thanks for your salute, Mith [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Mhoram, here I'll give the whole passage from HoME X, Myths Transformed
Quote:
The war against Utumno was only undertaken by the Valar with reluctance, and without hope of real victory, but rather as a covering action or diversion, to enable them to get the Quendi out of his sphere of influence. But Melkor had already pro-gressed some way towards becoming 'the Morgoth, a tyrant (or central tyranny and will), + his agents'. Only the total contained the old power of the complete Melkor; so that if 'the Morgoth' could be reached or temporarily separated from his agents he was much more nearly controllable and on a power-level with the Valar. The Valar find that they can deal with his agents (sc. armies, Balrogs, etc.) piecemeal. So that they come at last to Utumno itself and find that 'the Morgoth' has no longer for the moment sufficient 'force' (in any sense) to shield himself from direct personal contact. Manwë at last faces Melkor again, as he has not done since he entered Arda. Both are amazed: Manwë to perceive the decrease in Melkor as a person, Melkor to perceive this also from his own point of view: he has now less personal force than Manwë, and can no longer daunt him with his gaze.
Either Manwë must tell him so or he must himself suddenly realize (or both) that this has happened: he is 'dispersed'. But the lust to have creatures under him, dominated, has become habitual and necessary to Melkor, so that even if the process was reversible (possibly was by absolute and unfeigned self-abasement and repentance only) he cannot bring himself to do it.As with all other characters there must be a trembling moment when it is in the balance: he nearly repents - and does not, and becomes much wickeder, and more foolish.
Possibly (and he thinks it possible) he could now at that moment be humiliated against his own will and 'chained' — if and before his dispersed forces reassemble. So - as soon as he has mentally rejected repentance - he (just like Sauron after-wards on this model) makes a mockery of self-abasement and repentance. From which actually he gets a kind of perverted pleasure as in desecrating something holy - [for the mere contemplating of the possibility of genuine repentance, if that did not come specially then as a direct grace from Eru, was at least one last flicker of his true primeval nature.] He feigns remorse and repentance. He actually kneels before Manwë and surrenders — in the first instance to avoid being chained by the Chain Angainor, which once upon him he fears would not ever be able to be shaken off. But also suddenly he has the idea of penetrating the vaunted fastness of Valinor, and ruining it. So he offers to become 'the least of the Valar' and servant of them each and all, to help (in advice and skill) in repairing all the evils and hurts he has done. It is this offer which seduces or deludes Manwë - Manwë must be shown to have his own inherent fault (though not sin): he has become engrossed (partly out of sheer fear of Melkor, partly out of desire to control him) in amendment, healing, re-ordering — even 'keeping the status quo' — to the loss of all creative power and even to weakness in dealing with difficult and perilous situations. Against the advice of some of the Valar (such as Tulkas) he grants Melkor's prayer.
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and, Mith, Manwe is weakened by "the inherent fault", or as a reaction to Melkor's acticities. If Arda was not marred, there would be no cause for Manwe's weariness, for there would be no cause for "sheer fear", which is not natural in the original plan. Ainur are not supposed to expirience fear. And, though in Silm77 Morgoth is named to be the only one of the Valar to feel it, there it meant fear of physical pain, or even death. But anyways, Manwe was not righteous while fearing, even if it was understandable, still less desiring control over Melkor. So good ainur power disperses when they do not act in a way propriate to them. And valar made mighty big deal of mistakes along the way. Remember Aule - he suits well in both cases - as a righteous one offering his gift to his Creator (dwarves part II), and as a rebel spirit, making something of his own, but without succes despite his Creator's will (dwarves part I). Both parts are linked by the act of repentance on Aule's part. The act washes sin commited clean, without it Aule's deed is on the same level (or almost on the same level, for by this time Melkor already lost ability to make, and was apt to pervert only) as Melkor's doings are.
[ March 02, 2002: Message edited by: HerenIstarion ]