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Originally Posted by Belegorn
True, the superlatives are there, in abundance. Like in your first quote some of the superlatives given to his brothers are applied to Fëanor as well, "Fëanor was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind, in valour,... in strength" [Sil, p. 112]
Also applied to him are "beauty" and "understanding", whereas with Finarfin "fairest" and "wise of heart" are used. So one can wonder, how is Fingolfin said to be the strongest of the brothers when Fëanor is said to be "mightiest in all parts of body" as well as in "strength", and "endurance".
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Exactly. To much stock can be put in the superlatives.
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Your quote from the note reads to me in this way: "especially Elrond" refers to him, like Galadriel, with conceptions of being able to wield the One, not necessarily Elrond having a better aptitude of wielding it because if you read on you will see them in the same light, apart from Gandalf.[/quote]
I can't read it that way. The appearing to conceive is not in doubt. Hence the 'If so' necessarily refers to the 'aptitude', or ability to use it against Sauron.
As your following quote showed, however, it would have ended up being a deceit regardless of the wielder.
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Hear me out on this and tell me what you think. Galadriel is interesting because it is said of her in The History of Galadriel and Celeborn; "she grew to be tall beyond the measure even of the women of the Noldor; she was strong of body, mind, and will, a match for both the loremasters and athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth." [p. 241] What is interesting to me is the part that says, "a match for both the loremasters..." and the inquiries about Galadriel's fighting prowess. It is said she was a staunch defender against her uncle's massacre at Alqualondë. This is basically the only text that I know of her mentioned in actual combat. Now, the text I quoted says she was a match for the loremasters. Interestingly enough a text reads that the loremasters of the Noldor:
"Nor were the 'loremasters' a separate guild of GENTLE SCRIBES, soon burned by the Orks of Angband upon pyres of books. They were mostly even as Fëanor, the greatest, kings, princes and warriors, such AS THE VALIANT CAPTAINS OF GONDOLIN" [The Peoples of Middle-earth, Note 23]
In other words they were not nerds or some such with no aptitude to fight. Rather than being gentle scribes they are "as the valiant captains of Gondolin". Therefore, perhaps it is safe to assume, that Galadriel too was such as these and would probably be able to best Elrond in a sword fight.
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My thoughts in short are: 'Athlete' does not necessarily equal warrior, 'mostly' does not equal all, Elven-women, as Galadriel did here, would fight fiercely in defense of home and kindred, this does not necessarily mean they were soldiers. This is the only circumstance we have of Galadriel engaging in physical battle (see for example, Celeborn led the army to Dol Guldur, Galadriel (much like Luthien at Minas Tirith) just utilized her power to throw down the walls, after the fighting was done), whereas Elrond seems to have participated in the War of Wrath, and fought through battles and sieges in the Second (and possibly Third) Age. So Galadriel besting Elrond in physical combat would be dubious at best (much less a Fingolfin or Fingon or Maedhros).