: I always took that phrase to mean that he was high king of all
: Elves in the west of Middle-earth - including those
: Sindarin/Silvan realms east of the Misty Mountains. Are you
: saying that the phrase should be taken to refer to Elves west
: of the Mistys?

"Elves of the West" = Eldar in LOTR. Remember, there were originally only the "west elves" and the "east elves", or Eldar and Wood Elves. Gil-galad was not high king over the Wood Elves.

: I'm operating from memory here but IIRC, Gil-galad had very
: little Noldorin blood. That fact might have made him somewhat
: acceptable to the Sindar living in Lindon and Eriador. I
: always viewed his sovereign lordship (in the sense of actual
: governing authority) of those Sindar as being a result of them
: living physically in his realm - just as there were first age
: Sindar who lived in Noldorin realms. There were no sovereign
: Sindarin realms west of the Misty's over which he could be high
: king. There were simply areas in his realm where Sindar lived.

He was born into a Noldorin family. How "pure" his blood was doesn't seem to be an issue with the Noldor. I would say he ended up king over the Sindar mostly because they ended up under his rule in Beleriand. Cirdan's people were Sindar and they were the first permanent residents of Balar. Gil-galad somehow ended up there along with other Noldor, and after the death of Turgon he became High King of the Noldor, so his status was immediately elevated. When the survivors of Arvernien were taken to Balar, Gil-galad's people were increased in number and would have included both Noldor and Sindar.

Cirdan seems to have shared rule of the island with him. Perhaps Gil-galad was simply recognized as king by the Elves there because he was who he was.

As for whether there were any "sovereign Sindarin realms" in Eriador, we don't know, but there is evidence that Tolkien envisioned Elves living throughout Eriador. All that changed when Sauron overran the region. The same appears to be true of the realms east of the Misty Mountains (which were NOT Sindarin realms -- their peoples were mostly Silvan Elves, and thus these were Silvan realms). After the War of the Elves and Sauron, so far as we can determine, only the two kingdoms of Oropher and Amdir survived.

: In other words, he didn't seem to be high king of anything.
: There don't appear to be any underkingdoms that paid him much
: heed...

There didn't need to be any underkingdoms for Gil-galad to be High King. He wasn't High King over a region (such as the High Kings of Eire, although I've suggested Tolkien may have had them in mind), he was High King over the Elves.

:...Celebrimbor might go through the motions an acknowledge him
: high king - but he's Noldor. I cannot see Oropher or Amdir
: actually even paying lip-service to the title. I'd be very
: surprised if in his correspondence with the Sindarin kings if
: he even mentioned that title: High King of the Elves of the
: West.

There was no connection between Gil-galad and the Silvan realms except in the form of the alliance at the end of the Second Age. Unless the cryptic statement about Gil-galad's power extending to the Vales of Anduin implies he established some formal ties with them while Sauron was in Numenor.

: : In one account Oropher is said to be hostile to the Noldor
: : (and, in fact, it was this account which stated he preferred
: : not to march as part of Gil-galad's army).

: That's pretty much consistent with my memory; however, I did
: have the impression that even Oropher acknowledged at least the
: tactical command of Gil-galad (notwithstanding his unauthorized
: charge)

Quite the opposite, his unauthorized charge being the prime example of how he conducted himself.

: : Tolkien may have had the ancient Irish model of High Kings in
: : mind for the Elves. I don't believe the High Kings of Eire
: : actually had the authority to compel other rulers to do
: : anything.

: Right. This impotent high kingship was present in both the
: First and Second Ages. Fingon, the high king, allowed Maedhros
: to take the lead against Morgoth. Fingon could not order
: Orodreth to take the field in the Fourth Battle. Gil-galad
: could not order Celebrimbor to cut off contact with Sauron.
: About the only think I remember a high king doing was Fingolfin
: holding the party for reconciliation. . Gil-galad probably
: did the most with his high kingship in putting together the
: Last Alliance but as I opined earlier his role seemed to be
: limited to using the bully-pulpit and not as using any real
: authority to order people around.

Gil-galad would NOT have ordered Celebrimbor to have nothing to do with Sauron. That would have been highly uncharacteristic of the Elves.

The High Kingship of the First Age came with a high price. Both Fingolfin and Fingon had the highest bounties placed on their heads by Morgoth. Hithlum was also the foremost realm in the wars against Angband. The Union of Maedhros was a last gasp (although a very strident one) of the Feanorians.

Until the Dagor Bragollach, it was the High King's cavalry which patrolled Ard-galen. The High King's army was therefore the most powerful one for several centuries.

Again, in the Second Age, the High King was the one who concluded the treaty with Numenor 100 years prior to the War of the Elves and Sauron, and it was the High King who fortified (or authorized the fortification) of Eriador against invasion. And it was the High King who sent reinforcements to Eregion.

I believe that the High Kings were relying upon their personal or local realms exclusively to enforce their authority (i.e., Eregion would not have acted in the name of the High King), but they were essentially the leaders in the wars of the Noldor.

The Union of Maedhros is thus an anomaly.
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