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Who was the mightiest 🧝elf: Fingolfin or Hurin?

Fingolfin - to the gates of Angband killing everything in sight and fighting Melkor/Morgoth in hand to hand combat.

Hurin - held captive by Morgoth for many years...never faced him because he wasn't powerful enough.

At least that IMHO.
 
whoa whoa! Hurin was up agst the entire might of Morgoth's army- fully armed and fully mobilised. Even then it took literally hundreds of them to capture him.

When Fingolfin rode up to Angband, he took the initiative. The enemies were not expecting him. Therefore they were not ready, and many got out of his way rather than confront him.

I don't think you can conclude from this whether Fin or Hurin was more mighty but you cannot simply 'write off' Hurin.
 
I can't believe you're even considering whether Fingolfin could take Hurin! Of course he could!!! He fought Morgoth and nearly won!! The way I see it, they could have saved a lot of time and effort if Fingolfin had just taken some of his mates with him when he went!! A little support at the crucial moment and they wouldn't have had to bother the Valar at all.
And I can't help thinging that no matter how many enemies were lined up against him, Fingolfin would never have been taken alive!
 

Feanor, we will just have to disagree on this one. I suggest you read the account of Fingolfin's ride. There were plenty of Melkor's brood along the way but such was the rage of Fingolfin that they actually flew from him rather than face him. Morgoth himself cringed in his Vala-hole. He was scared s**tless but accepted Fingolfin's challenge to save face. And, I'll tell you that if a Vala could be killed, Melkor would have died that day. Melkor was struck 8 times. Seven wounds to the body and a crippling blow to the foot. But, alas an elf does tire and eventually he was worn down by a Vala who does not know weariness.

But, I have answered the question of this post. It was not, "Was Hurin the strongest of all the races?" It was "...Who was the Mightiest Elf?" and there is no doubt that was Fingolfin.
 
Interesting thought about Fingolfin vs Sauron

That was an interesting thought about what would have happened if Fingolfin had fought Sauron. Would the pits created that caused Fingolfin stumble not have been a problem against Sauron? Grond would not have been there. If even having to ponder for a second who would have one then there may be an answer. None other would I think that about so readily possible including even mighty Hurin. Fingolfin's is the one battle that none on the side of the "victors" would recount openly because they found it so embarrassing that one of the children of Eru could give such problems to the greatest fallen one. In the end is was not even Grond but the lack of any possible footing and fatigue which ended Fingolfin. Fingolfin or Hurin? Fingolfin had extra umph from having within the light of having been around the trees and was the mightiest of all who had seen them. Some debate about the Hurin or Fingolfin could go on, but not many could have left Morgoth trembling at having his name called. For elves only, definitely Fingolfin.
 
Yes, I would have to agree that Fingolfin is clearly the mightiest Elf in terms of hand to hand combat.
(I also have great admiration for any Elves that risked death, for a good cause because for an Elf the price of being slain is greater than for a man to die in battle - since all men die eventually.)

Outside of military and hand to hand combat, I would say the greatest Elf was Galadriel. She was one of the eldest and wisest (being born in the Bliss of Valinor and being taught by Melian the Maia in Wisdom). She revolted with the rest of the Noldor then during her exile performed great deeds, resisted the temptation of the ring and constantly did good deeds by fighting Sauron and helping the Ring Fellowship, thus redeeming herself.
Most of all she was able to keep herself alive all those ages and returned as a hero to Valinor at the end of the Third Age. She was a great success story all round.
 
That's an interesting point about Galadriel. Yes she did 'revolt' to the extent that she left Aman agst the counsel of the Valar but she did NOT take the Oath and therefore was not under the curse of Mandos. She was also not part of the kinslaying.
None of the house of Finarfin was, that's why they were allowed into Doriath.
So I don't think you could really say she was in need of redemption.
 
Galadriel was under the Doom of Mandos because she left Valinor during the time of the revolt.Also she desired to go to ME and rule her own Kingdom.

In the Unfinished Tales it is stated that she was allowed to return because of the Sterling service she'd done against Sauron and also because once she'd finally tasted the power of ME, she didn't want it and it was ny this rejection more than anything else which allowed her to return
 

I think Galadriel did more than "taste" power, gil......she hung out in ME for over 6,000 years. Do you mean her rejection of the Ring as "tasting the power of ME"? I also seem to remember reading somewhere (?) that she was too proud (or embarassed??) to return after the fall of Morgoth.
 
yeh i think it was in unfinished tales, or the letters. But i know what u mean-she did taste power and seemed quite hungry for a long while...(if u catch my drift)
 
I'm not sure about Galadriel's motivations. It was clear that when Feanor cursed Morgoth before the Valar and made his Oath that a flame was kindled in many of the other Noldor including Galdriel and her brothers to depart Aman and go to Middle-earth. Tis true that they took not the oath, but they were bound under the Curse of Mandos none the less as were all who left Aman with Feanor.

That they were under the Curse is clearly stated in the Silmarillion, Chapter 15, Of the Noldor in Beleriand, where the author makes the following statement, "Then the sons of Finarfin departed from Menegroth with heavy hearts, perceiving how the words of Mandos would ever be made true, and that none of the Noldor that followed after Feanor cold escape from the shadow that lay upon his house."
 
Feanor

The mightiest elf in body and mind was Feanor. I think that is said in the Sil. His brother Fingolfin was a great warrior but he didn´t have the passion that Feanor had. l don´t think that Fingolfin loved his father more than Feanor and would have gone to ME to avenge his father´s death as Feanor.

Feanor would have battled Morgoth to the death also.
 
I have to say was totally awestruck by Feanor going up against a whole gang of Balrogs. I mean, he is Eldar, they are Maia, he is one they are many.

But I will accept the panels verdict on Fingolfin.

Both were rash. Reading Sil you get the impression that the Elves were only wise by the end of the 3rd age because they'd had 5000 years to think things over!

I also want to say that the sons of Feanor are useless, the most unworthy sons of a great father. What did any of them achieve? You can get over them being proud and willful, but they were gutless. They never went up against Morgoth seriously. They made an oath, and only ever did anything about it once someone else took the initiative.
 
We wouldn't be discussing the Hobbit because that story also relies on the rings of power. If Bilbo hadn't found the One Ring then he wouldn't have been able to rescue the dwarfs from the elves in Mirkwood. Meaning that it would be a pointless story about some dwarfs going off to be captured by elves, which would be pointless and not worth talking about.
 
Feanor created the Silmarils and hats off to him. Also he was as good as his word. He said he was going after Morgoth to reclaim them and he went for it. Only a whole heap of Balrogs stopped him. Puts Gandalf in the shade really!

But his sons did squat.

Now if you're telling me that I should respect them because Celebrimbor forged the rings of power I can't agree!

(1) Celebrimbor was a grandson and not a son so he doesn't count really. So his dad managed to reproduce... not a point to distinguish him from billions of other life forms.

(2) Celebrimbor rejected his father and uncles and stayed in Nargothrond when they were kicked out.

(3) Are we really saying welcoming Sauron to Eregion against the counsel of Elrond and Gil-galad, and being duped is just a cool thing. Ok fair point, good for the story ... but Wormtongue was good for the story!!

Come on - let's hear someone say something good about them that will stand up in court!
 

Yo im new to the board and want to ask you how you think Turin Turambar aka Mormegil Blacksword would go against Fingolfin. Turin has to fight Melkor at the end of the world and kill him. Fingolfin could only wound him. I think with the helm of Dor- Lomin Turin would have the upper hand. What do yáll think?
 
The Last Battle is a legend in which Turin is supposed to vanquish Melkor aka it hasn't happened. The only non-Valar entity to tie in physically with the Melkor-meister is Fingolfin and he whipped Melkor's butt pretty well until he tired. (It's hard to match the stamina of a god, ain't it). So, until the Daegorlad is fought, I'll give my vote to Fingolfin, after all, I never even came close to hitting him. It was swing and miss, swing and miss, swing and miss. Well, you get the picture.
 
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