Elves and Free Will - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Sardy · 06-01-2011, 05:20 PM

On a current rereading of The Silmarillion, the following caught my attention,

"But to the Atani [men] he gave a new gift. ... They should have a virtue to shape their life, amid the power and chances of the world, beyond the music of the Ainur, which is as fate to all things else."

Surely, this is a description of Eru granting Man the gift of Free Will, separate and outside of destiny and fate. The implication that intrigues me, is that this gift was unique to men among all things. Does this imply that the elves do not have free will? That their fates, actions, thoughts, choices and lives are all caught up in the Music, predestined and set in stone?

Thoughts?

06-01-2011, 05:20 PM	#1
Sardy Wight Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Hudson Valley, NY Posts: 111	Elves and Free Will On a current rereading of The Silmarillion, the following caught my attention, "But to the Atani [men] he gave a new gift. ... They should have a virtue to shape their life, amid the power and chances of the world, beyond the music of the Ainur, which is as fate to all things else." Surely, this is a description of Eru granting Man the gift of Free Will, separate and outside of destiny and fate. The implication that intrigues me, is that this gift was unique to men among all things. Does this imply that the elves do not have free will? That their fates, actions, thoughts, choices and lives are all caught up in the Music, predestined and set in stone? Thoughts? __________________ www.scottchristiancarr.com They passed slowly, and the hobbits could see the starlight glimmering on their hair and in their eyes.