Post by Andorinha on Aug 22, 2008 13:57:17 GMT -6
In imitation of Androga/ Orgulas's excellent work here, I've decided to try my own hand in creating an alternative section of synopsis/ and questions here covering the opening section of "The Silmarillion," "The Ainulindalë."
"Ainulindalë" alternative synopsis/ questions, pp. 15-22:
Tolkien wrote several versions of the creation of his universe, so a good deal of the material found in "Ainulindalë" will be repeated (often with variations) in later sections of The Silmarillion. In this first description of his cosmogeny (universe-creation) Tolkien sketches the creation as originating with a single divine being, "Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Iluvatar" (p. 15). Initially Eru creates the Ainur ("the Holy Ones" ) as the offspring of his mind, and through the medium of musical themes he communicates with them. Each of these Ainu (singular form of Ainur) knows a portion of Eru's mind, and sings about that portion. Eventually, the Ainur begin to weave their individual songs into a harmonic whole. What they sing becomes a choral "Great Music," and the Ainur are given a bit of the creative "Flame Imperishable" which allows their individual thoughts/ songs to become a physical reality.
At first the Great Music is harmonious, but one of the Ainur, Melkor, tries to impose his own will upon the general melody, interweaving "matters of his own imagining that were not in accord with the theme of Iluvatar" (p. 16). Discord arises from this presumption, and the Great Music falls apart as the competing themes of Melkor infect some of the other Ainur. Illuvatar quells this tumult, smiling, and starts a second Great Theme that reconciles the competing threads of music. But, again, Melkor's individuality is exercized, and he seeks to control the new theme, and the second Great Music collapses. A stern-faced Iluvatar halts this second discord, and begins a new, third theme. Once more, Melkor cannot bring himself to harmonize with the others, and Iluvatar, now wrathful, brings the dissonance to a close, "the Music ceased" (p. 17).
Now Iluvatar reveals to the Ainur that all they have sung has been woven into a form of Reality, a reality that finds its sole base in his own person, both the harmonic elements and the dissonance itself are therefore rooted only in the nature/ power of Eru. Iluvatar then shows the "representation" of the Music to the Ainur, a vision of a World (Arda) which they have made, a place where Time moves -- and so History is possible.
As the Ainur view the vision of the World, they see many things unfolding in it, things they have no pre-knowledge of, things they will forget. They see the creation and coming of the "Children of Iluvatar," apparently just Elves and Men at first. These Children seem to be largely independent of the Ainur, and never fully known by them; do they have the power of choice, the power to shape and follow their own destinies? Melkor at once wants to dominate and control these Children "and he wished himself to have subjects and servants, and to be called Lord, and to be a master over other wills" (p. 18).
Iluvatar further reveals that all the discordance of Melkor has been altered by Eru so that, in the end, it actually enhances the beauty and poignancy of the World. Water can now be frozen by the extremes of Melkor's thought, hence the beauties of ice, frost, and snow come into existence; clouds and rain exist now because Melkor envisioned heat, the evaporative force; furthermore, the extreme heat from Melkor's thought, allows the beauty of geysers, of hot-spring pools, and the spouting fountains of red lava.
After viewing the World of their Music, the Ainur begin to desire it, wanting it to become more than a vision, wanting it to Be, that is, Be Real. Eru reads their desires, and grants them, with a single word of final, creative power -- he cries "Eä! Let these things Be!" (p. 20) and the universe of song becomes a physical reality of time and space, energy and matter through the agency of the Flame Imperishable. Those Ainur who wish it, may now enter this real world, but they are "contained and bounded in the world, to be within it for ever, until it is complete, so that they are its life and it is theirs." (p. 20) The Ainur who thus enter the World (Arda) become its Powers, the Valar.
Once in the World (Arda), the Valar are bound to its history, and Melkor begins his struggle to dominate. In the primeval period of Arda's history, come the first battles between Melkor and the other Valar, with great upheavals of the geology of the World -- mountains being toppled, and valleys gouged, seas spilled as the earth is tormented, a whirling chaos. The foes of Melkor seek ever to create harmony, order, and security so that a stable platform might be present into which the Children of Iluvatar may be born. So that the Children might have a World in which they can flourish, "the Earth was fashioned and made firm" (p. 22)
Potential Questions: pick any one, or all to discuss. Alternatively, come up with questions of your own based on the material of this section.
1. Tolkien starts with a pre-existant, single god who is the only being responsible for the subsequent cosmic creation. How does this god, Eru, resemble the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic Creator God? How do they differ, and do you think JRRT meant his Eru to be the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic God?
2. What is the purpose of this creation? Does Tolkien ever tell us "why" Eru creates his universe? Was he lonely? In comparison/ contrast: Why does the God of the biblical Genesis create his universe? In comparative mythologies, why do the other gods in other religions create their universes?
3. What do you think about the concept of "Genesis through Music?" Is it an effective literary device? Is "creation through music" a Judaeo-Christian-Islamic concept (compare Ainulindalë with the book of Genesis)? Are there any other examples in world mythology wherein the Universe is created through the medium of Music?
4. What is the source of Conflict in JRRT's creation myth? Just who is Melkor, and why does he become the focus of Discord? Is he the only Ainur who exhibits "freedom of thought," the ability to think in a fashion that is independent/ contradictory of Eru? Is this "Discord" in Tolkien's creation synonymous with the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic concept of Evil? If Melkor is actually just a portion of Eru himself, does this mean Eru contains his own Evil? How does the concept of Discord/ Evil being a part of God himself, differ from the Roman Catholic, Augustinian interpretation of Evil being the mere lack/ absence of Good?
5. It seems that the creation of the physical world, and the initial "geological" war of the Valar is all in preparation for the eventual coming of the Children of Iluvatar. Why should these fragile, "mortal" beings be considered so important that the Valar would actually go to war in this fashion? Is Tolkien's universe "anthropocentric?" Do we have a similar "man-centered" universe in the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic tradition?
"Ainulindalë" alternative synopsis/ questions, pp. 15-22:
Tolkien wrote several versions of the creation of his universe, so a good deal of the material found in "Ainulindalë" will be repeated (often with variations) in later sections of The Silmarillion. In this first description of his cosmogeny (universe-creation) Tolkien sketches the creation as originating with a single divine being, "Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Iluvatar" (p. 15). Initially Eru creates the Ainur ("the Holy Ones" ) as the offspring of his mind, and through the medium of musical themes he communicates with them. Each of these Ainu (singular form of Ainur) knows a portion of Eru's mind, and sings about that portion. Eventually, the Ainur begin to weave their individual songs into a harmonic whole. What they sing becomes a choral "Great Music," and the Ainur are given a bit of the creative "Flame Imperishable" which allows their individual thoughts/ songs to become a physical reality.
At first the Great Music is harmonious, but one of the Ainur, Melkor, tries to impose his own will upon the general melody, interweaving "matters of his own imagining that were not in accord with the theme of Iluvatar" (p. 16). Discord arises from this presumption, and the Great Music falls apart as the competing themes of Melkor infect some of the other Ainur. Illuvatar quells this tumult, smiling, and starts a second Great Theme that reconciles the competing threads of music. But, again, Melkor's individuality is exercized, and he seeks to control the new theme, and the second Great Music collapses. A stern-faced Iluvatar halts this second discord, and begins a new, third theme. Once more, Melkor cannot bring himself to harmonize with the others, and Iluvatar, now wrathful, brings the dissonance to a close, "the Music ceased" (p. 17).
Now Iluvatar reveals to the Ainur that all they have sung has been woven into a form of Reality, a reality that finds its sole base in his own person, both the harmonic elements and the dissonance itself are therefore rooted only in the nature/ power of Eru. Iluvatar then shows the "representation" of the Music to the Ainur, a vision of a World (Arda) which they have made, a place where Time moves -- and so History is possible.
As the Ainur view the vision of the World, they see many things unfolding in it, things they have no pre-knowledge of, things they will forget. They see the creation and coming of the "Children of Iluvatar," apparently just Elves and Men at first. These Children seem to be largely independent of the Ainur, and never fully known by them; do they have the power of choice, the power to shape and follow their own destinies? Melkor at once wants to dominate and control these Children "and he wished himself to have subjects and servants, and to be called Lord, and to be a master over other wills" (p. 18).
Iluvatar further reveals that all the discordance of Melkor has been altered by Eru so that, in the end, it actually enhances the beauty and poignancy of the World. Water can now be frozen by the extremes of Melkor's thought, hence the beauties of ice, frost, and snow come into existence; clouds and rain exist now because Melkor envisioned heat, the evaporative force; furthermore, the extreme heat from Melkor's thought, allows the beauty of geysers, of hot-spring pools, and the spouting fountains of red lava.
After viewing the World of their Music, the Ainur begin to desire it, wanting it to become more than a vision, wanting it to Be, that is, Be Real. Eru reads their desires, and grants them, with a single word of final, creative power -- he cries "Eä! Let these things Be!" (p. 20) and the universe of song becomes a physical reality of time and space, energy and matter through the agency of the Flame Imperishable. Those Ainur who wish it, may now enter this real world, but they are "contained and bounded in the world, to be within it for ever, until it is complete, so that they are its life and it is theirs." (p. 20) The Ainur who thus enter the World (Arda) become its Powers, the Valar.
Once in the World (Arda), the Valar are bound to its history, and Melkor begins his struggle to dominate. In the primeval period of Arda's history, come the first battles between Melkor and the other Valar, with great upheavals of the geology of the World -- mountains being toppled, and valleys gouged, seas spilled as the earth is tormented, a whirling chaos. The foes of Melkor seek ever to create harmony, order, and security so that a stable platform might be present into which the Children of Iluvatar may be born. So that the Children might have a World in which they can flourish, "the Earth was fashioned and made firm" (p. 22)
Potential Questions: pick any one, or all to discuss. Alternatively, come up with questions of your own based on the material of this section.
1. Tolkien starts with a pre-existant, single god who is the only being responsible for the subsequent cosmic creation. How does this god, Eru, resemble the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic Creator God? How do they differ, and do you think JRRT meant his Eru to be the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic God?
2. What is the purpose of this creation? Does Tolkien ever tell us "why" Eru creates his universe? Was he lonely? In comparison/ contrast: Why does the God of the biblical Genesis create his universe? In comparative mythologies, why do the other gods in other religions create their universes?
3. What do you think about the concept of "Genesis through Music?" Is it an effective literary device? Is "creation through music" a Judaeo-Christian-Islamic concept (compare Ainulindalë with the book of Genesis)? Are there any other examples in world mythology wherein the Universe is created through the medium of Music?
4. What is the source of Conflict in JRRT's creation myth? Just who is Melkor, and why does he become the focus of Discord? Is he the only Ainur who exhibits "freedom of thought," the ability to think in a fashion that is independent/ contradictory of Eru? Is this "Discord" in Tolkien's creation synonymous with the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic concept of Evil? If Melkor is actually just a portion of Eru himself, does this mean Eru contains his own Evil? How does the concept of Discord/ Evil being a part of God himself, differ from the Roman Catholic, Augustinian interpretation of Evil being the mere lack/ absence of Good?
5. It seems that the creation of the physical world, and the initial "geological" war of the Valar is all in preparation for the eventual coming of the Children of Iluvatar. Why should these fragile, "mortal" beings be considered so important that the Valar would actually go to war in this fashion? Is Tolkien's universe "anthropocentric?" Do we have a similar "man-centered" universe in the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic tradition?