Evil men in Mandos
 

So when men die in Arda they go a separate hall than they elves and are basically processed and leave quickly going beyond the world. I'm curious what would happen in Mandos to evil men or men with evil cultures such as Melkor worship basically an easterling. Do they receive any sort of judgement? Or do the Valar simply pass men in and out of their doors without examining their moral and spiritual situation as they do elves?

I could be wrong, but I don't think there's anything about judgement in the Halls of Mandos. In any event, I don't think it was the role of the Valar to judge them.

It's worth remembering that Arda is meant to be the real world, and therefore by Professor Tolkien's own theological standards pre-salvation (which would not occur until the time of Christ). As such, what happens to one's soul after death is, in that mythical time, not determined, at least as far as I understand it.

I think it is all in the hands of Eru. Of course, I could have overlooked something.

The Doom of Men as presented in The Silmarillion indeed is a total mystery to the Children of Ilûvatar, but there are hints that the Valar do know. Certainly Manwë and Mandos would, but they aren't talking.

Perhaps the evil Men were subject to endless torment in the form of mental images of Gandalf 'uncloaking'. ;)

The best glimpse of the fate of Men's spirits seems to be in The Silmarillion, dealing with Beren after his death.

From that, it looks like Men just wait for a time in Mandos until they leave Arda. What they wait for is unknown. An opportunity to reflect on their life? Do they lose all memory then when they leave forever? No way to know. But at any rate there's no mention of any manner of judgement at Mandos; and, as Zigûr said, I wouldn't think it was the place of the Valar, as fellow created beings of Ilúvatar, to have done so.

Great quotes Inziladun. I'm reminded, again, that every return to the narrative, there's a heart-revival or new wisdom of the heart to hear from the mythology. I had never encoded deeply that sentiment and it implies a parting of Beren and Luthien in a 'forever' way. That is indeed a very different nostalgia of emphasis than the Choice of the Pereldar, who seem to have a permission to access either path.

In the ways of Parting as they are an agony as reflected in the parting of Arwen and Elrond (with less known about his heart and Elladan and Elrohir), it seems then, that Elrond's choice to stand with the Eldar parted him from Elros -- forever -- and then from all of his children. No solace for him for his choice to stand with the Eldar with any of his family. Separated, also from his foster-son who was his brother's descendant as well.

Does this put the "Men go to Mandos first" idea as an internal belief, wiggling into the tale of Beren perhaps, in any event?

Or am I readin' it wrong?

Interesting, Galin. I wish I had that particularHOME.

I would say that the thought of Men's destination to Mandos was indeed probably internal.

If no mortal fea ever returned after death though, I wonder about a couple of things.

After Gorlim (in The Silmarillion) was slain by Sauron, Beren had a dream in which a "wraith of Gorlim" came to him in a dream to confess his treachery and to warn Beren. Granted, it is stated explicitly to be a dream, but how could Gorlim's consciousness remain to give the warning in any form?

Also, when Túrin returns to the men of Brethil after slaying Glaurung, they initially are frightened, "thinking that it was his unquiet spirit".

So why, if Men's spirits could not return, was the idea of it in existence among Men?