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A project ~~~~Revising the Fall of Gondolin
<<3) What are you refering to as the 'later correction to 3'? The passage says '3 or at the most 7' and does not indicate a later correction to 3.>>
Dreadfully sorry about that. I should really try to stop quoting from memory. Anyway, my point is that since the number 3 was obviously generated without much thought or reference to the rest of the legendarium, I wouldn't put too much faith in the number 7 either.
<<Or even why must any Balrogs be slain in the War of Powers?>>
I'm not going to make this claim with certainty without the book in front of me, but I'm almost sure that one of texts in MR - either LQ or more likely AAm refers to the death of a number of balrogs before the onslaught of the Valar.
<<or do you suggest going following CT's lead and giving no numbers?>>
That's precisely what I suggest. I agree that we obviously cannot merely make up a different number; but I think that there's sufficient doubt about the figure of 7 that we need not mention it. I also think we can still have Rog slay a balrog (or else we'll have to cut out a very significant portion of the battle scene, and we'll be left with nothing about Rog at all). That would still allow 3 to have been killed in the War of Wrath, if we assume that the total of 7 must be kept.
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