[Man-of-the-Wold]

First of all let me report that I'm back. I was imprisoned by the cruelest of rogue Vala, "the Real World," which may yet capture me again, but I thought I'd make a cameo for now.

Nice, discussion. Again, I think that some of the nature of evil that Tolkien potrays in his sensitive and deep way is not always one of calculating precisions, and many things are as one reply said below: just inimical or sad.

So, first before relating to the main topic, I'd note my thought on the storm of Caradhras, namely, that in the books its origin (Sauron or Saruman) is unclear, and indeed the Fellowship blames Sauron because of his historic connection with the wintery forces of Angband and Angmar. But it could have been Saruman as depicted in the movie, but unlike the direct drama necessitated by moviemaking, I would submit that it reflects very blunt power issuing from both Barad-dur and Isengard to prevent a crossing of the mountains there and the fellowship meeting with Galadriel. The storm was not necessarily triggered directly by Saruman or by Sauron, but by the Fellowship's (or anyone's) attempt to cross at that time.

As for the Dead Marshes, I don't see why Sauron would go to such trouble. He was being beaten back by the Last Alliance and would hardly have thought to terrorize future ages by creating disturbing images of the victims of Dagorlad someplace where folks hardly needed to ever go any way.

Rather, I look at it as a phenomenom resulting from a combination of factors. First of all they are just images, not the real bodies and spirits of the victims, at least not those of the Men & Elves whose spirits should have be freed (or at least housed in Mandos for the Quendi). Some orcs and evil easterlings are trapped there too, in, perhaps, a more literal sense.

Second, the Dead Marshes are part of the land dominated by Sauron for the entire 2nd Age. So, they are full of his malice and power, and the site is one of natural fetidness, decay and uncleaness. So, the Dead Marshes are permeated or haunted with evil, albeit unconscious, power.

But I think in some way the evil there is not necessarily harmful, beyond the unhealthy aspect of that environment. Rather, it is only as threatening as one's fear of it, like that of the Dead Men of Dunharrow. If one is strong of heart and unafraid, as Gollum is in a perverse way, and Aragorn would have been earlier in a noble way, then the marshes are still undesirable and lamentable, not unbearable.

Third, even as the Dead Marshes are far from neutral on the spectrum of Good & Evil, because the place itself is saturated with cruelty and decay, the precipitating force behind the images is, I feel, that of sadness, horror and tragedy from what happened at Dagorlad before the Dead Marshes expanded there. They are hallow much as Lincoln said that Gettyburg was hallowed by the men who died and suffered there.

Therefore, I see the creation of the phantagoric images and their nighttime illumination as primarily powered by the emotions and energy of the Dunedain and the Eldar that perished there, much as paranormalists will say that many a violent death leaves a psychic imprint that is then subseqently perceived as a ghost.

Also, I think that the marsh images reflect to some extent the blessedness of the Last Alliance's cause, so that something of the fallens' lives is perserved for memory, even within such unfortunately horrible circumstances, lest all free people remain only in slim.