J. R. R. Tolkien
The Silmarillion
"Valaquenta" Pt. 2
Account of the Valar and Maiar
according to the lore of the Eldar
The second part of The Silmarillion is not a story. It is more of an encyclopedic account of the Ainur who "entered into the World at the beginning of time" in order to fulfill the vision they had created at the behest of Eru or Iluvatar. In time they became known to the Eldar as the Valar and Maiar.
A strange combination of Biblical and pagan traditions, the Valar and the Maiar are much like angels from the Bible in that they are the creations of Eru or Iluvatar. For the most part they act like angels in that they carry out the wishes of the Creator, except of course for the greatest angel, Lucifer, and his counterpart among the Valar, Melkor.
The Valar
However, few of the Biblical angels are singled out: we have names of some of them and little is known either of their creation or their activities. This is in stark contrast to the pagan hierarchies that include numerous gods, such as the Greek, Roman, and Norse, as well as the Egyptian, Sumerian, and other religions of that area. There the resemblance in many cases is closer to that of a squabbling family, with a head deity--Zeus, Jupiter, Odin. Frequently, the various gods have special attributes attached to them. The Roman god Neptune and the Greek god Poseidon are the gods of the sea, Roman Mars and Greek Ares are the war gods, while others are gods of the underworld or rivers or the sky or the Sun. Tolkien's Valar and Maiar resemble the various pantheons in this way: they are named and each has assumed responsibility for some part of the planet.
Some of the most important among the Valar are the following:
Manwe: who, in the thought of Iluvatar, is the brother of Melkor, the mightiest of the Valar, but Melkor is no longer spoken of. Manwe is the closest to the thought of Iluvatar and in consequence is now the Lord of Earth and all that live within. He is the Lord of the winds, the clouds, and "all the regions of the air," from the highest to the lowest, and his favorites among the creatures on Earth (Arda) are the swift birds. Manwe can be seen as the Sky God.
Varda: the Lady of the Stars, she dwells with Manwe. She also is the Goddess of Light. The Elves call her Elbereth and hold her most in reverence and love.
Ulmo: Lord of the Waters, the equivalent of the Greek Poseidon or the Roman Neptune. He dwells alone and seldom appears in human guise.
Aule: the master of all the substances of which Middle Earth is made--a master craftsman and a skilled artisan, somewhat similar to the Greek god Hephaestus.
Yavanna, the spouse of Aule, is the Giver of Fruits -- lover of all things that grow in the earth.
Orome: the Great Huntsman and husband of Vana who was called the Queen of Blossoming Flowers and the Ever-young,
Mandos: Judge of the Dead and the Master of Doom, the equivalent of the Egyptian Osiris, the Judge of the Dead, and the Norse goddess Hel who presides over a realm of the Hel, where she receives a portion of the dead.
There are others, but these are the most significant, I think.
Have I left out one of your favorites?
The Maiar
The Maiar are powerful beings but less so than the Valar. The Maiar are associated with individual Valar, though the exact nature of that association is obscure. Many have at least two names, one apparently their true name and one the name they became known by in Middle Earth. Some of the significant Maiar are the following:
Curumo aka Saruman, initially associated with Aule the Smith.
Alwendil or Sauron, also associated with Aule the Smith.
Radagast the Brown is associated with Yavana
Mithrandir or Gandalf is also associated with Manwe and Varda
Bolrogs are Maiar who have been corrupted by Melkor
Note: it is curious that both Saruman and Sauron are associated with Aule the Smith. In addition, Aule created the dwarves, whereas the Elves and Men were created by Iluvatar.
The Enemy
Melkor: perhaps the mightiest of the Valar, brother to Manwe. He is no longer called by this name but is referred to as Morgoth, because he turned away from the Light and choose violence and tyranny instead. He desired Arda (Earth) for himself, and when he could not have it he descended through fire and wrath into the great burning, into Darkness. "Better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven," Milton's Lucifer/Satan declares in Paradise Lost. Tolkien has tapped into a complex web of allusions here, especially among the various cultures and religious traditions bordering the Mediterranean Sea, far too many for this brief commentary. (If you are curious, simple type "Lucifer" into your search engine.)
Morgoth had many followers among the Maiar, the greatest of whom is Gorthaur the Cruel, perhaps better known as Sauron. Little of Sauron is known in the early days because he served Morgoth, but after Morgoth's passing, Sauron came into his own. His history then parallels that of his former ruler, and he follows the same path down into the Void.
The Silmarillion is a work in progress. Tolkien never finished it, and as far as I can find out, he never even completed a first draft. What we have here is Christopher Tolkien's reworking and editing of the material that Tolkien was working on when he died.
Showing posts with label The Silmarillion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Silmarillion. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Friday, March 7, 2014
J. R. R. Tolkien: THE SILMARILLION--"Ainulindale"
J. R. R. Tolkien
"Ainulindale"
Part One of The Silmarillion
"Ainulindale" is the first part, appropriately enough, of The Silmarillion, which is a collection of stories set in Middle Earth prior to the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I say appropriately enough since an alternate title for "Ainulindale" could easily be The Book of Genesis. In Genesis, the Lord says, "Let there be Light." Iluvator, in "Ainulindale," essentially says let there be music.
I find it difficult to read "Ainulindale" (A) without thinking of Genesis (G) , because of the similarities and the differences between them. There is but one God in both creation myths, and both depict God as the First and Only being who is responsible for all of creation.
And in both are spiritual or non-material beings: angels in G and the Ainur in A. However, I can find no specific mention of the creation of the angels in G, although one might assume they were created sometime during the six days of creation. The first mention I can find of an angel occurs when a Cherubim was stationed at the gate of Eden to prevent Adam and Eve from returning to eat the fruit of the Tree of Life and becoming immortal after they had been expelled for eating of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In contrast, in the first line of "The Ainulindale" Tolkien specifically states that Iluvatar created the Ainur.
Iluvatar, unlike the Creator in Genesis, does not work alone in the act of creation. He proposes a "Great Music" to the Ainur.
"Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashion the theme of Iluvatar to a great music: and a sound arose of endless interchange melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the place of the dwelling of Iluvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void."
Such is the act of Creation in "Ainulinidale."
In spite of Tolkien's great, in-depth knowledge of Northern European myths, he elected to base his Creation myth on those of the Mediterranean area, and his treatment of the existence of evil in the universe comes from the same tradition. Melkor, like his counterparts in the Judeo-Christian-Moslem traditions, is actually a creation of God or Allah, and is one who turned against his creator as a result of pride.
Satan or Lucifer is not actually named as the tempter of Eve in the Garden, but later Christian theologians have decided that must be who the serpent was. Like Satan, Melkor was considered to be the brightest of Iluvatar's creations, and, just as in Christian teachings, Melkor could not created something that would live on its own. Melkor could only debase that what was already alive.
Evil has always been a problem for those religious traditions that posit a Supreme Good who creates all things. How does evil appear in the world created by one who is All Goodness, and why? One of the first thinkers who confronted the idea of evil in the world is Zoroaster, in the 7th BC. There may have been earlier conceptualizations of this problem, but the writings of Zoroastrianism are the earliest we have. From the Wikipedia entry on Zoroastrianism, we find the following:
"Zoroaster simplified the pantheon of early Iranian gods into two opposing forces: Ahura Mazda (Illuminating Wisdom) and Angra Mainyu (Destructive Spirit) in the 7th century BCD. Zoroaster's idea led to a formal religion bearing his name by about the 6th century BCE and have influenced other later religions including Judaism, Gnosticism, Christianity, and Islam."
Zoroaster appears to have been the first to have proposed the Final Judgement Day in which the forces of Good and Evil would meet in a final battle to determine who shall control the universe and these forces would include not only all those living but also those who had died before. According to Zoroaster, which side would win was in doubt.
The religious traditions that were influenced by Zoroaster all made several significant changes. In Zoroastrianism, the Destructive Spirit was an independent entity and equal in strength to Ahura Mazda and that evil might ultimately win out. In later religious traditions, the evil side is actually a creation of the Good and is one who has through pride isolated itself from the Supreme Good. In addition, in the later traditions the Evil force is weaker than the Good and is doomed to ultimate failure.
Melkor is clearly within this tradition as he cannot create anything on his own. He can only debase and deform what is already existing. He can create destructive storms but only because the elements are already there. Orcs are not created by Melkor, or his follower Sauron, but are the result of experiments on captive elves.
Many of the Ainur became enamored of Iluvatar's universe and elected to assume physical shapes and reside there, in order to protect it from Melkor's destructive meddling. These were called Valar, and each of the Valar assumed responsibility for a particular aspect of this new world. A more specific listing appears in the next part of The Silmarillion, "The Valaquenta." A great struggle ensues between the Valar and Melkor and his followers for control of Arda (Earth) and while Arda did not correspond to the ideas of the Valar, it slowly took shape.
In the next part, "Valaquenta," we learn much about Iluvatar's first creations: the Valar, the Maiar, and Melkor and his followers. Two names appear that will play an important role in The Lord of the Rings--Sauron, who was Melkor's chief follower, and Olorin, one of the Maiar, who is sometimes called Mithrandir, but who is probably better known as Gandalf.
"Ainulindale"
Part One of The Silmarillion
"Ainulindale" is the first part, appropriately enough, of The Silmarillion, which is a collection of stories set in Middle Earth prior to the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I say appropriately enough since an alternate title for "Ainulindale" could easily be The Book of Genesis. In Genesis, the Lord says, "Let there be Light." Iluvator, in "Ainulindale," essentially says let there be music.
I find it difficult to read "Ainulindale" (A) without thinking of Genesis (G) , because of the similarities and the differences between them. There is but one God in both creation myths, and both depict God as the First and Only being who is responsible for all of creation.
And in both are spiritual or non-material beings: angels in G and the Ainur in A. However, I can find no specific mention of the creation of the angels in G, although one might assume they were created sometime during the six days of creation. The first mention I can find of an angel occurs when a Cherubim was stationed at the gate of Eden to prevent Adam and Eve from returning to eat the fruit of the Tree of Life and becoming immortal after they had been expelled for eating of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In contrast, in the first line of "The Ainulindale" Tolkien specifically states that Iluvatar created the Ainur.
Iluvatar, unlike the Creator in Genesis, does not work alone in the act of creation. He proposes a "Great Music" to the Ainur.
"Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashion the theme of Iluvatar to a great music: and a sound arose of endless interchange melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the place of the dwelling of Iluvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void."
Such is the act of Creation in "Ainulinidale."
In spite of Tolkien's great, in-depth knowledge of Northern European myths, he elected to base his Creation myth on those of the Mediterranean area, and his treatment of the existence of evil in the universe comes from the same tradition. Melkor, like his counterparts in the Judeo-Christian-Moslem traditions, is actually a creation of God or Allah, and is one who turned against his creator as a result of pride.
Satan or Lucifer is not actually named as the tempter of Eve in the Garden, but later Christian theologians have decided that must be who the serpent was. Like Satan, Melkor was considered to be the brightest of Iluvatar's creations, and, just as in Christian teachings, Melkor could not created something that would live on its own. Melkor could only debase that what was already alive.
Evil has always been a problem for those religious traditions that posit a Supreme Good who creates all things. How does evil appear in the world created by one who is All Goodness, and why? One of the first thinkers who confronted the idea of evil in the world is Zoroaster, in the 7th BC. There may have been earlier conceptualizations of this problem, but the writings of Zoroastrianism are the earliest we have. From the Wikipedia entry on Zoroastrianism, we find the following:
"Zoroaster simplified the pantheon of early Iranian gods into two opposing forces: Ahura Mazda (Illuminating Wisdom) and Angra Mainyu (Destructive Spirit) in the 7th century BCD. Zoroaster's idea led to a formal religion bearing his name by about the 6th century BCE and have influenced other later religions including Judaism, Gnosticism, Christianity, and Islam."
Zoroaster appears to have been the first to have proposed the Final Judgement Day in which the forces of Good and Evil would meet in a final battle to determine who shall control the universe and these forces would include not only all those living but also those who had died before. According to Zoroaster, which side would win was in doubt.
The religious traditions that were influenced by Zoroaster all made several significant changes. In Zoroastrianism, the Destructive Spirit was an independent entity and equal in strength to Ahura Mazda and that evil might ultimately win out. In later religious traditions, the evil side is actually a creation of the Good and is one who has through pride isolated itself from the Supreme Good. In addition, in the later traditions the Evil force is weaker than the Good and is doomed to ultimate failure.
Melkor is clearly within this tradition as he cannot create anything on his own. He can only debase and deform what is already existing. He can create destructive storms but only because the elements are already there. Orcs are not created by Melkor, or his follower Sauron, but are the result of experiments on captive elves.
Many of the Ainur became enamored of Iluvatar's universe and elected to assume physical shapes and reside there, in order to protect it from Melkor's destructive meddling. These were called Valar, and each of the Valar assumed responsibility for a particular aspect of this new world. A more specific listing appears in the next part of The Silmarillion, "The Valaquenta." A great struggle ensues between the Valar and Melkor and his followers for control of Arda (Earth) and while Arda did not correspond to the ideas of the Valar, it slowly took shape.
In the next part, "Valaquenta," we learn much about Iluvatar's first creations: the Valar, the Maiar, and Melkor and his followers. Two names appear that will play an important role in The Lord of the Rings--Sauron, who was Melkor's chief follower, and Olorin, one of the Maiar, who is sometimes called Mithrandir, but who is probably better known as Gandalf.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
J. R. R. Tolkien: Jan. 3, 1892--Sept. 2, 1973
I have heard many readers express disappointment with Tolkien's The Silmarillion (TS). It isn't as good as The Lord of the Rings (LotR) or so many have said. Some claim it's boring. I think this reaction has two different causes. The first is that Tolkien died before he finished the work. His son Christopher Tolkien took on the task of completing it. Unfortunately Christopher Tolkien is not the writer his father was. However, I do not find the work to be poorly written; it may plod sometimes but the content is well worth the effort.
The second problem and the more serious one is that many readers misunderstand Tolkien's view of The Silmarillion. It was not, as far as I can see, to be a grand epic of a quest as was The Lord of the Rings, or even to a lesser extent, as was The Hobbit (TH). I think Tolkien had history in mind when he wrote The Silmarillion. It was to be a history of Middle Earth, prior to the events of the two novels. Tolkien was creating a universe. Consequently we don't have the same focus that we find in LotR or TH.
The one work I find that most closely approaches Tolkien's intentions is The Old Testament, the first book of which is Genesis, and it begins--
1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2. And the earth was without form, and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3. And God said: Let there be light: and there was light.
This is, of course, the Creation story, as recounted in the King James Version. It is the creation of the world--the very beginning of time, of history, of the relationship between God and its creatures.
Now, the first book of The Silmarillion is "Ainulindale: The Music of the Ainur," and it begins as follows:
"There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Iluvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad. But for a long while they sang only each alone, or but few together, while the rest hearkened; for each comprehended only that part of the mind of Iluvatar from which he came, and in the understanding of their brethren they grew but slowly. Yet ever as they listened they came to deeper understanding, and increased in unison and harmony."
This clearly is a Creation story, the very beginning of the world of Middle Earth. However, in Tolkien's universe, God works with his first creation, the Ainur, to create the universe. And, instead of light, Eru, in a sense, says "Let there be music." He gives the Ainur "a mighty theme, unfolding to them things greater and more wonderful than he had yet revealed."
He then gives them their task: "ye shall show forth your powers in adorning this theme..."
"Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashion the theme of Iluvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights . . . and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void."
And later--
"But when they were come into the Void, Iluvatar 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 . . .
"And they saw with amazement the coming of the Children of Iluvatar, and the habitation that was prepared for them; and they perceived that they themselves in the labour of their music had been busy with preparation of this dwelling, and yet knew not that it had any purpose beyond its own beauty. For the Children of Iluvatar are conceived by him alone. . . Now the Children of Iluvatar are Elves and Men, the Firstborn and the Followers."
While "Genesis" and "Ainulindale" differ, they do parallel each other in many respects, and I think that we should not force The Silmarillion into being something that it is not meant to be. It is a unique work, separate in design and intent from The Lord of the Rings, and it should be read with this in mind.
Overall Rating: highly recommended for those interested in Tolkien's universe.
The second problem and the more serious one is that many readers misunderstand Tolkien's view of The Silmarillion. It was not, as far as I can see, to be a grand epic of a quest as was The Lord of the Rings, or even to a lesser extent, as was The Hobbit (TH). I think Tolkien had history in mind when he wrote The Silmarillion. It was to be a history of Middle Earth, prior to the events of the two novels. Tolkien was creating a universe. Consequently we don't have the same focus that we find in LotR or TH.
The one work I find that most closely approaches Tolkien's intentions is The Old Testament, the first book of which is Genesis, and it begins--
1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2. And the earth was without form, and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3. And God said: Let there be light: and there was light.
This is, of course, the Creation story, as recounted in the King James Version. It is the creation of the world--the very beginning of time, of history, of the relationship between God and its creatures.
Now, the first book of The Silmarillion is "Ainulindale: The Music of the Ainur," and it begins as follows:
"There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Iluvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad. But for a long while they sang only each alone, or but few together, while the rest hearkened; for each comprehended only that part of the mind of Iluvatar from which he came, and in the understanding of their brethren they grew but slowly. Yet ever as they listened they came to deeper understanding, and increased in unison and harmony."
This clearly is a Creation story, the very beginning of the world of Middle Earth. However, in Tolkien's universe, God works with his first creation, the Ainur, to create the universe. And, instead of light, Eru, in a sense, says "Let there be music." He gives the Ainur "a mighty theme, unfolding to them things greater and more wonderful than he had yet revealed."
He then gives them their task: "ye shall show forth your powers in adorning this theme..."
"Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashion the theme of Iluvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights . . . and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void."
And later--
"But when they were come into the Void, Iluvatar 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 . . .
"And they saw with amazement the coming of the Children of Iluvatar, and the habitation that was prepared for them; and they perceived that they themselves in the labour of their music had been busy with preparation of this dwelling, and yet knew not that it had any purpose beyond its own beauty. For the Children of Iluvatar are conceived by him alone. . . Now the Children of Iluvatar are Elves and Men, the Firstborn and the Followers."
While "Genesis" and "Ainulindale" differ, they do parallel each other in many respects, and I think that we should not force The Silmarillion into being something that it is not meant to be. It is a unique work, separate in design and intent from The Lord of the Rings, and it should be read with this in mind.
Overall Rating: highly recommended for those interested in Tolkien's universe.
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