[Aldarion Elf-Friend]

I first tried to read the Silm back in high school in the 80s. Unlike a few here, I loved the Ainulindale the first time I read it, and stumbled over the Valaquenta, giving up on the Silm until a decade later (or more). Still, the Ainulindale is my favorite part of what has become my favorite of Tolkien's works. In college as a music major, I wanted, for my senior project, to write a piece of music based on the it, and still do. I ended up arranging the music for my wedding instead (still married 15 years later, BTW, so I probably made the better choice).

Anyway, here are some scattered and disorganized thoughts on the discussion as it has unfolded:

First, regarding the origin of evil, it is true that in any monotheistic worldview, the question of where did evil come from is a tricky one. The Judeo-Christian answer is that if God did not allow free choice, then true love could not exist, because for love to be real, it must be freely given. By the same token, if one is free to choose not to love, then one is free to choose evil. So, God created the framework for evil to exist, but not the actual evil itself. Here's the question I don't think will ever be answered this side of eternity - how did evil enter into the heart of Melkor (Satan).

Think about, created in perfection, wisdom beyond measure, living in the presence of the Creator, and still he rebelled. Anguirel might find something admirable in this, but to stand against what would be the most impressive, awesome, etc., sight in the universe and decide there must be something better is quite a leap, in my book.

(Does anyone know how Islam deals with the origin of evil question?)

Second, regarding the sex of the valar, when Tolkien rewrote the Ainulindale to eliminate the valar's offsrping, he made them somewhat closer to the angels of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but not completely. As LJ said to the Pharisees, angels "do not marry or are they given in marriage". At the same time, the Valar did espouse each other, but with the exception of Melian, did not copulate.

Melian has precedent, too. One common interpretation of the theme from Genesis where the Sons of God had intercourse with the daughters of men and produced the Nephilim, mighty men of old, men of reknown, was that fallen angels were impregnating human women, resulting in sort of supermen half-breeds.

One other interesting change, which will become more distinct in later chapters, is that Tolkien reduced the size of his pantheon. The earlier versions (all that I've read is Lost Tales) have additional "gods" of war and the like, that he eliminated for the final work. Could it be that Tolkien became more religiously conservative as he aged, and his writing reflected that?