Silmarillion

1
Silmarillion

• Ainulindale

2
Major elements of Creation Myth

• Music of the Ainur
• Vision of creation
• Ea! the substance of world
• Valar to realize vision/music

3
The Music of the Ainur

• The first theme
• Ainur spring from Erus thought
• Eru gives musical themes to Ainur
• Ainur sing mostly alone, few together
• Eru propounds mighty theme
• Ainur sing in harmony

4
The Music of the Ainur

• The second theme
• Melkor includes his own thought
• Melkor creates discord around him
• Others follow Melkor
• Music is like storm
• Eru smiles, a new theme begins
• Melkors sound battles with new theme
• Many Ainur cease singing

5
The Music of the Ainur

• The third theme
• Eru stern, new theme begins
• At first soft and sweet, then deep and wide and
  beautiful
• At variance with Melkors music, which is loud
  and in unison, endlessly repeating
• Deeper music takes most triumphant notes of
  Melkors music and weaves it into its solemn
  pattern

6
The Vision of the Music

• Eru gives sight where there was only hearing
• World unfolds its history (4th dimension)
• Selfishness of Melkor is a part of design
• Vision contains ideas Ainur had not thought of
  Children of Iluvatar

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The Vision of the Music



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The Vision of the Music

• Melkor desires to go to Arda
• Other Ainur marvel at the wonders of this new
  world, especially in water
• Eru points out to Ulmo how Melkors interference
  created the miracles of snow and frost and clouds
  and rain
• The vision fades the Ainur become aware of
  darkness

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Ea! Let these things be

• Eru sends into the Void the Flame Imperishable
  and the world is
• Many Ainur chose to descend to the world and
  become part of it they become the Valar, the
  Powers
• They enter at the beginning of time and begin to
  realize the Vision

10
Creation of the world

• Melkor claims the world as his
• Manwe will not let Melkor do this he recruits
  many other Valar to work with him, and Melkor
  withdraws
• Valar take shape similar to Children of Iluvatar
• Valar choose the sex of their shape

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Battle of the Valar with Melkor

• Melkor envious of beauty, peace of the world
• Melkor attacks
• The Valar fight back
• The earth is the battlefield as the Valar try to
  create part of the Vision, Melkor tries to
  destroy it

12
Earth is fashioned

• Out of the Battle of the Valar and Melkor comes
  the world as it is prepared for the Children of
  Iluvatar