[daeron]

Luthien's power came from a far greater source, love. Not that I am a romance novelist or something, but I believe love gives a reason to focus the inherent power more than anything else.

But that aside, I think there should be no comparison, Luthien was half Maia. But to put the great Morgoth to sleep says something. One must remember that though Sauron was mighty in the first age, he was far greater at the end of the second age, having mastered the lores of Aule in his exile , having learnt a lot from the elves and the forging of the rings of power. Denying death to man as he did for the Nazgul, proves the point.


Also, I think the ability of elves of Middle Earth declined as the ages passed. Those of the third age were considerably weakend in mind and body, especially those who wielded the rings of power. They longed more to return to Valinor, and I believe began to consider Middle Earth as only a temporary residence. So we cannot exactly blame Galadriel for not waging a one on one combat with sauron as Luthien did.


There was also the fact that Nenya guarded lorien and her presence was required just as Melian's was to keep the girdle intact. Considering Luthien's accomplishments one does wonder whether Melian herself could not have achieved more, probably Morgoth's overthrow itself.

Galadriel could not risk exposing Lorien which was dearer to her than probably Valinor itself. She was proud and considered herself a ruler here which she would not have been in Valinor.


Melian did not overthrow Morgoth, nay not even Sauron. Fate had not decreed a combat between them. As it did not between Galadriel and Sauron. Luthien's confrontation was but a 'chance meeting as we say in Middle Earth.' Had not luthien let Sauron go, there would not have been losses of hundreds of thousands of lives in later ages. So is greater kindness an evil, one can only hope not.