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How would the Silmarillion have unfolded if Feanor had decided not to burn the ships at Losgar and Fingolfin's host had joined his own? originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
Answer by Matthew Hicks, on Quora:
How would the Silmarillion have unfolded if Feanor had decided not to burn the ships at Losgar and Fingolfin's host had joined his own?
The hard feelings that rose between the house of Fingolfin and the house of Feanor as a result of the burning would not have existed. The Noldor would have been united under Feanor, including Fingolfin’s kin and the children of Finarfin. Feanor would still wind up dead at the hands of Gothmog and the Balrogs, and the kingship would pass to Maedhros and his brothers, with no feelings of bitterness at having been robbed of their birthright by Fingolfin. The Valar might have looked more favorably on the rebellious Noldor, though still hold them under the Doom of Mandos for the slaying of the Teleri and theft of their ships. Feanor would still die as no one could restrain his wrath when aroused, not even Finwe or Fingolfin.
The events of the Simarillion would play out more or less the same with the siege of Angband broken, the oath of Feanor driving Maedhros and his brothers to commit their misdeeds such as in the tale of Beren and Luthien, the Fall of Gondolin, with the difference being Morgoth actively hunting for sons of Feanor, just as he killed Fingolfin and his sons Fingon the valiant and Turgon king of Gondolin. The Nirnaeth Arnoediad ends in catastrophic defeat, driving the remaining Noldor to retreat to the strongholds of Nargothgrond, Gondolin, the Havens of Sirion.
The tragedy of the Simarillion is that the Valar had fated the Noldor to fail regardless of their valiant effort to defeat Morgoth, out of anger for defying them, forsaking Aman for Middle-earth.
The Noldor were doomed to failure even before they arrived in middle-earth.
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