Regarding the
Tallest Issue:
From
Unfinished Tales: Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin
Quote:
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A description of Gondolin was to follow, of the stairs up to its high platform, and its great gate; of the mounds (this word is uncertain) of mallorns, birches, and evergreen trees; of the Place of the Fountain, the King's tower on a pillared arcade, the King's house, and the banner of Fingolfin. Now Turgon himself would appear, "tallest of all the Children of the World, save Thingol," with a white and gold sword in a ruel-bone (ivory) sheath, and welcome Tuor. Maeglin would be seen standing on the right of the throne, and Idril the King's daughter seated on the left; and Tuor would speak the message of Ulmo either "in the hearing of all" or "in council-chamber."
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I think that for us it would be very important to try and retain as much as we can from the brief description that JRRT made that was to follow his
late Tuor.
To me, the part about Turgon being tall was to especify that although Tuor was taller than most of the Gondolindrim, but Turgon was indeed taller than him.
Our editorial additon of using
living seems to me as Aiwendil has said, canonically correct and we retain JRRT words with only one editorial addition.
I had also thought about using a statement that Turgon was the tallest in the chamber when Tuor entered but that scenario seemed ackward to me.
I can think of several times when we have used other more
intrusive emendations in our work.
I would stick with Aiwendil's idea.
As far as the emendations of the
Horns of Ulmo poem, I will take some time to review your ideas and try to come up with some.
I do not think that it is essential that we finish our discussion of the poem in order to have our draft, we can state in our draft that in this place goes an emended poem, which can be revised later.