The Middle Earth Popularity Cup

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

When I opened the thread and saw somewhere "++Galadriel" (without yet reading the thread properly), I was clear on what is the choice for me Of course, because of the sense of duty, I scrolled up and checked who the other candidate is - but I can hardly imagine a worthy competition here.

++Galadriel

And now I may as well go and read the arguments which people had for one or another here on this thread

[Nerwen]

++Galadriel

Well, duh... who did you think I'd vote for?

...But actually I do think Fëanor is pretty cool... in an appalling sort of way.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

++Galadriel

Well, duh... who did you think I'd vote for?

...But actually I do think Fëanor is pretty cool... in an appalling sort of way.

Ah well we balance each other out.

I suppose that I just felt that in the end there wouldn't have been much of a plot without Feanor and his crazy family

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Yeah, indeed: Finland is the notorious feminist country where women have always been at least quite equal with men and got the right to vote third in the world and first in Europe.

But not before Australia, so clearly, I win.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

So you would have preferred her to be bitter and twisted like Erendis? Or ended up alone and unhappy?

To be honest, yes. I'm not a fan of happy endings. I wouldn't have minded it if she had died, either, but I don't think I'd claim she was punished for not staying in her box. Actually her death would have been the best option, in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Mith

Women who don't know their place come to a bad end they don't marry the man who complements them perfectly.

Okay, that's what happens to some, but I bet there are at least as many books of a woman getting a happy ending despite once stepping astray. Learning to accept one's place is maybe called 'growing up', but I think it should rather be called 'getting tired of standing up against what one considers wrong'. In that sense, I don't think Éowyn learnt to accept her place, but she made the choice which was considered normal for a woman. She could have been such an extraordinary woman (once she got over her depression) but her end was simply boring.
And yes, the novels I was thinking about were mostly Finnish.

Originally Posted by Mith

There is absolutely no evidence that she had to marry at all.

I didn't mean she had to marry Faramir because she wanted to become a 'proper woman'. What I thought was rather that Tolkien wanted her to marry so she could become that and get a happy ending (in Tolkien's opinion - and I don't deny it is a happy ending, it's just not what I would like) as well, which is the thing that annoys me.

[skip spence]

A fairly comfortable win for Galadriel in the end despite falling behind early on. Fëanor, who will be fuming, is sent on the long and lonely journey back to Formenos.

Match 13 of Round 1:

Also known as Strider and Elessar, Aragorn is one of the favourites to win this tournament. He will be in for stiff competition against the legendary Elu Thingol, tallest of all the children of Illuvatar, High King of Beleriand and leader of the Sindarin Elves of Middle Earth in the first Age of Arda.

Aragorn vs. Thingol Greycloak

[Morthoron]

Thingol didnt have many redeeming qualities, did he? Other than a brief trip to the spa at Club Valinor and bagging Melian the Maia, he was pretty much a thickheaded and pompous git.

++Aragorn, because he was not a thickheaded git. Too bad there isn't much info on him using his Thorongil AKA.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

I'd say
+ + Aragorn son of Arathorn, Elessar, Isildur's Heir, the Elfstone,
Strider, Telcontar...

Say what you will, he knew how to kiss up to his main squeeze's
father and especially her grandmom.