[Mithadan]

The origins of Orcs has been debated here before. Whether your view is that Orcs were created whole cloth by Morgoth, were corrupted Elves, corrupted Men or perhaps animals bred into their Orcish form really depends on what source you look at. Orcs created entirely by Morgoth is a very early concept at best and seems to have been wholly rejected by JRRT. LoTR says little of the origin of Orcs other than Treebeard's statement that they were "counterfeits." JRRT, in Letters (153) states that "counterfeit," at least regarding Orcs but maybe not Trolls, does not mean made or created, but rather ruined, twisted or corrupted. The Silmarillion states that The wise of Eressea seem to believe they were corrupted Elves. I have not looked to HoME versions of the Silmarillion, but in his later writings found in Morgoth's Ring, JRRT seems to be leaning to Orcs being corrupted Men or animals. The Mannish origin of Orcs seems inconsistent with the timeline of various iterations of the Silmarillion which has Orcs appearing before Men arose. But NoME suggests that Men arose significantly earlier (if JRRT's Time and Aging musings are considered as authoritative in any way).

The purpose of this thread is not to determine the origin of Orcs. Rather, the intent is to discuss (read as "speculate") why JRRT wavered. The rejection of Orcs as a pure creation of Morgoth rests in the conclusion found in Letters, Morgoth's Ring, etc. that Morgoth, once he "fell" could not "create" beings. In Letters (153) he also states this as being related to a prohibition against creating incarnates; certain Valar could "sub-create" to an extent but Morgoth, after he fell, no longer could. But why did he then waver between Orcs being corrupted Elves and twisted Men (or animals)?