The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post

Lyta_Underhill · 08-26-2003, 12:25 AM

Perhaps Sauron suffered from the "Why am *I* not a Vala?" complex. The Maiar were, after all, of the same race as the Valar, albeit somewhat lesser in stature. I would assume that, the nature of evil being what it is and always will be, the evil Maiar are always scheming to take the place of the big evil Vala, Morgoth. And when Morgoth was finally defeated, Sauron took his place, naturally. But, wouldn't there still be the same complex within him, the fear of others attempting to usurp his position, as he took over Morgoth's?

Did Sauron not believe, in this vein of thought, that whoever had the One Ring would come against him in open war, wielding the Ring, as Sauron would have done? I wonder if this inspired fear in him, just as Morgoth knew fear and preferred not to face his enemies head on. It is thoughts like this that make me admire Aragorn all the more for revealing himself at an important juncture to Sauron through the palantir. A masterstroke of misdirection! For Aragorn was the one person in Middle Earth that Sauron could believe would come against him.

Another thought on why Sauron does what he does: it was mentioned in the other thread, the link to which is so helpfully provided by the Squatter of Amon Rudh (thanks! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] ) that the evil impulse is part of a desire to supplant the One God, Eru, to impose one's own will as a supreme being. Thus, evil will seek to create thralls that reinforce the primacy of the evil "creator." However, the one Vala who created but did not possess the evil motive to go with it (Aule, who created the Dwarves) did so out of a desire to create something beautiful, an adornment for Middle Earth, a celebration of Arda. Thus, he humbled himself before Iluvatar for his presumption.

This idea seems to me to echo motivation in art. Some seek merely to create so that attention and worship is drawn to them; those works are usually derivative (the Shadow mocks but cannot make), whereas works of art that issue from the soul (let us posit a direct line to the Will of Eru), have a light of their own and shine with the eternal and the personal.

I know this gets way off on a side track, but this does seem to me part of the conflict inherent in the hoarding of the Silmarils by Fëanor and his sons. Alas, I can think no more, but thanks for listening! (reading!)

Cheers,
Lyta

08-26-2003, 12:25 AM	#8
Lyta_Underhill Haunted Halfling Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: an uncounted length of steps--floating between air molecules Posts: 841	Perhaps Sauron suffered from the "Why am I not a Vala?" complex. The Maiar were, after all, of the same race as the Valar, albeit somewhat lesser in stature. I would assume that, the nature of evil being what it is and always will be, the evil Maiar are always scheming to take the place of the big evil Vala, Morgoth. And when Morgoth was finally defeated, Sauron took his place, naturally. But, wouldn't there still be the same complex within him, the fear of others attempting to usurp his position, as he took over Morgoth's? Did Sauron not believe, in this vein of thought, that whoever had the One Ring would come against him in open war, wielding the Ring, as Sauron would have done? I wonder if this inspired fear in him, just as Morgoth knew fear and preferred not to face his enemies head on. It is thoughts like this that make me admire Aragorn all the more for revealing himself at an important juncture to Sauron through the palantir. A masterstroke of misdirection! For Aragorn was the one person in Middle Earth that Sauron could believe would come against him. Another thought on why Sauron does what he does: it was mentioned in the other thread, the link to which is so helpfully provided by the Squatter of Amon Rudh (thanks! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] ) that the evil impulse is part of a desire to supplant the One God, Eru, to impose one's own will as a supreme being. Thus, evil will seek to create thralls that reinforce the primacy of the evil "creator." However, the one Vala who created but did not possess the evil motive to go with it (Aule, who created the Dwarves) did so out of a desire to create something beautiful, an adornment for Middle Earth, a celebration of Arda. Thus, he humbled himself before Iluvatar for his presumption. This idea seems to me to echo motivation in art. Some seek merely to create so that attention and worship is drawn to them; those works are usually derivative (the Shadow mocks but cannot make), whereas works of art that issue from the soul (let us posit a direct line to the Will of Eru), have a light of their own and shine with the eternal and the personal. I know this gets way off on a side track, but this does seem to me part of the conflict inherent in the hoarding of the Silmarils by Fëanor and his sons. Alas, I can think no more, but thanks for listening! (reading!) Cheers, Lyta __________________ “…she laid herself to rest upon Cerin Amroth; and there is her green grave, until the world is changed, and all the days of her life are utterly forgotten by men that come after, and elanor and niphredil bloom no more east of the Sea.”