Could Ainur reproduce?

[obloquy]

The Ainur could reproduce. The abandoning of the idea of the Children of the Valar does not necessarily indicate otherwise. All it took was a bodily form. Tolkien explains that begetting was an especially 'incarnating' activity for an ëala.

As for the Valar in particular, someone would doubtless point to this from Osanwe-kenta:

The great Valar do not do these things: they beget not, neither do they eat and drink, save at the high asari, in token of their lordship and indwelling of Arda, and for the blessing of the sustenance of the Children.

But notice that it says that they 'do not do these things', as opposed to cannot. In the previous paragraph Tolkien states that "it seems clear that there was no axan [axani: rules, laws from Eru] against these things." There also may be an intentional distinction here between your typical Vala and 'the great Valar', which could refer specifically to the Aratar. In any case, it was possible for the Valar to reproduce, they just didn't.

These seeming bodies are incapable of reproduction.

They weren't, actually. Reproducing just bound them more irrevocably to their 'raiment', so that they would eventually become incarnate. You might enjoy my article.

Ëalar and Incarnation.

Sorry for the frequent edits.

[ April 29, 2003: Message edited by: obloquy ]