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Re: Why not Glorfindel?

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  Posted by Russ on December 22, 1999 at 11:59:56
In Reply to: Re: Why not Glorfindel? posted by Michael Martinez on December 21, 1999 at 13:16:57:



: And yet he was persuaded by Gandalf to send Merry and Pippin while he was in doubt about the last two members of the company. He could be swayed before his mind was made up, and Gandalf argued that even an elf-lord like Glorfindel couldn't storm Barad-dur or open a way to the Sammath Naur.

: Actually, Tolkien says that Glorfindel became greater after his resurrection than he had been before, and he was more like one of the Maiar. Gandalf seems to allude to this when he says "Even if you chose for us an elf-lord, such as Glorfindel, he could not storm the Dark Tower, nor open the road to the Fire by the power that is in him."

: This passage was, of course, written long before Tolkien figured out what he wanted Glorfindel to be, but it is evident that Glorfindel was perceived as a very powerful being at this point nonetheless. His great power and strength, however, would have been insufficient against Sauron's power and strength. Stealth was required, not strength, and so Glorfindel's standing did not outweigh that of Merry and Pippin.

I still find it strange. Their expected enemy were the Nazgul - Nine Walkers against Nine Riders. Granted Glorfindel couldn't storm Mordor by himself, but he would have been useful (much more so than Legolas) in a run-in with the Nazgul.

Russ



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