Very funny how the Shibboleth points out that Galadriel’s early dislike of Fëanor was, in fact, not justified;
‘From her earliest years she had a marvellous gift of insight into the minds of others, but judged them with mercy and understanding, and she withheld her good will from none save only Fëanor. In him she perceived a darkness that she hated and feared, though she did not perceive that the shadow of the same evil had fallen upon the minds of all the Noldor, and upon her own.’
- she judges everyone with mercy and understanding - but she withholds her good will from Fëanor, i.e. does not judge him with mercy and understanding - she ‘hates and fears’ the darkness in him, which is in fact exactly the same as the shadow that has fallen on herself. Which I think works nicely with Galadriel’s reaction to hearing his speech in the Silm; inspired by his words about wide lands and ruling because they are really quite similar in their ambitions wrt ruling Middle Earth; ‘No oaths she swore, but the words of Fëanor concerning Middle-earth had kindled in her heart, for she yearned to see the wide unguarded lands and to rule there a realm at her own will.’
Her pre-kinslaying sentiments are a personal, and apparently not that justified.
I wondered why. I think part of it is that she might be close to Indis; they’re both athletes (Indis is a swift runner and Galadriel is noted for ‘athletic feats’). Then there’s that ‘Galadriel was the greatest of the Noldor, except Fëanor maybe.’
Not quite being acknowledged as the greatest because of that one guy seems like something that would make a competitive person a bit spiteful, so maybe that was part of it? The Shibboleth repeatedly calls her proud, moved by pride, etc.
I think this bit is particularly funny because imagine how tiring this must have been to Finarfin, who really just didn’t want to get into any drama– I’m imagining her answering his þ with a very deliberately emphasised s and Finarfin just thinking… I moved here to get away from this. ‘Her father Finarfin, however, loved the Vanyar (his mother’s people) and the Teleri, and in his house þ was used, Finarfin being moved by Fëanor neither one way or the other but doing as he wished. It is clear nonetheless that opposition to Fëanor soon became a dominant motive with Galadriel, while her pride did not take the form of wishing to be different from her own people. So while she knew well the history of their tongue and all the reasons of the loremasters, she certainly used s in her own daily speech.’