Posted: September 03, 1998 at 03:36:17: by Padster
: : I agree with Steve. I think weariness of Middle-earth is a large part of Elrond's attitude. But Steve's point about his duty against Sauron brings up an interesting question. Why does Elrond seem to have a greater say in who goes among the Nine Walkers than Gandalf. Gandalf "beats him out" in everything. Gandalf's wiser (wisest of the Maiar), Gandalf is more powerful (Maia compared to elf), Gandalf understands Sauron better, and finally this is Gandalf's task. The only support for Elrond is the fact that the Istari weren't supposed to do everything for the Children of Illúvatar so Gandalf let Elrond choose to some extent.: : What do you think? : : Jon : I suspect that some part of it may have been curtesy since they were staying at Rivendell. : Cirk Bejnar Elrond had a heavy say in things due to the fact that he had spent the best part of 7000 years in Middle Earth. Gandalf had spent, what? - 2000 - tops! It certainly was not Gandalf's *choice* to allow Elrond to choose then nine. There is a difference between wisdom and knowledge! Elrond had faced the forces of Sauron in the field, in the largest conflict short of the War of Wrath and the Fifth Battle. He was a close witness to the conflict which saw the downfall of Sauron on the slops of Orodruin. He knew A LOT about Sauron and his methods (compared to most in Middle Earth). Now Gandalf, certainly being wiser, probably more powerful (though I believe this to be a *debatable* point since Gandalf was in a far less powerful form than Olorin), I believe lacked as much first hand and indepth knowledge of Sauron and the way he conducted his campaign against the free peoples of Middle Earth as Elrond had. Remember Gandalf, or Olorin as he would have been at the time, last met Sauron before even Morgoth kick off - a very, very, very long time ago indeed. And Gandalf, like Manwe, found it somewhat difficult to understand the true nature of evil. Elrond represented the cumulation of the royalty of Middle Earth and was certainly among the very wisest AND knowledgeable of the peoples of Middle Earth, behind (with regard to wisdom) maybe Cirdan, Celeborn, Galadriel and of course the Istari. His position and right to have a heavy influence on the party who was meant to, ultimately, be responsible for bring down Sauron, is without question! And I do not believe that he had any problem with understanding evil. Gandalf's *wisdom* shows when he pursuades Elrond to allow Merry and Pippin to go along. This point is a very difficult choice to understand, cause NO ONE could have known that Merry and Pippin were going to rouse the Ents, but it showed Gandalf's .......... instinct, where as Elrond was, quite rightly, trying to fill the party with people who could take care of themselves (and I will ALWAYS believe that Glorfindel should have gone along - he is one kick ass dude). So yes, Gandalf was wiser than Elrond, but with regard to Sauron, Elrond must have been the more knowledgeable. And that, cuppled with the fact that Elrond represented the the cumulation of the royal houses of men and elves (and as Aragorn says in 'The Houses of Healing', '...Elrond is the greatest of our race...') no one was better placed or had more right to choose who took part in the greatest task of the age! The defeat of Sauron!
Padster
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