My quest to understand The Sil
 

i'm not very far through it yet, but this talk of the Secret Fire is confusing me slightly. i remember Gandalf saying that he served it, and it was with Iluvatar/Eru in the begining, but did he create it? and what is it, exactly? some kind of powerful essence or some thing tangible?

Voronwen, take a look at this thread. It has a lot of suggestions on it.

Gandalf's Speech to the Balrog

Somewhere [HoME ? Letters ?} JRRT lets slip that it is the Holy Spirit.

Just came across it about a week ago maybe it is in the aforementioned thread.

JRRT faith has always been apparent in his works. Unfortunately, we are left to our assumptions/interpretations to what they could mean.

Anor I believe is the (Sindarin?) word for Sun. I can still be corrected on this. Secret Fire could therefore be attributed to Illuvatar, or the“Imperishable Flame”. As Gandalf was a Maia, it would be natural that he served the “Secret Fire”.
As to what this “Secret Fire” actually is – well, as I recall in the Sil it was said that Illuvatar gave the Ainur’s vision Being (meaning their song was made into existence), and that it was set into the Void and the Secret Fire was sent to burn at the heart of the World. And thus the World was created.
The Secret Fire would be the Flame of Life, in a sense.

(Hmmm… could this be the “Force” in Star Wars?…ooops sorry, my mind was wandering again!) [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Yes, it could mean the Holy Spirit – since in the creation of the World, the Holy Spirit was one w/ God the Father and the Son, and through His Will the all things came into being.

Thanks for the great thread, Joy! I just revived it. It really discusses this topic throughly. Everyone who wants to know more about the Secret Fire, go to that thread!

Lindil,
Even though I had only read LotR and the first 4 chapters ot the Hobbit, that was my speculation. I read through the afore mentioned post and saw referecences to the "Flame Impershible" and to the creation of Arda. This is from whence I drew my conclusion.

Now, I am glad to have that issue settled in my mind.

If it is supposed to represent the Holy Spirit, I think it would be the Imperishable Flame, since Iluvatar gave it to the Ainur and the Holy Spirit goes with us.