The Greatest and the Mightiest
Melkor must be made far more powerful in original nature (cf. ‘Finrod and Andreth’). The greatest power under Eru (sc. the greatest created power). (He was to make / devise / begin; Manwë (a little less great) was to improve, carry out, complete.)
- Morgoth's Ring: Myths Transformed
Then the fires of the heart of Fëanor were kindled, and his eyes blazed; and his sight burned through all the fair-semblance of Melkor to the dark depths of his mind, perceiving there his fierce lust for the Silmarils. Then hate overcame Fëanor’s fear, and he spoke shamefully to Melkor, saying: ‘Get thee from my gate, gangrel! Thou jail-crow of Mandos!’ And he shut the door of his house in the face of the mightiest of all the dwellers in Eä.
- Morgoth's Ring: Of the Silmarils and the Darkening of Valinor
Yet it is said that though his [Melkor's] power and strength is the greatest of the Valar and of all things here below, at heart he is a craven when alone, and that he took not the challenge willingly.
- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa
Thus the Ainur came into the world, whom we call the Valar, or the Powers, and they dwelt in many places: in the firmament, or in the deeps of the sea, or upon earth, or in Valinor upon the borders of earth. And the four greatest were Melko and Manwë and Ulmo and Aulë.
- The Lost Road and Other Writings: Ainulindalë
Greatest in strength and deeds of prowess is Tulkas, who is surnamed Astaldo, the Valiant.
- Silmarillion: Valaquenta
Manwë was the spirit of greatest wisdom and prudence in Arda.
- Morgoth's Ring: Myths Transformed
Aulë, for instance, one of the Great, in a sense ‘fell’; for he so desired to see the Children, that he became impatient and tried to anticipate the will of the Creator. Being the greatest of all craftsmen he tried to make children according to his imperfect knowledge of their kind.
But others say that this is the black shadow of Sauron, whom the Gnomes named Gorthû, who served Morgoth even in Valinor and came with him, and was the greatest and most evil of his underlings;
- The Lost Road and Other Writings: Quenta Silmarillion
For Fëanor was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind: in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Eru, and a bright flame was in him.
- Morgoth's Ring: The Annals of Aman
But the great gifts of the Ñoldor did not come from the teaching of Melkor. Fëanor the greatest of them all never had any dealings with Melkor in Aman, and was his greatest foe.
- The War of Jewels: Quendi and Eldar
Fëanor was the greatest of the Eldar in arts and lore, but also the proudest and most selfwilled.
- The Return of the King: Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers
Then he[Fëanor]died; but he had neither burial nor tomb, for so fiery was his spirit that, as it passed, his body fell to ash and was borne away like a smoke, and his likeness has never again appeared in Arda, neither has his spirit left the realm of Mandos. Thus ended the mightiest of the Noldor, of whose deeds came both their greatest renown and their most grievous woe.
- The War of Jewels: The Grey Annals
For Fëanor beheld the hair of Galadriel with wonder and delight. He begged three times for a tress, but Galadriel would not give him even one hair. These two kinsfolk, the greatest of the Eldar of Valinor, [who together with the greatest of all the Eldar, Lúthien Tinúviel, daughter of Elu Thingol, are the chief matter of the legends and histories of the Elves.] were unfriends for ever.
- The Peoples of Middle-earth: Shibboleth of Fëanor
Galadriel was the greatest of the Ñoldor, except Fëanor maybe, though she was wiser than he, and her wisdom increased with the long years.
- The Peoples of Middle-earth: Shibboleth of Fëanor
In Lindon south of the Lune dwelt for a time Celeborn, kinsman of Thingol; his wife was Galadriel, greatest of Elven women.
- The Return of the King: Appendix B: The Tale of Years
Most grievous of the losses of that battle was the death of Fingolfin mightiest of the Noldoli.
- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa
Though Fingolfin of Hithlum was overlord of all the Noldor, Inglor, well-beloved of all Elves, became indeed the greatest prince in the land.
- The War of Jewels: The Grey Annals
Eärwen gave this name [Ingoldo] to her eldest child Artafindë (Finrod), and by it he was usually called by his brothers and sister who esteemed him and loved him. It was never Sindarized (the form would have been Angoloð). The name spread from his kin to many others who held him in honour, especially to Men (the Atani) of whom he was the greatest friend among the Eldar. Thus later it became frequent as a given name in Númenor, and continued to be so in Gondor, though reduced in the Common Speech to Ingold
- The Peoples of Middle-earth: Shibboleth of Fëanor
Therefore they are called the Sindar, the Grey Elves, but themselves they named Eglath, the Forsaken. Elwë after became their king, mightiest of all the Alamanyar [correction to Úmanyar missed]. He it was who was called Thingol in the language of Doriath.
- Morgoth's Ring: Of the Coming of the Elves
Thirdly: because after the death of Fëanor the overlordship of the Exiles passed to Fingolfin (save among the followers of Fëanor’s sons), and he acknowledged the high-kingship of Thingol, being indeed in awe of that king, mightiest of the Eldar save Fëanor, and of Melian no less.
- The War of Jewels: The Grey Annals
Throughout the Third Age the guardianship of the Three Rings was known only to those who possessed them. But at the end it became known that they had been held at first by the three greatest of the Eldar: Gil-galad, Galadriel and Círdan.
- The Return of the King: Appendix B: The Tale of Years
Now Hador Glorindol, son of Hathol, son of Magor, son of Malach Aradan entered the household of Fingolfin in youth, and was loved by the king. Fingolfin therefore gave to him the lordship of Dor-lómin, and into that land he gathered most of the people of his kin and became the mightiest of the chieftains of the Edain.
- The War of Jewels: Of Men
Then Gethron spoke the message of Morwen before Thingol and Melian; and Thingol received them kindly, and set Túrin upon his knee in honour of Húrin, mightiest of Men, and of Beren his kinsman.
- The Children of Húrin: Túrin in Doriath
Yet Thingol would not take the hoard, and long he bore with Húrin; but Húrin scorned him, and wandered forth in quest of Morwen his wife, but it is not said that he found her ever upon the earth; and some have said that he cast himself at last into the western sea, and so ended the mightiest of the warriors of mortal Men.
- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa
Thingol desires the unwrought gold brought by Húrin to be worked; he sends for the greatest craftsmen on earth, the Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost; and they coming desire the treasure for themselves, the Silmaril also, and plot to gain it.
- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa
Long was the search, and in searching Dairon the piper of Doriath was lost, who loved Lúthien before Beren came to Doriath. He was the greatest of the musicians of the Elves, save Maglor son of Fëanor, and Tinfang Warble. > and Maglor son of Fëanor and Tinfang Gelion alone are named with him.
- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa
For Maglor was the mightiest of the singers of old, but he came never back among the people of the Elves.
- The Lost Road and Other Writings: Quenta Silmarillion
Eärendel was the son of Tuor and Idril and ’tis said the only being that is half of the kindred of the Eldalië and half of Men. He was the greatest and first of all mariners among Men, and saw regions that Men have not yet found nor gazed upon for all the multitude of their boats.
- The Book of Lost Tales: The Tale of Eärendel
Thus it was that the many emissaries of the Gnomes in after days came never back to Valinor – save one, and he came too late.> the mightiest mariner of song.
- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa
Eärendil became a character in the earliest written (1916–17) of the major legends: The Fall of Gondolin, the greatest of the Pereldar ‘Half-elven’, son of Tuor of the most renowned House of the Edain, and Idril daughter of the King of Gondolin.
Thus Ar-Pharazôn, King of the Land of the Star, grew to the mightiest tyrant that had yet been in the world since the reign of Morgoth, though in truth Sauron ruled all from behind the throne.
- Silmarillion: Akallabêth
