The Silmarillion
A Book Review
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Many fictional authors are only appreciated for
their plots and how interesting and complex they are. Plot for them
takes precedence over theme. J.R.R. (John Ronald Ruel) Tolkien, unlike
most fiction authors, is renowned not just for his complex plot, but
also for how he explores critical themes. In his work, The Silmarillion (1977), Tolkien
delves into philosophy, religious aspects, and essences of mortality,
free will, creation and other qualities of man and reality intrinsic to
his greatest literary work. Though published posthumously in 1977,
parts of The Silmarillion go
back to drafts he had written in 1917. The Silmarillion is Tolkien’s
magnum opus, into which he poured all of his skills to create the
evolution of Eä, “the world that is”, in which he wrote The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, all in which the most
important theme is the significance of pride, for it wields the fate of
all.
The nature and effects of pride are significantly
expressed in the plot of The
Silmarillion. The Silmarillion
begins with the creation of the Ainur, offspring of the thought of
Iluvatar, who are inspired to sing the three themes of Iluvatar, which
is the original design of the thought of Iluvatar woven throughout all
of time. During the themes of Iluvatar, the greatest of the Ainur,
Melkor, arises in pride deeming himself greater than Iluvatar, his
creator, and he drags some lesser Ainur or Maiar down with himself.
Iluvatar then makes the music come into existence in Eä and in it
he destines to appear in due time the Elves and then Men, his children
made by himself solely. Some Ainur called the Valar enter Eä,
opposed by Melkor who mars many of their works. The Vala Aulë
makes the Two Lamps to light Arda and the isle of Almaren in
Middle-earth where the Valar dwell in bliss. Melkor, in envy, casts
down the lamps and the Valar flee to Aman and make the holy city of
Valinor and fortify its regions. Thereafter, Aulë makes in secret
the Dwarves, being impatient of waiting for the children of Iluvatar to
awake. Then he is caught by Iluvatar, who accepts the Dwarves as his
adopted children on account of the humility of Aule. Soon after,
Yavanna, the spouse of Aulë, makes the great work of the Two Trees
of silver and gold which yield living light which fills Valinor. But
after the destruction of the Trees, the stars are made so that the
Elves in Middle-earth can still awake to light. Those who are willing
are brought to Valinor to be protected from Melkor who had ensnared
some of the Elves already. From those captured Elves, Melkor bred Orcs
in mockery of the Children of Iluvatar. On account of this deed, the
Valar smite Melkor and bring him back to Valinor in chains and imprison
him for three ages.
When his time is over, Melkor spreads lies
throughout the Elves of Valinor, especially one named Feanor who had
wrought the Silmarils, the greatest work of any child of Iluvatar, and
to his kin, the Noldor. While there is a feast in Valinor, Melkor
destroys the Two Trees with the help of Ungoliant, steals the three
Silmarils, and flees to Middle-earth to his fortress of Angband. The
Noldor then leave Valinor, influenced by the lies of Melkor whom Feanor
re-named Morgoth. Feanor and his sons, who had sworn oaths to reclaim
the Silmarils, lead the majority of the Noldor. A heavy curse is laid
upon the Noldor who had slain other Elves for their ships.
Thus to Middle-earth came the Noldor. On their
account, six bloody wars are fought against Melkor with the aid of
other Elves and later mortal Men to whom were given the gift of death.
One Silmaril is cut from the crown of Morgoth by Beren while aided by
Luthien, the half elf - half Maia, who is the most beautiful child of
Iluvatar. A kin-strife among the Elves awakes on account of the
dreadful oath of Feanor, which binds his sons to gain possession of a
Silmaril at all costs.
The Quenta
Silmarillion continues with the sad tale of the doomed Turin who
slays the vile dragon Glaurung the Golden, the father of dragons.
Many of the Noldor begin to grow weary of
Middle-earth and wish to return to Valinor, but the Valar would not yet
permit the self-exiled Noldor to return. A century later, Earendil is
born soon before Melkor would have victory over the Free Peoples. The
Noldor are redeemed at last by Earendil the Mariner, a mortal Man who
sails to Valinor, the immortal land of Aman, led by the immortal jewel
of Feanor. There he pleads to the Valar for them to have pity on the
Children of Iluvatar, both Elves and Men, who dwell in Middle-earth,
beseeching them to send an army to eliminate Melkor for eternity. His
prayer is granted, and thus the malice of the greatest of the Ainur is
quenched by the steel of the Elves and Ainur of Valinor in the greatest
army to ever walk on the face of the Arda. Melkor is locked in the Void
of non-existence. Though he was defeated, the cruelty of his lies would
endure from generation to generation until the Last Battle.
The Valar raise the Isle of Nûmenor for the
Men who had fought alongside the Host of Valinor. To them the Valar
grant long life being unable to grant immortal life. The
Nûmenoreans prosper, become prideful, and take Sauron the
Deceiver captive. Sauron, the most wicked servant of Melkor, twists
their minds to see their Gift of Death as a curse, convincing them to
hate the Valar and the Elves and to worship Melkor, the Lord of
Darkness lying saying, “Only the darkness is worshipful.” The
Nûmenoreans believe his lies except for a few called the
Faithful. Many of the Faithful the Nûmenoreans cruelly sacrifice
in their temple to Melkor. Sauron corrupts them enough that they launch
a tremendous assault on the Valar so that they call down Iluvatar
himself. Iluvatar answers the prayer of Manwe and destroys
Nûmenor and reshapes Arda, making it round. Elendil with others
of the Faithful including his sons, Isildur and Anarion, alone escape.
Elendil and his sons reach Middle-earth to learn of
the creation of the rings of power, and how Sauron instructed Noldorin
craftsmen in the making of the rings of power so that the one he had
made in Mount Doom would rule them all. The One Ring gave Sauron power
so tremendous that the Elves and the Men under Elendil are forced to
forge the Last Alliance which results in a victory.
The spirit of Sauron endures and centuries later
returns in power. He is finally vanquished by the destruction of the
Ring in the Fires of Mount Doom by a very humble hobbit named Frodo,
under the instruction of a Maia named Olorin or Gandalf who had been
sent to Middle-earth by the Valar. Throughout the evolution of this
complex universe, the theme of pride plays the most important role.
Elements in the setting also help Tolkien explore
the theme of pride. Just as complex and rich as the plot of The Silmarillion is its setting
which is best studied by being divided into six subdivisions: the moral
beings, creation, conflict between good and evil, man’s mortality, doom
and free will, and biblical connections. Pride is first explored in the
subdivision of the moral beings who are the Children of Illuvatar. The
Dwarves, “the children of Iluvatar’s adoption”, who “build and delve”
are of the earth and are therefore implied to be material creatures.
The Elves, “the Firstborn,” can see genuinely into the future: “I
forebode that the One Ring will be found”. In addition to their ability
of seeing into the future, being “the fairest of all earthly
creatures”, more powerful and enduring and less prone to sickness and
disease, the Elves are immortal: “they do not die.” Providence is
outside of time and is therefore of spirit, spirit is immortal, and
spirit is more powerful than matter. All of these qualities of spirit
are also qualities of the Elves so that it is reasonable to say that
Elves are of spirit: spiritual. Men are a combination of spirit and
matter being exactly as man of the real world is. They have a body
(matter) and a soul (spirit) and “die indeed and leave the world” as we
in reality die in our due time and leave the world. Tolkien is thus
critiquing mankind in his presentation of Elves, Men, and Dwarves.
Second, pride is explored in the sub-division of
creation. The theme of pride runs throughout this work. It is
significantly present in the creation myth at the heart of The Silmarillion. Every being of
great power sub-creates a work which cannot be duplicated, according to
the nature of his being. Into that work he places his being, dependent
upon the magnitude of his work so that with the destruction of the work
the maker can perish. For example: “For the less even as for the
greater there is some deed that he may accomplish but once only; and in
that deed his heart shall rest. It may be that I can unlock my jewels,
but never again shall I make their like; and if I must break them, I
shall break my heart, and I shall be slain.” When average beings
sub-create a work, they sub-create it communally: “These ships are to
us (implying communal work) as are the gems of the Noldor: the work of
our hearts, whose like we shall not make again.” Great beings of evil
also sub-create such as when Sauron sub-created the One Ring: “Much of
the strength and will of Sauron passed into that One Ring” so that when
it perished, “he was utterly vanquished.” When marriage occurs between
two beings of great power, the creation of one reflects not only
himself but his spouse. For example Aule and Yavanna sub-created
the solid and the living aspects of Arda respectively. The term of
sub-creation is a rightful way to refer to the making of any object set
inside the creation of a supreme being, as all things made by beings of
Ea have their
utmost source in Iluvatar: “Thou shalt see that no theme may be played
that hath not its utmost source in Me (Iluvatar), nor can any alter the
music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine
instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself
hath not imagined.”
Third, pride is explored in the subdivision of the
conflict between good and evil. The theme of pride is seen not just in
the various creation elements in the story, but also can be seen in the
conflict between good and evil which permeates through the entire work.
Pride and the battle between good and evil are like the flying
buttresses of a gothic cathedral which holds up the wall. The conflict
between good and evil holds together The
Silmarillion. Good and evil are clarified via conflicts between
virtue and vice and between pride and humility. Pride is the most evil
of all sin because from pride flows forth all sin and evil. Pride was
that which caused Melkor to fall. But to conquer pride is humility
which leads to love which conquers all evil and sin. Melkor’s pride was
that which caused him to fall as “he wished himself to have subjects
and servants and to be called lord, and to be master over other wills.”
This brought about his final punishment “on a ruinous path down to the
Void.” When Aulë made the dwarves, in contrast, humility was
exercised and good things and happiness came: “Iluvatar had compassion
upon Aulë and his desire because of his humility.” Thus because of
the infinite opposition of the two forces, there is a moral conflict
that the nature of Ea and our world are dependent upon because of how
much they are part of the world.
This conflict is symbolized in the duel between
Morgoth and Fingolfin, the High-King of the Noldor. “Fingolfin wounded
Morgoth with seven wounds” symbolizing the seven deadly sins; while
“thrice Fingolfin was crushed to his knees, and thrice he arose again”
symbolizing the three cardinal virtues. The conflict of good and evil
is also between light and darkness. Light brings life while darkness
brings death. The light source in The
Silmarillion of the Two Trees whose light was captured in the
Silmarils gave those jewels their sacred and luminescent qualities. The
Unlight of Ungoliant is the ultimate source of darkness, “a darkness
beyond dark,” which consumed all light and holy things enshrouded by
it. The dark Morgoth and the Unlight Ungoliant “lusted fiercely after
the Silmarils” because of their luminescent qualities that they could
not sustain because of their dark, twisted, and evil natures so that
“they began to burn Morgoth.” “He began with the desire for light, but
when he could not possess it for himself alone, he descended through
fire and wrath in a great burning, down into Darkness.” A last division
of conflict between good and evil is between truth and lies. Lies are
one of the most terrible evils committable on account of the fact that
lies “sowed in the hearts of Elves and men are a seed that does not die
and cannot be destroyed; and ever and anon it sprouts anew, and will
bear dark fruit even unto the latest days.” The lies of this brood were
the lies that were sown by Morgoth among the Children of Iluvatar which
wrought the Doom of the Noldor, the downfall of Gondolin, and the
downfall of Sauron who would by similar lies cause the downfall of
Nûmenor. Truth, the opposite of falsehood, brings not downfalls
as lies do, but they uplift. Lies are only believed because they are
thought to be truths. Every being searches for the truth and is prone
to commit rash and wrong acts when blinded by lies.
Fourth, pride is explored in the sub-division of
man’s mortality. Of all the lies of Melkor and Sauron, those regarding
Man’s mortality were most vile. Man’s mortality is sacred being “a gift
from Iluvatar” “which as time wears on even the Powers shall envy.” “It
is with this gift of freedom that the Children of Men dwell only a
short space in the world alive, and are not bound to it, and depart
soon” for “the sons of Men die indeed and leave the world.” In
Nûmenor Sauron twisted the truth of the nature of Man’s mortality
naming it a curse rather than a gift and falsely claiming that the land
of Aman bestows immortality and that the Valar “fear lest the kings of
Men should wrest from them the deathless realm and rule the world in
their stead.” It is with us as humans so also with the Men of Arda:
mortality is not a burden but a gift. Death is their fate as death is
ours. Finally the most important thing is that we as humans have the
opportunity to make it to heaven as the men of Arda do to the Timeless
Halls of Iluvatar, but “of us is required a blind trust, and a hope
without assurance, knowing not what lies before us in a little while.”
Fifth, pride is explored in the sub-division of doom
and free will. This theme of destiny and the role of pride versus
humility play significant roles in reaching it. This is present
throughout all the work. There are over four references to doom, fate,
and destiny. In The Silmarillion,
doom/fate can be broken up into three categories: doom wrought by free
will, doom wrought by Providence, and inherited doom wrought on account
of a curse made as punishment to an ancestor or family member.
The first division of doom is easy to show
because it is the most common type, being the consequence of an action
made by one’s own choice. For example, the Doom of the Noldor came
about by their choice to slay the Elves of the Haven of Alqualondë
for their ships.
The second division, Doom wrought by Providence, is
the nature of things and, most importantly, occurrences that happen
seemingly by chance. For example, the doom of Men to die was the result
of no action made by free will: the fact that that particular person
was a Man was an act of Providence or the will of Iluvatar. An example
of “chance” was when Beren happened to see Luthien dancing in the
forest. This occurrence would eventually lead to the taking of a
Silmaril and a continuation of the Doom of the Noldor.
This last division of doom is a curse, which is the
equivalent of original sin. The curse is able to be broken, meaning the
receiver of the curse will have at least one or more chances to undo
it. The only example of this division of doom is Turin Turambar, whom I
will explain in detail in the character study. The study of doom is
linked to free will, another crucial part in the story because Iluvatar
gave all of his Children a chance to choose him. To the children of
Earendil and the children of Elrond, named the half-elven, was given by
Iluvatar the choice to be made of free will of which kindred to be
judged as (Elves or Men). In order for true happiness to occur, one
must kill personal pride and submit by free will to Iluvatar.
Sixth, pride is explored in the sub-division of
Biblical connections. The
Silmarillion, in its constant study of the themes of pride,
humility, doom, and creation, has many parallels with the Bible. Though Catholic Tolkien
claimed that connections with The
Bible in his works were unintentional, The Silmarillion is full of
instances and people corresponding to Sacred Scripture. One similarity
is in the Creation story in which the two greatest of the Ainur are
revealed: Manwë and Melkor. Melkor takes the role of the archangel
Lucifer while Manwë corresponds to the archangel Michael. As
Michael and Lucifer were brethren, “Manwë was the brother of
Melkor in the mind of Iluvatar. Melkor’s downfall was pride for “he
wished himself to have subjects and servants and to be called lord, and
to be master over other wills.” This led him “on a ruinous path down
into the Void.” Manwë “was free from evil” and is the true king of
the Valar and Ainur as St. Michael is Prince of the Heavenly Host. A
final similarity regarding Melkor and Lucifer are in the names
themselves. Melkor means “He who arises in might” “but that name he
forfeited… they name him Morgoth, the Dark Enemy of the World”. Lucifer
means “light bringer” (light is mighty, mightier than darkness), but
that name he forfeited and received the name Satan meaning “Enemy.”
Another similarity between the Bible
and The Silmarillion is the
terms regarding the Fall of Man: “It is said by the Eldar that Men came
into the world in the time of the Shadow of Morgoth, and they fell
swiftly under his dominion; for he sent his emissaries among them and
they listened to his evil and his cunning words, and they worshipped
the Darkness and yet feared it.” Another theme corresponding to Sacred
Scripture is the concept of theophanies taking place on mountains. God
reveals himself in power for example to Moses on Mt. Sinai or in the
New Testament, the Transfiguration took place on Mt. Tabor. Similarly,
in The Silmarillion
Manwë “who knows best the will of Iluvatar” dwells on Taniquetil,
the highest mountain in Arda, and thus when the Nûmenoreans
attacked, “then Manwë upon the Mountain called upon Iluvatar… and
Iluvatar showed forth his power.” A final similarity between The Silmarillion and Sacred
Scripture is the correspondent between lembas bread and The Eucharist.
If men are wounded or sick, “they are quickly healed” on account of
lembas. Lembas also “strengthens them.” The Eucharist heals us of our
spiritual ailments and strengths us just as lembas bread does except on
the spiritual level instead of the physical level. All of the aspects
of the setting of The Silmarillion
support one another to unify the entire book and all aspects of the
story are linked by a complex exploration of the essence of pride.
One particular character who changes significantly
as a result of his battle with pride is Turin Turambar. Turin Turambar
is directly linked to the setting by his very name which means Turin
“Master of Doom.” During the course of his life, Turin must learn to
conquer his pride or die, for he is a man who is bound by the third
division of doom which is a breakable curse made by no action of
himself. Therefore it is just to say that Turin is bound by Original
Sin which to us also is a curse laid upon a man that is brought about
by no action of himself. We are freed from our original sin by baptism.
Turin, likewise, needs to be baptized to be freed from his curse. He is
given three chances of baptism to break his curse which are
symbolically represented baptismal imagery. In baptism there is a
death, a rebirth, and an ascent. Each significant descent of Turin is
characterized by darkness, water, a deep descent, a revealing of the
will of Iluvatar (especially in prophesy), Trinitarian symbolism, and
in order for the “baptism” to fully take place and free him, there must
be an alter ego to represent the change in person. The first chance for
Turin’s baptism is in the “Caves of Menegroth” (caves are
deep) under “the deep shadows of the great trees” (dark). Menegroth was
“bound by the dark river Esgalduin” (water) and the “deep places of
Menegroth” were where the smithies were. The will of Iluvatar is
revealed to Turin when “Beleg told Turin of the King Thingol’s pardon;
and he sought to persuade him by all means that he might return to
Doriath (Menegroth) because “there was great need of his strength and
valor on the north marches of the realm.” The Trinitarian
symbolism is in this case anti-Trinitarian symbolism represented by the
three times he rejects returning to Menegroth. Thus there is no alter
ego to change Turin’s person because he rejected the will of Iluvatar
because of his pride. This would lead him to spend a majority of his
life in exile.
The second chance for Turin’s baptism is at Amon
Rudh, “a cave” which once entered, one will have “passed swiftly down
into the darkness of the cave” (darkness and deep descent), and “the
Vale of the River Narog lies between” (water). The will of Iluvatar is
revealed to Turin to return to Menegroth, “but Turin would still not
return to Doriath” because of his pride. The anti-Trinitarian symbolism
is represented by the “three dwarves” who betrayed Turin and “guided
his enemies”, the allies of Morgoth to Turin so that they would capture
him. This situation would later lead to the death of Beleg and could
have been avoided if Turin would have harkened to the will of Iluvatar.
The third and final chance for Turin’s baptism is at
Nargothrond, built out of “the Caves of the River Narog” (water) which
has “deep halls” (deep descent), and “dark gates” (dark). The will of
Iluvatar is revealed in two prophesies. The first is to “shut the doors
of the fortress and go not abroad. Cast the stones of your pride into
the loud river (the bridge Turin had had built), that the creeping evil
may not find the gate.” Turin would not hearken to this prophesy “for
he had become proud and stern.” This led to the fall of Nargothrond and
foiled the completion of the second part of the will of Iluvatar
regarding Turin, that he would marry Finduilas in his last chance to
break his curse: “But for thy prowess and thy pride, still I should
have love and life, and Nargothrond should yet stand a while. Now if
thou love me, leave me! Haste thee to Nargothrond, and save Finduilas.
And this last I say to thee: she alone stands between thee and thy
doom. If thou fail her, it shall not fail to find thee.” Thus, because
of his pride, Turin missed his last chance for baptism as Finduilas
“was pinned to a tree with a spear” and died. If he had married
Finduilas, he would have avoided the sad doom of marrying his own
sister also by ill-fate. Finalizing the tale of Turin Turambar, he
would endure the final and most cruel anti-Trinitarian symbolism with
the three unjust slayings by his Black Sword Mormegil after killing
Glaurung; the first slaying was of his friend Beleg, the second of
Brandir whom he killed in his madness, and the third himself: (sword
talking) “Yea, I will drink thy blood, Turin gladly, that I may
forget the blood of Beleg my master, and the blood of Brandir slain
unjustly. I will slay thee swiftly.” Thus, Turin Turambar became “A
Turin Turambar turun ambartanen: master of doom by doom
mastered” all
on account of pride.
As Turin learned in a sad process that pride is the
most grievous sin because it blinds us from the will of God, so must we
too quickly learn to turn away from our self-righteousness and turn to
he who is lord of time, God. In the Bible
it says that the humble shall be exalted and the prideful shall be
humbled; therefore, we should take the advice of God himself and humble
ourselves in everyday actions so that in the end in heaven, we will be
exalted and fulfill our destiny to live with God forever.
References:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Holy
Bible
The
Silmarillion
Tolkien:
Man and Myth by Joseph Pearce