The Origins of Evil – Part Two

Hail and Well Met Friends!

Last week if you remember we left off with Melkor being captured and held for three ages in the Halls of Mandos.  I hope you all are enjoying the series!

Melkor’s Revenge

During the War of the Powers when the Valar took to overthrow Melkor, they in the haste to do so left many of Utumno’s pits and vaults unexplored, and Sauron was still roaming the lands as well.  Also, the Valar didn’t capture or destroy the Balrogs, who gathered at the ruins of Angband who had gone into hibernation awaiting Melkor’s return.

After the passing of the Ages, Melkor was brought before Manwe, and played a good act of repentance.  Manwe was just unable to comprehend the evil of Melkor, so Manwe ordered him to be released.  At first, it seemed as though the evil of Melkor had been cured, for all who sought his counsel and aid in that time benefited greatly from it.  However, Tulkas and Ulmo were both very slow to forget Melkor’s evils, and watched him closely. In truth, Melkor was more filled with malice than ever, and began to put his extraordinary cunning to use in devising a way to ruin Aman.  Seeing the bliss of the Elves and remembering that it was for their sake that he was overthrown, Melkor desired above all things to corrupt them.  Of all the three primary groups of Elves, he found the Noldor to have a perfect balance of usefulness and open ears, and so worked began to work his malice almost exclusively among them.

The Greatest of the Noldor

Over a long period of time he spread lies concerning the intentions of the Valar in bringing the Elves to Aman, telling them, among other things, tales of the coming of Men, the existence of which the Valar had not revealed to the Elves. Due to his carefully crafted lies, many of the Noldor began to believe that the Valar had brought them to Aman so that Men might inherit Middle-earth, taking the lands and the glory that could have been theirs. Eventually, a shadow fell upon the Noldor, and they began to openly rebel against the Valar.  Chief amongst the disgruntled Noldor was Feanor, the firstborn son of the Noldor King Finwe.  Though he hated and feared Melkor, his overwhelming pride caused him to be the most vocal of the Noldor in expressing discontent. For their part, the Valar remained unaware of Melkor’s work, and saw Feanor as the source of the Noldor’s unrest. Though perturbed, they let the situation continue until Feanor threatened his brother Fingolfin at which point the Valar summoned him to the Ring of Doom in Valinor to explain his unlawful actions.

Feanor’s testimony revealed the lies of Melkor, and Tulkas immediately left the Ring of Doom to recapture him. But Melkor could not be found. After a time, he went to Formenos and struck a deceitful friendship to Feanor, as Melkor was only after the Silmarils.  Feanor, knew what he was up to and saw Melkor’s greed, refused him and shut the doors of Formenos in the face of Arda’s mightiest being.  Melkor passed unseen to the south, and came upon the great spider Ungoliant, which he promised to satisfy her unrelenting hunger, so she and Melkor together came back to Valinor, intending to destroy the Trees. During a time of festival, Melkor and Ungoliant suddenly attacked and Melkor thrust a great spear into the Trees and Ungoliant drank the sap that poured from the wounds, draining the Trees and poisoning them. The Trees quickly withered and died, plunging Aman into complete darkness for a time.

Killing of the Two Trees

In the fear and confusion that followed, Melkor sped to Formenos and broke into the fortress. There, he killed Finwe, father of Feanor, and stole the Silmarils along with all the other gems that lay there. The Silmarils burned Melkor’s hand, causing him great pain, but he did not release them. He and Ungoliant fled to the North, and the Valar pursued them, but the Unlight of Ungoliant brought great confusion to the Valar and the two escaped. The two thieves crossed the Grinding Ice of the Helcaraxe and entered Middle-earth, completing Melkor’s great revenge.

 

In Lammoth, Melkor and Ungoliant approached the ruins of Angband, with Melkor hoping to escape and leave his promise to feed Ungoliant unfulfilled. Ungoliant however, saw through his plan and stopped with him before they reached Angband. She demanded that he surrender the treasure of Formenos to satisfy her hunger as he had promised, so he gave her the lesser of treasures he had taken, but he would not give her the Silmarils which lay hidden within his right hand.  With his refusal to surrender the Silmarils, Ungoliant attacked Melkor, weaving her dark webbing around him. His resulting cry of pain and anguish woke the Balrogs from their depths of Angband. With a violent windstorm of fire they came to his aid, and drove away Ungoliant, but Melkor recalled them, and allowed Ungoliant to escape.  He then began to rebuild Angband, and gather his servants there.

When Feanor found his father was slain, he cursed Melkor and named him Morgoth, meaning “Dark Enemy”, and by that name was he known ever after. The name Melkor was never spoken again by his enemies.  As Morgoth finished rebuilding Angband, the slag and debris created by his vast tunnelings was plied into three huge volcanoes, collectively known as Thangorodrim.  Once he made these huge volcanoes, he began work on creating his forces, breeding vast numbers of Orcs and other fell beasts.

Until next weeks episode, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell!