If Glorfindel had joined the fellowship

By PsychoRocka, in The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

Posted at

Just came across a thread on Tolkien Fans that has some pretty hilarious posts at the start. Its mainly about Glorfindel and if he had been part of the fellowship/why he isn't asked to go along and also touches on the eternal debate about balrogs and wings at times.

The post I found especially clever and funny:

"I'm sure I saw wings," said Frodo, gazing back at the dark passage from which they'd escaped.
"No, you fool, you may have thought you saw wings, but it were merely a cloud shaped like wings. Trust not your eyes in the arts of the Enemy!" Gandalf's eyebrows arched highly as he spoke, and the others nodded in agreement, wishing to appear as sage as he.
"Well I saw wings, clear as the Gaffer's ears, I tell you," said Sam, unhappy at hearing his Master called a fool, even if it was from a wizard. Meanwhile Legolas walked on the ceiling, singing tra-la-la.
Glorfindel leapt back up from the chasm whence he had dived to give the Balrog a final kick. "Hey, guuuuys!" he said, sliding over. "Wasn't that, like, totally epic? I'm just so RADIANT!" The hobbits stared up starry-eyed whilst Aragorn grumbled in jealousy.
"In Gondor," interjected Boromir, "We have many tales of winged servants of the Enemy. Oft we fight such horrors, to no thanks from other lands. Indeed I'm very heroic on such occasions, and deserving of praise and precious gifts. Could this not have been such a fell beast?"
Gandalf muttered a low curse about the wisdom of Men. "Your contribution is noted, Boromir, I think we'll carry on now. Step away from Frodo, please."
Posted at

Hahaha, funny indeed

As for the subject itself, just for the discussion since Glorfindel is one of my favourite characters (i was very annoyed Arwen took his part of the movie), weather we accept he was the same Glorfindel with the hero of Gondolin - as it seems Tolkien intended towards the end of his life - or not, he indeed was a very powerfull elf, being a member of the white council and fighting in wars for Rivendell.

But the intention of Tolkien was not for the strong Elves to take the adventure (Elrond, Galadriel, Cirdan etc, none was in the fellowship), since their old world was ending and a new one was rising and also i always believe that he intended to show that the "small", uknown soldier as he and his fellow British at WW1 (hobbits) were the heroes that were winning the fight even if someone else like officers (Gandalf) was planning

Posted at

One simple explanation that I think may even be found in The Council of Elrond is that the mission must rely on stealth, and Glorfindel is so powerful that Sauron would sense him coming a hundred miles away.

(In an early note about the LotR, Tolkien recounts Frodo's companions: Gandalf, Trotter (Aragorn), Sam, Odo, Folco, Merry, Glorfindel, and Burin son of Balin. This was way before he seemed to lean towards Glorfindel of Gondolin and Rivendell being the same character.)

edit: There is also that Gandalf simply would rather trust to friendship than great wisdom. He says "Even if you [Elrond] 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." -The Fellowship of the Ring p. 359, HarperCollins (1991).

Edited by Olorin93
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He says "Even if you [Elrond] 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."

That's why he has a starting threat of 5 :)