[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Selador

I don't think anyone could argue against the fact that the Elves were better protected and instructed than were Men. I also think it may be true that they were by nature better disposed to be "good", although I am not certain. The Silmarillion (Of the Beginning of Days) tells us that Elves have the "greater bliss in this world", while Men "would not use their gifts in harmony". So maybe Elves just know right from wrong more naturally than Men? I don't know.

Well, they're meant to be more bound to the Music, and as the music comes from Eru, then this would make them intrinsically more "good".

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

There you have it: why are southerners prone to evil and northerners likely to be good, Elves or not Elves?

Originally Posted by Gordis

Considering that Angband, Utumno and Carn Dum stood in the North, the theory can hardly be accepted. Dol Guldur was not much to the South either.

I think that actually here the answer is staring us in the face:

Melkor= Master of harsh climates.
Harsh Climates= Evil.

So I would presume that Morgoth had more influence through his "marred earth" in such areas with harsh climates.

I suppose though, that this idea would work better with elves, as they are more tied to the earth itself, but we never hear of the Southern and Eastern elves that may have existed so we can't know much about this.


And following on from that (forgetting that Valinor is in the West), the people in the West would naturally be more "good" because of the power of Ulmo (closer to the Sea- he also has power over other non-"poisoned" waters, but it would seem that he can keep water "good" when it is nearer to him).

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

The people of Arnor did have some groups that fell to the sway of evil in Cardolan and Rhudaur, so it could be said that these are exceptions to the rule of northerness - but so is the Witch Kingdom of Angmar an exception to the rule of evil being southern; so these can be considered the dual exception that proves the rule.

Well, there is also the idea that in each side there always is a little of the other- just look at the evil that happened in Valinor. Simple Yin and Yang:



There is also the idea that there was a "Divine calling" to the West, and all those that were destined to the West answered the summons.




EDIT:

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

This whole north/south thing is really odd, because the Elves have traditionally associated the North with evil (when you go through the cardinal directions it's supposed to go West, South, East, North because North was the seat of Angband).

MAybe after the initial stronghold in the icy cold North was completed, evil had to move to the next best, which would be scorching hot (another of old Morgy's specialities)