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Old 04-11-2006, 04:28 AM   #6
Smaug
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 8
Smaug has just left Hobbiton.
Thanks for the responses guys. Nevertheless it seems strange (we are getting into tricky ground here, analysing situations that Tolkien never gave any coverage for), that the few Elves or so that could have escaped to Valinor would have sat back and enjoyed the bliss while far over the waves Middle Earth was being enslaved and destroyed by the order of Sauron. Manwë and the Valar demonstrate their concern and care for the plight of Middle Earth through their sending of the Istari and even arguably to a latter extent, the Eagles that nest in Hithaeglir.

Of course the argument can be put forth that Eru Ilúvatar left the free peoples of Middle Earth to govern their own affairs since many of the Elves had originally refused the summons of the Valar and chosen to dwell in the Mortal Lands. Yet this does not apply to races such as Hobbits whom were presumably created as the Children of Ilúvatar and are vulnerable. Subsequently they are never mentioned to have inhabited Valinor or had any ties with it (open or secret). They never received such an offer from the Valar.

It is evident by the main themes of Tolkien that Ilúvatar himself would never intervene in ‘a spectacular fashion’ to break Sauron and all his servants, but there is evidence as mentioned above, to suggest that the Valar in the Blessed Realm did at the very least care for what happened in the Mortal Lands (including Middle Earth as the last remnant of it during the War of the Ring). Total dominance by Sauron and a new Middle Earth infested with evils with the children of Ilúvatar now completely corrupted and ruined, the assumption can be that Manwë would not have taken to this kindly, and may have sent his servants to intervene.

This all may seem impractical, I'm sure it does. However I find it wholly unimaginable that the Valar would just ignore the situation completely. It could be viewed as inhumane since although Númenor could be held accountable for the problems with the Ring and such, Hobbits for instance were entirely faultless. It may have even been possible that Sauron with ultimate sovereignty over Middle Earth may have become extremely arrogant and even have attempted to assail Valinor over the sea.
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