The atrocity of the Akallabêth

[davem]

Originally Posted by Son of Númenor

How could the story exist without input?

The creation of the Valar is the input needed for Smeagol to exert energy towards re-claiming the Ring on Mt. Doom.

But why is it necessary for the Valar to have been 'created' - they could just as easily have been the creators themselves. If Eru can exist without any origin so could the Valar. What i don't see is the necessity of Eru to the story. He doesn't seem to serve any purpose that couldn't be supplied by the very slightest alteration to the nature of the Valar themselves & given the tiny part he plays I don't see that he is actually necessary.

One can only speculate that Tolkien, as a monotheist, felt the need to have a single supreme deity, even when the plot did not require it - maybe he just felt it should be that way. However, given the dominant role of the 'gods' in the Legendarium the place left for Eru was tiny, & when he did appear he tended to devastate whatever he came into contact with. Its easy to read an inner conflict in Tolkien in this 'twin powers' scenario. The Pagan legends he loved had Gods, the Religion he followed had a single God. In the Legendarium the two powers sit uncomfortably - for Eru to intervene in Numenor the Valar have to be (voluntarily) sidelined, when the Valar return, Eru is sidelined. Of course, bringing in Eru merely to devastate the planet doesn't serve to improve his reputation - they might as well have nuked the place.