Lord of Gravity - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

alatar · 08-21-2007, 09:36 AM

The idea for this thread all started with a flippant comment regarding which of the Valar was the Lord of Gravity, some wind-downed trees and recent reading of Greek mythology.

Assuming that our world is Arda in an Age later than documented by Tolkien. This world was created by Eru, marred by Melkor and patched by the Valar. We witness daily round this world 'natural' disasters - hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, blizzards, tornadoes and other calamities, on both the small and large scales.

How and why do these things occur?

Are all of the 'bad' events, such as a tornado that wipes out a village, the mixing of power of one Valar (Manwë) with the legacy of Melkor? Or is it just the work of Manwë, and we just don't understand the purpose of the event?

While driving home the other day after a particularly powerful storm, I couldn't help but think that Yavanna could not be very happy with the hundreds of uprooted trees lying about - trees uprooted by the winds purportedly under the control of Manwë. Maybe this was 'part of the plan' where the Lord of Air's help was enlisted to knock down a few aging trees, and well, sorry if one fell on your house or across your path.

At least with Ossë, we have documentation that this maia is not always 'friendly,' and so many of the sea-related natural calamities could pour from his hands. Earthquakes and mine cave-ins could be laid at the feet of the Nameless Things, which may be burrowing around under the firmament, pushing up mountains and opening up chasms, and Aulë too busy pretending to be Iarwain Ben-adar (not) to be any help. Volcanoes explode due to the fluttering of a trapped Balrog's wings perhaps? Blight and subsequent famine, at a stretch, could be some plan of Yavanna, as maybe the soil/land may need to be rebooted now and again by a swarm of locusts.

I guess the question is not how and why does evil exist, as I think that Tolkien answers that in Arda, but how and why do natural disasters occur? Science tells us that, well, things happen, and will continue to happen as the world is continually in flux (the mountains/hills where I currently live were at one time under swampy water during the Carboniferous period, so things do change). Are the 'gods' angry with us, have a plan that we don't understand, or is the marring of Melkor still in play, and the Valar can not or will not hold back its dominion?

08-21-2007, 09:36 AM	#1
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,466	Lord of Gravity The idea for this thread all started with a flippant comment regarding which of the Valar was the Lord of Gravity, some wind-downed trees and recent reading of Greek mythology. Assuming that our world is Arda in an Age later than documented by Tolkien. This world was created by Eru, marred by Melkor and patched by the Valar. We witness daily round this world 'natural' disasters - hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, blizzards, tornadoes and other calamities, on both the small and large scales. How and why do these things occur? Are all of the 'bad' events, such as a tornado that wipes out a village, the mixing of power of one Valar (Manwë) with the legacy of Melkor? Or is it just the work of Manwë, and we just don't understand the purpose of the event? While driving home the other day after a particularly powerful storm, I couldn't help but think that Yavanna could not be very happy with the hundreds of uprooted trees lying about - trees uprooted by the winds purportedly under the control of Manwë. Maybe this was 'part of the plan' where the Lord of Air's help was enlisted to knock down a few aging trees, and well, sorry if one fell on your house or across your path. At least with Ossë, we have documentation that this maia is not always 'friendly,' and so many of the sea-related natural calamities could pour from his hands. Earthquakes and mine cave-ins could be laid at the feet of the Nameless Things, which may be burrowing around under the firmament, pushing up mountains and opening up chasms, and Aulë too busy pretending to be Iarwain Ben-adar (not) to be any help. Volcanoes explode due to the fluttering of a trapped Balrog's wings perhaps? Blight and subsequent famine, at a stretch, could be some plan of Yavanna, as maybe the soil/land may need to be rebooted now and again by a swarm of locusts. I guess the question is not how and why does evil exist, as I think that Tolkien answers that in Arda, but how and why do natural disasters occur? Science tells us that, well, things happen, and will continue to happen as the world is continually in flux (the mountains/hills where I currently live were at one time under swampy water during the Carboniferous period, so things do change). Are the 'gods' angry with us, have a plan that we don't understand, or is the marring of Melkor still in play, and the Valar can not or will not hold back its dominion? __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.