Music of the Ainur: Rap? Country? Opera?

[lindil]

Great topic Angry Hill troll!

From the War of the Jewels [HoM-E 11]we have one of my very favorite uses of language by JRRT.

It also happens to be on the language of the Valar.

It does not directly refer to music but it palinly gives an intimation as to how their voices could have conveyed music, especially the Music of the Ainur.

The speaker is Pengolodh citing a 'saying' of Rumil:

For the tounges of the and voices of the Valar are great and stern, and yet also swift and subtle in movement, making sounds that we find hard to counterfeit; and their words are mostly rapid, like the glitter of long swords, like the rush of leaves in a great wind or the fall of stones in the mountains.

PEngolodh comments [ and I love this!]'Plainly the effect of Valarin upon Elvish ears was not pleasing'.


So if one can wed the above idea of their speach with an image of their singing in said fashion, perhaps one can come abit closer to hearing the Music of the Ainur.

[ February 10, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]