The treachery of the Valar

[Macalaure]

That is what I meant. Thanks for the clarification.

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Could the reason be that it was for Elves' own good? The Elves, being such confounded curious beings, always wanting to go meet things, talk and sing with them, and generally find out about the world, might have taken off for M-E to go looking for these Men. And we all know what happened when the Elves took off for M-E eventually...

Another point is simply that created beings are not "supposed" to know the future. Prophecy is one thing -- it's a mystical-myterious look forward through mortal agency -- but hearing about something that will happen from the word of God (or gods) is altogether different! Absolutely certain foreknowledge is the atomic weapon of philosophical/moral conundrums. I have enough trouble making sense of today and yesterday without having to worry about how tomorrow fits into the picture! The uncertainty of the future is a necessary precondition for free-will and its operation in moral choice.

(I also like Durelin's joke theory -- wouldn't curunir have been just SOO impossibly smug about it all, though?)