[Amarinth]

agreed, orofacion.

i don't have my silm with me but also from what i understand contextually of their union, melian through such a spiritual bond had invested into or at the least shared with thingol some of her power and wisdom. by this bond thingol the elf was able to rule the great elf-kingdom of doriath; melian the maia shared that rule and with her native powers protected doriath with her girdle. when thingol died i understand she had to withdraw both rule and power because the former was not principally hers and this invalidated the application of the latter. the ainu are destined to rule over the kingdom of arda, not the kingdom of elves. doriath did not begin its ruin at melian's withrawal but rather at the death of thingol, the doom of its ruler.

admittedly this dwells a trifle too much on technicality, but that's how i understood it from the very beginning.