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Old 03-25-2001, 09:23 AM   #9
Aiwendil
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Join Date: Mar 2001
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Re: the debate turns canonical

Quote: &lt;&lt;there are potential exceptions, but in general The entirity of the scenario in Valinor would come from X and be supplemented w/ sourceslike Shibboleth or Quendi and Eldar or even [rarely] Lost tales when additional detail/later conceptions can be worked in w/ out recourse to editorial glosses or creative writing.&gt;&gt;

I agree wholeheartedly with this approach. As a matter of fact, I had been considering doing something of this sort myself before I recently stumbled upon this forum. I see no reason that certain small contradictions between works like the Q.S. and the Shibboleth should preclude the use of both in a coherent narrative. I do think that much of the Shibboleth can be coherently incorporated - the material on naming, the excursus on the descendants of Finwe, and the matter of &quot;th&quot; vs. &quot;s&quot;. This last, I would say, is the primary content of the Shibboleth. However, it seems to me that the disagreement between Feanor and Fingolfin, really a minor and casual reference in relation to the essay itself, cannot be introduced from the Shibboleth, as it contradicts the Q.S.

Quote: &lt;&lt;At first blush I found this unmanagable but after Elenion clarified the point and I can see that the 2 situations may well be reconciled by the fact that Fingolfin promised to follow in the context of Finwe being alive. [ Feanor nontheless felt betrayedI am sure though much of Fingolfin's motivation was prob. that his people made it clear they felt Feanor was prob. to ubstable to rule the Noldor] .&gt;&gt;

But there is no indication in the Q.S. of such a context. Fingolfin is declaring his loyalty not to Finwe but to Feanor: &quot;You shall lead and I shall follow.&quot; To take this and construct a way to include both it and the debate from the Shibboleth is to change the meaning of Tolkien's words.



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