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Originally Posted by obloquy
Well, you did say I have to disagree with you - I think [Glorfindel] was the most powerful of the Eldar remaining in ME.
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What I disagree with is your statement:
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Originally Posted by obloquy
His reincarnation was relatively unique, but his power was not. Note that he is still never spoken of as one of the greatest of the Eldar.
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I believe his power was outstanding - at least in the Third Age ME. In the First Age there had been many Elves greater than him - that's why he is not counted among the greatest of the Eldar overall. But in the Third Age he was quite a figure.
I hate to discuss relative powers of good guys, but it stands to reason that there are many kinds of power - spiritual and physical, power in domination and power in resistance and preservation, power in what men call sorcery etc. In military prowess Glorfindel was, perhaps, unmatched: wasn't he the head of the Elven forces of Lorien and Rivendell in the last Angmar War? - and not Elrond, or Amroth, or Galadriel.
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Originally Posted by obloquy
I disagree with the interpretation of the "world of shadow" as a literal realm where a person might be amplified or diminished independent of his "world of direct sunlight" counterpart. It is rather a modified perception of the ordinary, unified world, in which it is possible to see the spiritual power that is ordinarily veiled by corporeal forms.
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That has always been my interpretation of the Shadow World as well. But even so, Calaquendi are said to have great powers both in Seen and the Unseen - which the other lack.
And the quotes about reincarnated Elves lead to believe that they have increased power in the Unseen -
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"The resurrection of the body (at least as far as Elves were concerned) was in a sense incorporeal. But while it could pass physical barriers at will, it could at will oppose a barrier to matter. If you touched a resurrected body you felt it. Or if it willed it could simply elude you - disappear. Its position in space was at will.
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Originally Posted by obloquy
Then why isn't Glorfindel guardian of Narya? Who is Sauron likely to send to retrieve it, if he were to discover its location? Nazgul, right?
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In the Third Age The Three rings weren't
guarded, they were
wielded by those who needed them most - not by those who could guard them better.
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Originally Posted by obloquy
Again, Gandalf does not seem to consider Glorfindel unique, but just "one of" the Elf lords present in Rivendell.
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Sure, how could Tolkien in his text written in 1930-ies and published in 50-ies use the ideas from his late writings? But while writing about Glorfindel later (text in HOME 12) he did take into account LOTR. Also, as I said, Gandalf was not supposed to reveal everything to the hobbit in mid-quest.
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Originally Posted by obloquy
Gandalf was known for his humility and it is the reason he succeeded where others failed, particularly Saruman who mistakenly considered himself the most powerful of his order and a peer of Sauron.
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Humility is a good thing, and a part of "general strength" but it is different from raw power. Had Gandalf been mightier than Sauron, he wouldn't fear to confront him over the Palantir. Had Gandalf been mightier than Saruman, he wouldn't be trapped in Orthanc. If Gandalf were able to fight the Nine single-handedly (or with Radagast) he wouldn't have gone to Saruman, leaving Frodo on his own with only Rangers guarding the borders.
Actually, I treasure the image of the old weary wizard in grey, not the mightiest of his kind, sometimes afraid, often mistaken, but stalwart in his mission nonetheless. He is much more likeable (and believable) than a super-hero, mightier than Sauron would ever be.
Then again... what was the original question?
