[Thinlómien]

I'm glad I decided to read through this thread after all... very interesting and thought-provoking. I won't stay here to write a novel, though, because I have dozens of other things to do today, unfortunately. However, I will say one thing. Some people have complained that in the Silmarillion, Orcs are merely cannon fodder, while they are more like real enemy soldiers in LotR. I don't think the difference is in how Orcs were in different ages, or not that much even in how their opponents were in different ages, but rather, in the difference of the narrative of the two books. Silmarillion's style is far more epic and mythology-like, and in all old myths and tales we have the heroes defeating unnumbered hordes of enemies. I think it's as simple as that.