The Wise in Middle Earth

[The Mouth of Sauron]

Originally Posted by JeffF.

I just wanted to respond to the original post. Elrond never said he would choose Glorfindel over Pippin. Gandalf used Glorfindel as an example of a potential alternate to Pippin. Elrond's objection to Pippin was his age (by his own admition in RotK Pippin was not yet at the hobbit age of adulthood) and wished to send him with warning to the Shire to prepare as best they could.

Glorfindel would not have been all that bad a choice. An elflord with his power "revealed in his wrath" would have been an excellent way of fixing Sauron's attention and distracting him from the real ringbearer, but in all likelihood it would probably have been Glorfindel who would fall fighting the Balrog in Moria rather than Gandalf (since he'd killed one before at the Fall of Gondolin at the cost of his own life), but then Gandalf would not have been reincarnated as Gandalf the White.

Let's be honest - it was insanity sending 4 hobbits off to Mordor in the first place. And incredible that Elrond, Gandalf and Aragorn would countenance such a move.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by The Mouth of Sauron

Let's be honest - it was insanity sending 4 hobbits off to Mordor in the first place. And incredible that Elrond, Gandalf and Aragorn would countenance such a move.

Not to nitpick (Heaven forbid! ), but really only one Hobbit was 'sent' to Mordor: Frodo. The rest, with the remainder of the Fellowship, were merely companions to aid him along the way, for as far as they would, or could continue.
The choice of who was to go was, I think, primarily Elrond's, though he gave in to Gandalf's wish to allow Merry and Pippin. Aragorn seems to have played no part in the selection, beyond volunteering himself. Gandalf obviously had, though maybe not conciously, a foresight that Merry and Pippin would play a crucial role, and Elrond was wise enough to trust him.