I would like to add again one peace of effidance. We already took it up in our 'final' text of the corrosponding chapter. It comes from
The History of Middle-Earth; volume 5:
The Lost Road; Part 2: [I]Valinor and Middle-Earth before The Lord of the Rings[I]; chapter VI:
Quenta Silmarillion with the emendations given in
The History of Middle-Earth; volume 11:
The War of the Jewels; part 2:
The Later Quenta Silmarillion;
The Last Chapters.
Quote:
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The meeting of the hosts of the West and of the North is named the Great Battle, the Battle Terrible, and the War of Wrath. There was marshalled the whole power of the Throne of Morgoth, and it had become great beyond count, so that Dor-na-Fauglith could not contain it, and all the North was aflame with war. But it availed not. The Balrogs were destroyed, save some few that fled and hid themselves in caverns inaccessible at the roots of the earth. The uncounted legions of the Orcs perished like straw in a great fire, or were swept like shrivelled leaves before a burning wind. Few remained to trouble the world for long years after. And it is said that all that were left of the three Houses of the Elf-friends, Fathers of Men, fought for Eönwë; and they were avenged upon the Orcs in those days for Baragund and Barahir, Galion and Gundor, Huor and Húrin, and many others of their lords; and so were fulfilled in part the words of Ulmo, for by Eärendel son of Tuor help was brought unto the Elves, and by the swords of Men they were strengthened on the fields of war. But a great part of the sons of Men, whether of the people of Uldor or others newcome out of the East, marched with the Enemy; and the Elves do not forget it.
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Does that not mean that at least the mission of Tuor to bring help from Men unto Turgon is still valid?
And farther it showes for me in which direction we have to think about the supposedly better outcame of the War, had Turgon follwed Ulmos advise: Imaging a host of Men under the guidiance of Tuor marching from the east to the Battle would have prefented the the Orc from being 'swept like shrivelled leaves before a burning wind' but forced them all to be 'perished like straw in a great fire'.
On a more general basis, I agree with gondowe that it was Ulmos intent to get the Gondolindrim out of Gondolin as sun as possible. After thinking longer about it, I am even no longer sure if the flight to the mouth of Sirion and the preparation for the battle to come wouldn't be one and the same or at least the one part of the other.
I also would like to share my thoughts about how these words of Ulmo 'Nor should the feud with the sons of Feanor be left unhealed' could become true (even so I am sure that nothing of this will find his way into our text). At this point in history Turgon had no feud with the sons of Feanor. The feud was between the Feanorians and Doraith, which still stood. If Turgon would follow Ulmos path, he would have to form an alliance with both Thingol and the Feanorians. The only way I can see for this, is Thingol giving the Silmaril to Maedron. I would assume that Ulmo whished Turgon to akt like a moderator in this feud, while he tried to build his alliance. In the end we also know that the Silmaril had to come to Earendil soon or later, which again could only mean that Maedron would give to Earendil out of free will. Wouldn't that have been a real path of healing of Arda marred?
Respectfuly
Findegil