Quote:
Originally Posted by Zigűr
Do we have a precise timeframe on when Morgoth started actively trying to turn matter to his will, leeching his essence into the world, as it were? It was clearly after the destruction of the Lamps, because otherwise Aman would presumably have been tainted. Melkor was weakened by the time he was captured in the Battle of the Powers, but that was seemingly, mostly, from putting his essence into his agents, particularly his Maiar servants and his experiments. Did he only start actually imbuing Arda with his spirit after returning to Middle-earth with the Silmarils, or had he already been doing it beforehand?
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The question of Melkor's "essence" becoming part of those Maiar he had seduced is a good one. However, it would appear that any servants or followers of Melkor had been purged from Aman by one means or another. They had either been "destroyed" like Gothmog and probably many other Balrogs, repented genuinely (perhaps, though the reader is given no such example), or had run to Middle-earth to hide from the Valar (like Sauron and the Moria Balrog).
With none of Melkor's corrupted slaves or followers present, Aman had no lasting effect of evil, and could be said to be "unmarred" in comparison with the outer lands.