Silmarillion - Ainulindale

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Don't worry, no stones.

The way I take this passage is that Eru created the phenomenon of Music, so if Melkor chose to introduce a loud strain of dissonance, Eru could still make some pleasant music result. He understood how to do this since this music and its instruments are of his thought, and have their source in him. I do not think that this implies that Eru is evil. It is interesting that later on the degree of evil in Sauron seems to be tied to how self-serving he is. Melkor is clearly shown to be such a one.

Perhaps these higher beings are in a perfect balance, so that they should be seen as neither good nor bad entities, but Melkor has become somehow unbalanced, falling toward the evil end of the spectrum. Maybe this is why his brother Manwë is toward the side of good, in order to recover the balance. I mention this only because it has troubled me that these two were brothers in the thought of Iluvatar, and it is one way I could reconcile the thought of it.

[Macalaure]

The way I take this passage is that Eru created the phenomenon of Music, so if Melkor chose to introduce a loud strain of dissonance, Eru could still make some pleasant music result.

How I read it is, that the dissonance, though played with the intention to disturb, still has its source within Eru, and therefore is no dissonance, but only perceived as such.

I do not think that this implies that Eru is evil. It is interesting that later on the degree of evil in Sauron seems to be tied to how self-serving he is. Melkor is clearly shown to be such a one.

So if Melkor played what he played not out of vanity, but to enrich the whole, it would not have been evil or turn to evil. That makes sense.
But the Ainur were the offspring of Eru's thought, so Melkor's vanity and lust for power had its source in Eru. This way, again, evil has its source in Eru.

I just keep sticking to this because Eru is always portrayed as being wholly good, and I don't think this is possible.

[Aldarion Elf-Friend]

Originally Posted by Macalaure

But the Ainur were the offspring of Eru's thought, so Melkor's vanity and lust for power had its source in Eru. This way, again, evil has its source in Eru.

This is another interesting depature from Tolkien's traditional Christianity. Eru says very straightforward that:

Originally Posted by J.R.R. Tolkien

...thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite.

This kind of moves toward the hyper-Calvanist position that minimizes the idea of free will, and stands in contrast to the more comfortable idea Eru simply takes what Melkor devised for his own glory, and uses it to make the whole that much more glorious.

[Aiwendil]

I don't know - I've always seen Tolkien's treatment of evil in his works as rather Augustinian. Augustine wrote in The City of God:

The sins of men and angels do nothing to impede the "great works of the Lord which accomplish His will." For He who by His providence and omnipotence distributes to every one his own portion, is able to make good use not only of the good, but also of the wicked. And thus making a good use of the wicked angel, who, in punishment of his first wicked volition, was doomed to an obduracy that prevents him now from willing any good, why should not God have permitted him to tempt the first man, who had been created upright, that is to say, with a good will?

For who will dare to believe or say that it was not in God's power to prevent both angels and men from sinning? But God preferred to leave this in their power, and thus to show both what evil could be wrought by their pride, and what good by His grace.

This sounds to me rather like Iluvatar's warning to Melkor. Melkor's deeds remain evil - Augustine is emphatically not saying that evil is really good - but Iluvatar in his omnipotence is able to work good by means of them. I don't necessarily see this as implying fatalism or the predestination of Calvin.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

J.R.R. Tolkien
...thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite.

I think it might be important to note that in this quote it does not say that 'nothing maybe played that hath not its uttermost source in me', but rather 'no theme maybe played'. The themes were composed by Ilúvatar, and Melkor's improvisation cannot alter those basic themes, even though they were not in the sheet music. He cannot usurp the role of composer.

Even though Melkor is a product of Ilúvatar’s thought, this does not necessarily mean that Ilúvatar has an element of evil within him, though he undoubtedly can conceive of it. If Melkor had been a product or aspect of Illuvatar's personality, than you would indeed be right. But as it is, one can imagine evil without being evil one's self.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I beg pardon for joining in this discussion so belatedly, but as I was away from home when it began, I have only now been able to read the contributions so far. I've enjoyed the many good thoughts here!

I do like this part of the Sil complex, and I too enjoyed listening to the spoken version. As a musician, of course the connection between creation and music fascinates me most. C. S. Lewis' use of a similar idea for the creation of Narnia was mentioned only briefly, yet is the one reference that occurred to me first when I read the Ainulindalë. I went back to reread it now (in The Magician's Nephew) to compare the similaraties and differences.

Narnia has only one creative singer, Aslan.

A voice had begun to sing... Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he [Digory] almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard.

(Bêthberry, it's interesting that Lewis does use the feminine pronoun for the earth here...)

Then the stars join in the song:

...the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could possibly count. They were in harmony with it, but far higher up the scale: cold, tingling, silvery voices...
The new stars and the new voices began at exactly the same time. It you had seen or heard it... you would have felt certain that it was the stars themselves who were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing.

The sound of the music has definite similarities to the creative work which appears, more precisely defined here than in Tolkien's account:

Polly was finding the song more and more interesting because she thought she was beginning to see the connection between the music and the things that were happening...
When you listened to his song you heard the things he was making up: when you looked round you, you saw them.

Plants, animals, all have their specific musical sounds.


This brings me to a great work of musical genius which concerns the Biblical creation story: Haydn's Creation oratorio. It is a work I know well and dearly love, especially for the picturesque nature of the instrumental passages, which are directly related to what is happening at that point in time - primordial chaos, rippling runs for water, a great roar for the lion, etc. (For those who are interested, there's more description here: Creation. Of course, it only musically describes creation, which is not taking place by means of music; still, it's wonderfully inspiring to hear a musical version of the creation story.

I actually like Tolkien's version, which introduces his idea of sub-creativity in having the Ainur actively involved in the process of creation. I think it's a clever way of reconciling the pantheistic myths with the One God of Judeo-Christian theology.

[Rikae]

Forgive me for resurrecting an ancient thread, but I'm just returning to the Silmarillion after20 years, and I have to talk about it!

Specifically, if I may, I'd like to agree with this "blasphemy" and perhaps, go a step farther toward the dark side :

Originally Posted by Mac

How I read it is, that the dissonance, though played with the intention to disturb, still has its source within Eru, and therefore is no dissonance, but only perceived as such.

This was my first thought on reading Eru's words as well. In fact, it seems obvious to me that Tolkien went to great pains not to have Eru call the dissonance evil; in fact, he repeatedly highlights ways in which Melkor's attempted destruction becomes part of the process of creation; of the new themes, the third theme's beauty even comes chiefly from its sadness; the snow; the clouds.
There is something here that transcends good and evil; the idea of the beauty of sadness and the creative power of dissonance. Logically, it fits with the idea of the universe as a work of art - the introduction of conflict and dissonance is important in all the arts, whether the tension between colors or asymmetrical compositions in the visual arts; dissonance or syncopation in music, or conflict in literature; chaos and discord tend to spur richer creations. Now, obviously once the world is created and we're thrust into the work of art itself, these things are depicted as evil - this is part of the perspective of one inside the story, and therefore, necessary - but I see the Ainulindale as "outside" the world/story (hence the different style), and from this perspective 'good' and 'evil' collapse back to a single root.
"And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite."' Absolutely says that Melkor, his discordance, and all that arise from it originates with Eru; which I don't so much see as meaning Eru is partly evil, but that Eru is simply a creator, transcending good and evil; that what we call evil is a creative force, just as what we call good is.
"For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined."
If this doesn't seem to fit with Tolkien's Catholicism, bear in mind I'm suggesting this is a sort of overarching solution to the "problem of evil" as seen from a place outside of space and time, so to speak, where such dualities as good and evil dissolve; this doesn't mean that the dualities are meaningless within the creation; paradoxically, it's essential to creation that they remain separate within it while being unified outside of it.

OK, all I really wanted to say is this book is good enough for Jehovah! (Stone her!)