I believe I have already addressed the issue of Olorin and what he could know. He loved the Eldar and as I posted, little is known of him in the First Age because he walked among the Eldar unseen or as one of them.
There was no need for him to be told of much in Beleriand from Manwe since he was there observing and assisting with his wisdom. To state that he could have only seen dragons in the War of Wrath is false.
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Therefore I say that we will go on, and this doom I add: the deeds that we shall do shall be the matter of song until the last days of Arda
yes, you have adressed it Celethil, and done that very well, but I was asked to repeat that and bring more quotes...so I did to help Glorfindel understand this matter
Celethil wrote: He loved the Eldar and as I posted, little is known of him in the First Age because he walked among the Eldar unseen or as one of them.
There was no need for him to be told of much in Beleriand from Manwe since he was there observing and assisting with his wisdom. To state that he could have only seen dragons in the War of Wrath is false.
I think you are msitaken here Celethil. I assume you are following this quote:
"But of Olórin that tale does not speak; for though he loved the Elves, he walked among them unseen, or in form as one of them, and they did not know whence came the fair visions or the promptings of wisdom that he put into their hearts." The Silmarillion
He did not walk amoung the Elves of Middle-earth, he walked amoung the Elves of Valinor when he was not with Nienna. Therefore there was no reason why he should know about Glaurung, thus Glorfindel's statement does hold some water.
I think you are mistaken because the 'tale' that the quote is referencing is the Quenta Silmarillion which is focused on the history of entire First Age, not just the time in Valinor.
If you are applying that quote strictly to Valinor, then I should think you will need to support that with something other than speculation.
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Therefore I say that we will go on, and this doom I add: the deeds that we shall do shall be the matter of song until the last days of Arda
ok, so I guess you're saying he walked all day long in Valinor going to Nienna or to Lorien and among Elves, but that he was never curious to ask Manwe or Varda what was going on in Beleriand with the Elves that he also very much loved. I personally thought that when you love someone you would at least be interested in knowing what was going on with them. And again, he needn't have asked the Ainu, the palantir was good enough.
Here's something possibly relevant to (part of) the thread, from an essay called Glorfindel II. Glorfindel has been slain and restored (to an incarnate person) and is dwelling in the Blessed Realm, and Tolkien notes...
'At some time, probably early in his sojourn in Valinor, he became a follower, and a friend, of Olórin (Gandalf), who as is said in The Silmarillion had an especial love an concern for the Children of Eru. That Olórin, as was possible for one of the Maiar, had already visited Middle-earth and had become acquainted not only with the Sindarin Elves and others deeper in Middle-earth, but also with Men, is likely, but nothing has yet been said of this.' JRRT Last Writings Glorfindel II
ah interesting quote, and it proves my point very well, Gandalf did go to ME during the First Age, and he certaintly knew what he was talking about still, all that this proves is that it's very, very likely he was right about Ancalagon having the hottest breath, still we are not getting much closer to finding an answer to the main question of this thread but then again, I doubt an answer exists, however perhaps Galin knows some other hidden quotes that might shed more light
I agree aswell. Ancalogan the Black must have been the greatest. I won't say Glaurang because he was not a winged dragon. Yet he was filled with the evil of his master, Morgoth. Smaug and Scatha cannot compare with the other two.
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... and he drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice.
But how does having wings measure how mighty the spirit is on the inside? I don't think we are talking about phisical stength here. The same could be said for hottest breath.
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Utúlie'n aurë! Aiya Eldalië ar Atanatári, utúlie'n aurë! Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva!
