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Re: Principles of editing the Silmarillion
I guess I'll be the first to jump in and make another attempt at a comprehensive set of rules:
1. The first priority is always given to the latest editions of works published during Tolkien's lifetime, except where there is a clearly demonstratable error.
2. Secondary priority is given to the latest ideas found among Tolkien's unpublished texts and letters, except where they:
a. violate the published canon without specifically correcting an error or
b. are proposed changes that do not clearly indicate the exact details that must be changed and how they are to be changed.
3. If no sources that fall under number 2 can be used to form the actual narrative of a section, then any text edited by Christopher Tolkien may be used, provided it does not violate the canon established for that section by numbers 1 and 2 above.
4. No new names may be introduced; all names that are changed must be changed either in accordance with a universal change by JRRT or with a logical reason and a sound etymology.
5. It is not for us to decide what is aesthetically superior; where we have multiple options, we must choose from among them based on the above principles; personal aesthetics (if used at all) may only be used to decide between two options given equal validity by the above guidelines. A corallary is that we may not disregard anything written by JRRT unless it is invalidated by one of the above principles; i.e., we must have a REASON for rejecting something.
I think there should also be an item re: changes in the wording, for style and such, but I'm not sure how to word it (or what exactly it should say.)
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