Varda-(Valar)
July 25, 2004
JRRT gave Ungoliant a special aura of mystery, but did not
leave his readers without clues. His son, Christopher tells of
this in Book of Lost Tales 1, "The Theft of Melko", in his notes near
the end. JRRT is fond of leaving clues about for his readers to
locate and tells of this in his Letters. This is part of the attraction
of his books. The references inside quotes below are
Christopher's words.
"In the story of Melko and Ungoliant it is seen that
essential elements were present ab
initio: the doubt as to her origin, ..."
(Ab initio is Latin
for from the beginning.)
"Within this structure there are as almost always a great many points of difference between the first story and the later versions." "In the tale her origin is unknown, and though this element may be said to remain in The Silmarillion ('The Eldar knew not whence she came', ibid.), by the device of 'Some have said....'a clear explanation is in fact given: she was a being from 'before the world', perverted by Melkor, who had been her lord, though she denied him. "
A spirit from before the world who called a Vala "lord", is a
definition of a Maia.
In the tale is root of the purposeful mystery JRRT placed on
Ungoliant. In "The Theft of Melko", it says (italics mine):
"Mayhap she was bred
of mists and darkness on the confines of the Shadowy Seas, in that
utter dark that came between the overthrow of the Lamps and the
kindling of the Trees, but more like
she has always been; ...."
The words in italics are a very old way of speaking. "Mayhap"
for "perhaps", sheds doubt on the story version. The phrase "but more
like" means "more likely", suggesting that we should put more credence
in this version. If she "has always been", then she would be an
Ainu. Only Eru "has always been", so this has to be a poetic way of
speaking and one must remember an Elf tells the tale, so that he
probably means she has been around at least as long as Arda, the Earth..
Reference: Book of Lost
Tales 1: Chapter VI "The Theft of Melko and the Darkening of
Valinor".
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