in search of areté

If one were restricted to what is revealed in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), it would be difficult to understand Tolkien’s underlying mythology of creation and the ordering of the universe that makes sense of the War of the Rings. It has been pointed out that the LOTR is not six books, or even three books, but only one book; in some ways, however, it is not even a complete book in itself: it is a part of a continuing story or theme that flows through the history of Middle-earth.

To understand the LOTR’s place in the history of Tolkien’s mythology, it is necessary to become familiar with some of his others writings, most notably The Silmarillion (TS). In this latter book – which actually preceded both The Hobbit and the LOTR – the origins of spiritual forces, the universe, and peoples are revealed. J.E.A. Tyler, in his excellent guide The Complete Tolkien Companion, explains that:

The Silmarillion proper is made up of five separately originated works: the Ainulindalë or Music of the Ainur . . . the Valaquenta or History of the Valar and Maiar . . . the Quenta Silmarillion or History of the Silmarils . . . the Akallabêth or Downfall of Númenor . . . and Of the Rings of Power, written by the renowned Hobbit Frodo Baggins. – p 583

This article will focus chiefly on the first of the five mentioned above: the Ainulindalë and only briefly on TS. In the Ainulindalë Tolkien explains his myth of creation and provides the reader with an understanding of the true nature of the events that take place in Middle-earth. Paradoxically – and biblically – the Ainulindalë begins with Him who has no beginning.

Eru (”The One”) Ilúvatar (”Father-of-All”) is the Creator of all that is, both spiritually and physically. He has no beginning and alone has the power to give life; life is referred to as the Flame Imperishable, itself a reference to the Holy Spirit. He obviously corresponds to Yahweh of the Old Testament (since the Ages of Middle-earth occur prior to the coming of Jesus Christ). Only Eru knows fully the plan of the Ages. His first creation, “the Holy Ones, were the offspring of his thought”: these he called

Corresponding to archangels of the Bible, the Ainur were given songs by Eru and, initially, each sang individually to him or perhaps joined with one or two others. Gradually they learned to sing in beautiful harmony with one another and their united songs were pleasing to Eru. One of the Ainur, however, soon began to sing his own music, which introduced discord and disharmony into the music of the Ainur.

To Melkor among the Ainur had been given the greatest gifts of power and knowledge, and he had a share in all the gifts of his brethren . . . Some of these thoughts [of his own] he now wove into his music, and straightaway discord arose about him, and many that sang nigh him grew despondent and their thought was distrubed and their music faltered; but some began to attune their music to his rather than to the thought which they had at first. Then the discord of Melkor spread ever wider, and the melodies that had been heard at first foundered in a sea of turbulent sound . . .

“Then Ilúvatar arose, and the Ainur perceived that he smiled; and he lifted up his left hand, and a new theme began amid the storm, like and yet unlike to the former theme, and it gathered power and had new beauty. But the discord of Melkor rose in uproar and contended with it, and again there was a war of sound more violent than before, until many of the Ainur were dismayed and sang no longer, and Melkor had the mastery. Then again Ilúvatar arose, and the Ainur perceived that his countenance was stern; and he lifted up his right hand and behold! a third theme grew amid the confusion, and it was unlike the others. For it seemed at first soft and sweet, a mere rippling of gentle sounds in delicate melodies; but it could not be quenched, and it took to itself power and profundity. And it seemed at last that there were two musics progressing at one time before the seat of Ilúvatar, and they were utterly at variance. The one was deep and wide and beautiful, but slow and blended with an immeasurable sorrow, from which its beauty chiefly came. The other had now achieved a unity of its own; but it was loud, and vain, and endlessly repeated; and it had little harmony, but rather a clamorous unison as of many trumpets braying upon a few notes. And it essayed to drown the other music by the violence of its voice, but it seemed that its most triumphant notes were taken by the other and woven into its own solemn pattern.

“In the midst of this strife, whereat the halls of Ilúvatar shook and a tremor ran out into the silences yet unmoved, Ilúvatar arose a third time, and his face was terrible to behold. Then he raised up both his hands, and in one chord, deeper than the Abyss, higher than the Firmament, piercing as the light of the eye of Ilúvatar, the Music ceased.”

Now comes one of the most remarkable, wonderful, and true statements made by Ilúvatar – or Yahweh – concerning the evil which seeks to undo the good that He desires:

Then Ilúvatar spoke, and he said: ‘Mighty are the Ainur, and mightiest among them is Melkor; but that he may know, and all the Ainur, that I am Ilúvatar, those things that ye have sung, I will show them forth, that ye may see what ye have done. And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined . . .

“But when they [Ilúvatar and the Ainur] were come into the Void, Ilúvatar said to them: ‘Behold your Music!’ And he showed to them a vision, giving to them sight where before was only hearing; and they saw a new world made visible before them, and it was globed amid the Void, and it was sustained therein, but was not of it. And as they looked and wondered this World began to unfold its history, and it seemed to them that it lived and grew. And when the Ainur had gazed for a while and were silent, Ilúvatar said again: ‘Behold your Music! This is your minstrelsy; and each of you shall find contained herein, amid the design that I set before you, all those things which it may seem that he himself devised or added.’”

It is through the combined, individual music of the Ainur that the earth – or Middle-earth – comes into being. The songs given to each of the Ainur, reflecting their specific realm, ability, or interest, blended together to make the visible earth. The Ainur did not create Middle-earth but were merely the agents through which Ilúvatar worked to accomplish his will.

Of the further creation and development of Middle-earth, I can do no better than to quote Tolkien. The following account is gleaned from Letter 131 in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien:

The cycles [or Ages of Middle-earth] begin with a cosmogonical myth: the Music of the Ainur. God and the Valar (or powers: Englished as gods) are revealed. These latter are as we should say angelic powers, whose function is to exercise delegated authority in their spheres (of rule and government, not creation, making or re-making). They are ‘divine,’ that is, were originally ‘outside’ and existed ‘before’ the making of the world.

“[The account] moves then swiftly to the History of the Elves, or the Silmarillion proper; to the world as we perceive it, but of course transfigured in a still half-mythical mode: that is it deals with rational incarnate creatures of more or less comparable stature with our own. The Knowledge of the Creation Drama was incomplete: incomplete in each individual ‘god,’ and incomplete if all the knowledge of the pantheon were pooled . . . the Creator had not revealed all. The making, and nature, of the Children of God, were the two chief secrets . . . they are the object of the special desire and love of the gods. These are the First-born, the elves; and the Followers Men . . .

“In the cosmogony there is a fall: a fall of Angels we should say. Though quite different in form, of course, to that of Christian myth . . .

“The main body of the tale, the Silmarillion proper, is about the fall of the most gifted kindred of the Elves, their exile from Valinor (a kind of Paradise, the home of the Gods) in the furthest West, their re-entry into Middle-earth, the land of their birth but long under the rule of the Enemy, and their strife with him, the power of Evil still visibly incarnate.

The histories of Melkor’s rebellions, Sauron’s deceptions and betrayals, the kingdoms of elves and men, may all be found in The Silmarillion.