Morgoth's Ring (71 page)

(p. 286, $57). Where in AAm (p. 98, $108) it was told that Melkor, with Ungoliante beside him, looked out from the summit of Mount Hyarantar and 'saw afar ... the silver domes of Valmar gleaming in the mingling of the lights of Telperion and Laurelin', in the Quenta Silmarillion Ungoliante (now, in the changed story, lying on the summit alone) 'saw the glimmer of the stars in the dome of Varda and the radiance of Valmar far away.' Thus when later in the final rewriting ('The Rape of the Silmarils', p. 293, $1) it is told that above the Valar sitting in the Ring of Doom 'the stars of Varda now glimmered overhead', it must be the stars of the Dome that were glimmering.(2)

NOTES.

1. But in text IV (p. 388) it is said that the Dome of Varda was made

'to keep out any spirits or spies of Melkor'.

2. In the corresponding passage in the Annals of Aman (p. 106, $117) it is said: 'the gods sat in shadow, for it was night. But now night only as it may be in some land of the world, when the stars peer fitfully through the wrack of great clouds, and cold fogs drift in from a sullen shore of the sea.' In the published Silmarillion the final text ('the stars of Varda now glimmered overhead') was used; this does not indeed introduce any difficulty within the narrative, but I did not at that time perceive the significance of the words.

IV

There is a further statement about the Dome of Varda in a manuscript to which I have several times referred (VI.466; VIII.20; IX.73), an analysis (in intention) of all fragments of other languages found in The Lord of the Rings. The passage that I quote here comes from a long note on the song to Elbereth at the end of the chapter 'Many Meetings'. It may be mentioned incidentally that my father noted on the word menel: 'the heavens, the apparent dome of the sky. (Probably a Quenya word introduced into Sindarin. It was opposed to kemen

"the Earth" as an apparent flat floor under menel. But these were

"pictorial" words, as the lore of the Eldar and the Numenoreans knew much astronomy.)'

The passage concerning the Dome arises from the statement that Elbereth has el- 'star' prefixed (with the note 'But since b is not mutated the name is probably to be referred to *elen-barathi > elmbereth').

The mythological association of Varda with the stars is of twofold origin. In the 'demiurgic period', before the establishment of Arda 'the Realm', while the Valar in general (including an unnamed host of others who never came to Arda)(1) were labouring in the general construction of Ea (the World or Universe), Varda was in Eldarin and Numenorean legend said to have designed and set in their places most of the principal stars; but being (by destiny and desire) the future Queen of Arda, in which her ultimate function lay, especially as the lover and protectress of the Quendi, she was concerned not only with the great Stars in themselves, but also in their relations to Arda, and their appearance therefrom (and their effect upon the Children to come). Such forms and major patterns, therefore, as we call (for instance) the Plough, or Orion, were said to be her designs. Thus the Valacirca or 'Sickle of the Gods', which was one of the Eldarin names for the Plough, was, it was said, intended later to be a sign of menace and threat of vengeance over the North in which Melkor took up his abode (Varda was the most foresighted of all the Valar, possessing the clearest memory of the Music and Vision in which she had played only a small part as actor or player, but had listened most attentively).(2) Later, when the Valar took refuge from Melkor, and the imminent ruin of Arda, and built and fortified Valinor in Aman, it was Varda who made the great dome above Valinor, to keep out any spirits or spies of Melkor. It was made as a simulacrum of the true firmament (Tar-menel), and the patterns were therein repeated, but with apparent stars (or 'sparks': tinwi) of greater relative size to the total visible area. So that the lesser firmament of Valinor (Nur-menel) was very brilliant.

From this work (chiefly: but also her original demiurgic labours were included) she was called 'Star-kindler'. Note that Velen properly referred to the real stars of Ea (but could also naturally be transferred to their imagines). The words tinwe, nille' (Vtin 'spark', Vngil 'silver glint') and Sindarin tim, gil referred properly to the Valinorian imagines. Hence Quenya Tintalle from tinta cause to sparkle, but also Elentari Queen of Stars'; Sindarin Elbereth, but also Gilthoniel.(3) This note on Elbereth ends with a slightly jumbled and obscure statement to the effect that Gilthoniel is derived from the stems Vngil and Vthan / than 'kindle, set light to'; iel a feminine suffix corresponding to male -we.

These remarks on Varda seem to raise further questions. In text II (pp. 375 - 6) my father declared that 'the cosmogonic mythology should represent Arda as it is, more or less: an island in the void

"amidst the innumerable stars"'; that 'the Stars, therefore, in general will be other and remoter parts of the Great Tale of Ea, which do not concern the Valar of Arda'; and that 'Varda, therefore, as one of the great Valar of Arda, cannot be said to have "kindled" the stars, as an original subcreative act - not at least the stars in general.' I have taken this to mean (p. 384 note 4) that the 'star-making' of Varda was to be confined to (at most) the making of the 'Great Stars' before the Awakening of the Elves. In the present text, on the other hand, appears the remarkable conception that the 'demiurgic' work of Varda was the making and disposition of certain 'principal' stars, which j

should in ages to come, after the establishment of the Earth, be visible in its skies as figures significant of its history - the 'dramatic centre'

of Ea.

While I think it certain that this text comes from the late 1950s, there seems no way in which to date it more precisely either externally or in relation to other writings.

NOTES.

1. Cf. text II (p. 378): 'Others there were, countless to our thought..., whose labour lay elsewhere and in other regions and histories of the Great Tale, amid stars remote and worlds beyond the reach of the furthest thought.'

2. It is a curious point that what is said here of Varda's part in the Music of the Ainur is largely repeated from what is told of Nienna in the 'lost' typescript of the beginning of the Annals of Aman (AAm*, p. 68, $26). There it is told of her that she 'took little part'

in the Music, but 'listened intent to all that she heard. Therefore she was rich in memory, and farsighted, perceiving how the themes should unfold in the Tale of Arda.'

3. It is interesting to compare what is said here about the names of Varda with what my father said on the subject in a note dated 3 February 1938 (V.200): 'Tintalle' Kindler can stand - but tinwe'

in Quenya only = spark (tinta- to kindle). Therefore Tinwerina > Elerina, Tinwerontar > Elentari'.

V.

This brief comment, entitled 'Sun The Trees Silmarils', is found on a single sheet, together with other more substantial writings similar in appearance, preserved in a folded newspaper of November 1958.

The making of the Sun after the Death of the Trees is not only impossible 'mythology' now - especially since the Valar must be supposed to know the truth about the structure of Ea (and not make mythical guesses like Men) and to have communicated this to the Eldar (and so to Numenoreans!) - it is also impossible chronologically in the Narrative.

The Sun existed as part of the Kingdom of Arda. In so far as there was darkness (and diminishment of growth in Arda consequently) when the Valar removed to Aman it was due to obscurations devised by Melkor: clouds and smokes (a volcanic era!).

The Sun was the immediate source of the light of Arda. The Blessedness of the Trees (as compared with other growing things later) was that they were kindled and illumined with the light of the Sun and Moon before these were tainted. The attack of Melkor on the Sun (and Moon) must therefore be subsequent to the establishment of Valinor, and be Melkor's effort to produce darkness.

Since the Silmarils were kindled from the Trees after the Death of the Trees, this 'light of the Unmarred Sun' remained only in them.

In text III, my father's note on the removal of the Dome of Varda after the death of the Trees, he was confronted by the problem (if my analysis of his meaning is correct, p. 386) that 'Melkor's defilement of the Sun must precede the Two Trees', whereas the light of the Trees was derived from the unsullied light of the Sun and Moon. Here he concludes that 'the attack of Melkor on the Sun (and Moon) must be subsequent to the establishment of Valinor'.

The word after in the concluding sentence is no more than a slip in extremely rapid writing.

:i

VI.

This text, entitled Melkor with Morgoth written beneath, is from the same collection as is text III (found in a newspaper dated April 1959), and was written on four slips made from further copies of the same Merton College documents dated June 1955 as is the draft A of the Athrabeth (pp. 350 - 2). The slip on which text III is written carries also preliminary drafting for the present essay on Melkor.

It is notable that text VI begins with a reference to 'Finrod and Andreth', which was therefore in existence, at least in some form.

Melkor Morgoth.

Melkor must be made far more powerful in original nature (cf.

'Finrod and Andreth'). The greatest power under Eru (sc. the greatest created power).(1) (He was to make I devise I begin; Manwe (a little less great) was to improve, carry out, complete.) Later, he must not be able to be controlled or 'chained' by all the Valar combined. Note that in the early age of Arda he was alone able to drive the Valar out of Middle-earth into retreat.

The war against Utumno was only undertaken by the Valar with reluctance, and without hope of real victory, but rather as a covering action or diversion, to enable them to get the Quendi out of his sphere of influence. But Melkor had already progressed some way towards becoming 'the Morgoth, a tyrant (or central tyranny and will), + his agents'.(2) Only the total contained the old power of the complete Melkor; so that if 'the Morgoth' could be reached or temporarily separated from his agents he was much more nearly controllable and on a power-level with the Valar. The Valar find that they can deal with his agents (sc. armies, Balrogs, etc.) piecemeal. So that they come at last to Utumno itself and find that 'the Morgoth' has no longer for the moment sufficient 'force' (in any sense) to shield himself from direct personal contact. Manwe at last faces Melkor again, as he has not done since he entered Arda. Both are amazed: Manwe to perceive the decrease in Melkor as a person; Melkor to perceive this also from his own point of view: he has now less personal force than Manwe, and can no longer daunt him with his gaze.

Either Manwe must tell him so or he must himself suddenly realize (or both) that this has happened: he is 'dispersed'. But the lust to have creatures under him, dominated, has become habitual and necessary to Melkor, so that even if the process was reversible (possibly was by absolute and unfeigned self-abasement and repentance only) he cannot bring himself to do it.* As with all other characters there must be a trembling moment when it is in the balance: he nearly repents - and does not, and becomes much wickeder, and more foolish.

Possibly (and he thinks it possible) he could now at that moment be humiliated against his own will and 'chained' - if and before his dispersed forces reassemble. So - as soon as he has mentally rejected repentance - he (just like Sauron afterwards on this model) makes a mockery of self-abasement and repentance. From which actually he gets a kind of perverted pleasure as in desecrating something holy - [for the mere contemplating of the possibility of genuine repentance, if that did not come specially then as a direct grace from Eru, was at least one last flicker of his true primeval nature.](3) He feigns remorse and repentance. He actually kneels before Manwe and surrenders - in the first instance to avoid being chained by the Chain Angainor, which once upon him he fears would not ever be able to be shaken off. But also suddenly he has the idea of (* [footnote to the text] One of the reasons for his self-weakening is that he has given to his 'creatures', Orcs, Balrogs, etc. power of recuperation and multiplication. So that they will gather again without further specific orders. Part of his native creative power has gone out into making an independent evil growth out of his control.) penetrating the vaunted fastness of Valinor, and ruining it. So he offers to become 'the least of the Valar' and servant of them each and all, to help (in advice and skill) in repairing all the evils and hurts he has done. It is this offer which seduces or deludes Manwe - Manwe must be shown to have his own inherent fault (though not sin):* he has become engrossed (partly out of sheer fear of Melkor, partly out of desire to control him) in amendment, healing, re-ordering - even 'keeping the status quo' - to the loss of all creative power and even to weakness in dealing with difficult and perilous situations. Against the advice of some of the Valar (such as Tulkas) he grants Melkor's prayer.