for the next 450 years. Perhaps having Fëanor be the way he was, was in part Eru's way of ensuring that Melkor/Morgoth would be dealt with in a timely manner the second time around. Note that Fëanor´s rebuke to Manwë's herald is very similar in its criticism of Manwë's overly...uh... pensive approach:

Say this to Manwë Sulimo, High King of Arda: if Fëanor cannot overthrow Morgoth, at least he delays not to assail him, and sits not idle in grief. And it may be that Eru has set in me a fire greater than thou knowest. Such hurt at the least will I do to the Foe of the Valar that even the mighty in the Ring of Doom shall wonder to hear it. Yea, in the end they shall follow me.

Note that when Manwë hears of Fëanor´s rebuke to Namo, he takes the philosophical approach and expresses his hope that some good, or at least some good songs and poetry, will come out of all this...(sigh)

But, Fëanor should just have crossed the Helcaraxë.

[ July 06, 2003: Message edited by: Angry Hill Troll ]

[ July 11, 2003: Message edited by: Angry Hill Troll ]