Fingolfin should've challenged Morgoth to a Battle of the Bands instead of a physical fight. - PROPOSITION
Note: Sorry about breaking the color-code, but I will be changing the quotes to blue, for easier reading. I'm happy to change them to something else.
Turin glanced up from his table in the corner, several books open and loose papers scattered across. Glancing at the position of the sun, he swore quietly to himself, taking two pages and started towards the front of the glade. After several steps he turned around, muttering, and grabbed another paper from his table before walking up to the podium. His muttering continued as he walked "Thrice-cursed Gandalf" he said, "Oh, a 'Wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins'" he muttered sarcastically, "absolute balderdash, utter nonsense. After all, did he himself not later tell Frodo 'I was delayed'? What a crank, better for us all if he'd kept his fat mouth shut." Having arrived at the rock ledge which served as the speaker's stage in Fangorn - Turin had always been fond of the debating glen - he ceased his muttered rantings and smiled at the debaters gathered.
Friends and comrades! I apologize for my tardiness here. One of the theses here today is of utmost import, yet has remained hitherto untouched. Songs have been sung of this great event, its glory and majesty, and yet of it's terrible sorrow. How we wish it would have gone otherwise, though the weave of history's tapestry would be the lesser for it. I refer, as you must know, to the mournful subject of Fingolfin's duel with Morgoth. Though amongst the most wise of the Eldar, even of the Noldor in their prime, fresh arrived on the shores of Middle-earth and still brimming with the light of the Two Trees, Fingolfin made a fatal error that day after the Dagor Bragollach when he challenged to a duel Morgoth, the Black Enemy of the World. For though Fingolfin was "the strongest, the most steadfast, and the most valiant" (Silmarillion, Of Eldamar) of his father's mighty children, and though his sword "Ringil, that glittered with ice" (Silmarillion, Of the Ruin of Beleriand) was a bane most bitter to his foes, it was not Ringil that Fingolfin should have wielded, but his voice. Verily, I say to you, that Fingolfin should've challenged Morgoth to a Battle of the Bands instead of a physical fight.
There are, I think, two fundamental truths which demonstrate the veracity of this thesis. They relate to the nature of the Eldar, and to the nature of Morgoth. I shall address each in turn. The first point is that The Elves were supreme singers.
After they awoke, the Elves named themselves Quendi, meaning "those that speak with voices" (Silmarillion, Of the Coming of the Elves). So even from their very beginning, the Elves' voices were their defining feature. Indeed, we go on to read that when the mighty huntsman Orome chanced upon them he "wondered and sat silent, and ... he heard afar off many voices singing." (Silmarillion, Of the Coming of the Elves). Indeed, of the three great clans of the Eldar, we are told that the Noldor "are renowned in song, for they fought and laboured long and grievously in the northern lands of old" and that the Teleri were called "the Falmari, for they made music beside the breaking waves." (Both: Silmarillion, Of the Coming of the Elves).
I think that this demonstrates the affinity of the Eldar to song, so I shall not belabor you with the evidence. I will say only that it is likely no accident that Thingol became entranced with Melian from her song, and it is no chance that Fenor's retort to Mandos for the kinslaying of Alqualonde declared "we will do on, and this doom I add: the deeds that we shall do shall be the matter of song until the last days of Arda." (Silmarillion, Flight of the Noldor). Only one more example do I wish to bring to your attention: The context of Finrod Felagund with Sauron, for we read in the histories that "Thus befell the contest of Sauron and Felagund which is renowned. For Felagund strove with Sauron in songs of power, and the power of the King was very great" (Silmarillion ,Beren and Luthien).
Unfortunatley, Sauron, as we are told in the Lay of Leithian, had the mastery:
"He chanted a song of wizardry,
Of piercing, opening, of trechary,
Revealing, uncovering, betraying.
Then sudden Felagund there swaying,
Sang in answer a song of staying,
Resisting, battling against power,
Of secrets kept, strength like a tower,
And trust unbroken, freedom, escape;
Of changing and of shifting shape,
Of snares eluded, broken traps,
The prison opening, the chain that snaps.
Backwards and forwards swayed their song
Reeling and foundering, as ever more strong
the chanting swelled, Felagund fought,
And all the magic and might he brought
Of Elvenesse into his words ... "
(Silmarillion, Beren and Luthien)
The Lay continues, but this illustrates an important point: To the Eldar, especially to the mighty of the Eldar, song was more than beautiful noises. For the Eldar, song is power. Felagund was able to channel magic and might into his words, effecting physical change in the world, breaking the chains of his companions, throwing open the gates of Tol-in-Gaurhoth. While Felagund was defeated, it is clear that songs of power are not to be taken lightly.
We move now to Morgoth. While he is much greater in might than Sauron, there are several aspects to consider which make a battle of the bands more favorable to Fingolfin than crossing of swords. First, ask yourself, what is Morgoth known for? The answer, of course, is discord. From the time before Time, we read that "these thoughts he now wove into his music, and straight-away discord arose around him ... the discord of Melkor spread ever wider" (Silmarillion, Ainulindale).
Straight-away. Immediately when Melkor began to pursue his own path, discord arose. Melkor was, from before the start, literally incapable of enacting his own vision in glorious song, but only in brash, violent noise. Melkor's discord has effects in the world, for example we read that the Orc may have arising "Out of the discords of the Music - sc. not directly out of either of the themes, Eru's or Melkor's, but of their dissonance with regard to one another - evil things appeared in Arda, which did not descen from any direct plan or vision of Melkor: they were not 'his children'" (Morgoth's Ring, Myths Transformed, Text VII). So Melkor's discord has effects, but these are not conscious plans of his. He attempted to weave his own thoughts into the Music, but only managed to effect accidental results.
And thus we come to the crux of the matter.
On the one hand we have Fingolfin. Might among the Eldar of old, a race renowned for their song, a race endowed with a power of song. One of his close kin, Finrod, mighty himself, yet possessed of less strength, was able to strive with Sauron, who was also mighty with songs of power. On the other hand we have Morgoth, a being who even in his beginning was incapable of properly enacting his thoughts through songs of power, who managed only discord and brash accidents. And by the time of the Dagor Bragollach? Melkor had fallen mightily, no longer was he Melkor, mightiest of the Valar. He was now Morgoth, a lesser being, nigh to if not having completed his descent into nihilism. Ludicrous, we should call it, to even consider that one such as Morgoth would stand a chance against High King Fingolfin in a battle of song. And that, my friends, is why Fingolfin should have challenged Morgoth to a battle of the bands, rather than to physical combat. Thank you.
Collecting his few sheets upon which he had collected his thoughts and scribbled out a few quotes for reminders - not to mention various doodles, all poorly drawn - Turin returned to his table. Though after depositing his notes, he realized that he was parched from the speech. Wandering over to Mojo, he looked up at his old friend and asked if there was any Ent-draught to be found.
What, she killed them with mathematics. What else could it have been? - Jayne Cobb