View Single Post
Old 07-31-2001, 04:07 AM   #9
Elenhin
Wight
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Posts: 205
Elenhin has just left Hobbiton.
Ring

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pile o' Bones
Posts: 21
</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: Why is enigma pretty much tied with maia and earth spiri

<blockquote>Quote:<hr> I'd like to point out that it's possible that Tolkien had planned to change, or perhaps just finally disclose, the true origin of Man's mortality in his legendarium. Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth states that among the Edain, some believed that originally they were immortal as the Elves, but Melkor tricked them into worshiping him and turning away from Eru. Very highly recommended reading.<hr></blockquote>
That is the point of the whole story: among the Edain, some thought that originally they were immortal, but they were not. It was quite clearly brought up by Finrod that that belief originated in fear of the Shadow and in envy of the Elves.

Later in his life, Tolkien gave more thought to the philosophical and theological issues in his world. Athrabeth is one of those theologically inspired works and it includes lots of Christian elements; Tolkien was a Catholic after all. For example, the fall of Men happened quite much in the same way in the Bible and in Tolkien's works: as a direct result of disobeying God and listening to the Enemy instead. And in both of those stories mortality is not a result of the fall, but an inherent quality of Men.

--
Elenhin

"My god, it's full of stars!"</p>
Elenhin is offline   Reply With Quote