Who was the greatest??????

[Keneldil the Polka-dot]

I'm just going to toss this out there for the heck of it. I can hear burrahobbit sharpening his graph-drawing pencil already, but what the heck.

Who together with the greatest of all the Eldar, Lúthien Tinúviel, daughter of Elu Thingol, are the chief matter of the legends and histories of the Elves.

We have that quote from JRRT, THE MAN HIMSELF. Unequivocal, unassailable, undeniable, unbendable. I was just wondering if that quote could be seen as an opinion? Yeah, yeah, before you go and slap me with the reality stick, I know JRRT created ME and in his capacity as the creator knows all and is the final authority blah blah blah. Bear with me here. I can't quote chapter and verse, but in my readings of JRRT's commentaries I got the sense that at times he felt like he was "discovering" ME and finding out about its histories rather than inventing them. I know that is a fiction used to describe the creative process, but more authors than Tolkien have said words to the effect that the story takes on a life of its own. That the characters and events seem to move and act and they "find out" how it goes.

If you can accept that as a valid point of view, that quote of JRRT could be considered an opinion.

Personally, I would not have chosen Luthien or Feanor as the greatest if it were up to me (yeah I know it isn't). I can see the case for Galadriel though.

[ November 06, 2002: Message edited by: Keneldil the Polka-dot ]