[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Gorthaur the Cruel

In no way is Elrond equal to Galadriel. Peer perhaps but not her equal. Galadriel is often described as Feanor's rival, if not her equal.

And here your thesis begins to crumble... Galadriel is only described thus late in Tolkien's life, at a time when he was also saying that Celeborn was a Valinorean Teler, in contradiction of his canonical status in the LotR and Appendices. So your source is slightly suspect.

But setting that aside, how does being Feanor's equal make Galadriel Luthien's equal? As a half-Maia, Luthien is neither more a "Child of Eru" or more an Ainur, and thus would appear to be exempt from any "Greatest of the Children of Iluvatar" status claims.

Originally Posted by Gorthaur the Cruel

She was a match for both athletes & lore masters. Finrod Felegund, her brother, was even able to go toe-to-toe with Sauron who barely won only because Finrod was under the doom of Mandos, as are all the Noldor. Galadriel being greater than Finrod, this she can do also.

Are you forgetting that Luthien actually bested Finrod's claim not long after. She had Sauron by the throat, and if she hadn't been as kind-hearted as she was, there would never have been a Ring for Frodo to destroy...

Originally Posted by Gorthaur the Cruel

Her stature in Valinor was already noteworthy even before she left for ME. She fought valiantyl against the host of Feanor at the slaying of Alqualonde. I've never heard of Luthien doing hand-to-hand combat.

Hand to hand combat? That's what we base greatness and power on?

I direct your attention to Faramir's little discourse in "The Window on the West":

'Yet now, if the Rohirrim have grown in some ways more like to us, enhanced in arts and gentleness, we too have become more like to them, and can scarce claim any longer the title High. We are become Middle Men, of the Twilight, but with the memory of other things. For as the Rohirrim do, we now love war and valour as things good in themselves, both as a sport and as an end; and though we still hold that a warrior should have more skills and knowledge than only the craft of weapons and slaying, we esteem a warrior, nonetheless, above men of other crafts. Such is the need of our days. So even was my brother, Boromir: a man of prowess, and for that he was accounted the best man in Gondor.

T'would seem to me that you are much like these "falling" men of Gondor, putting martial skill above all else. And I would agree with Faramir that such is a sign of fading.

And one can't put it down to bravery, because bravery can be exhibited without fighting. Luthien's entire story of braving Tol Sirion and Angband is a story of courage.

Originally Posted by Gorthaur the Cruel

For these great eldars, especially Feanor have come very near to rival a maia.

Again, I don't know that I believe this statement. Feanor was great, yes, and with a mind and spirit to rival no other, but that does not mean that his raw power was any more than that of a Maia. Nowhere does it say that at all.

Originally Posted by Gorthaur the Cruel

Now, Luhtien has a 1/2 divine DNA but what does it mean for Galadriel who was accounted the greatest of elven women, to study in the tutelage of Melian for many years? Now Gandalf/galadriel has clearly stated that the elven rings give power according to the measure of the wearer, & it's quite obvious that Galadriel is far greater than Elrond (though he had Vilya, check out Lady G's effects). She knew Sauron's mind... not many of "wise" had this dominion over the greatest of the maiar. Nenya clearly enhanced her natural talents in many folds.

In the entire LotR, whenever Elrond and Galadriel are together, they are shown as being equals. You admit to them being peers. Well, that is tantamout to admitting that they are equals. In Gondor, on the road to the Redhorn Pass, and coming to Grey Havens, whenever they are together, they are shown as being equals. Celeborn gets no such treatment. He is shown as being his wife's equal partner, but we never see him getting the same sort of comparisons as Elrond and Gandalf (who IS a Maiar...)

As I said, Elrond and Galadriel had their fields of study. Galadriel is seen to be extremely proficient in mind-reading, but she clearly does not have great skill at healing- a skill which Elrond appears to practice with greater talent than any other in Middle-earth.

Galadriel is a great person, yes. But to put her over Luthien... that's a bit of a stretch.