Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
 

Topic: How Men became corrupted

Post Info
Anarion, Son of Elendil - rank 8
Status: Offline
Posts: 2161
Date: Oct 8, 2006
How Men became corrupted

I was reading a bit through Morgoth's Ring last night and I have just found something which I considered to be of huge importance.
What it is is a tale of how the first Men became corrupted by Melkor and therefore developed into the Easterling's and Men of the South.

The Tale of Adanel


Then Andreth being urged by Finrod said at last:  'This is  the tale that Adanel of the House of Hador told to me.'                     



Some  say  the  Disaster  happened  at   the  beginning   of  the
 history  of  our  people,  before any  had yet  died. The  Voice had spoken  to  us,  and we  had listened.  The Voice  said: 'Ye  are my children. I have sent you to dwell here. In time ye will inherit all this Earth, but  first ye  must be  children and  learn. Call  on me and I shall hear; for I am watching over you.'                     


We  understood  the  Voice  in  our  hearts,  though  we  had  no  words  yet. Then  the desire  for words  awoke in  us, and  we began to  make  them.  But we  were few,  and the  world was  wide and strange.  Though  we  greatly  desired  to understand,  learning was


difficult, and the making of words was slow. In  that  time  we  called often  and the  Voice answered.  But it seldom answered our questions,  saying only:  'First seek  to find the answer for yourselves. For ye  will have  joy in  the finding, and  so  grow  from  childhood  and  become  wise.  Do  not  seek  to leave childhood before your time.'                                 


But  we  were  in  haste,  and we  desired to  order things  to our will;  and  the  shapes  of  many  things  that  we  wished  to  make awoke  in  our  minds.  Therefore  we  spoke  less  and  less  to the Voice.                                                             


Then  one  appeared  among  us,  in  our  own  form   visible,  but greater  and more  beautiful; and  he said  that he  had come  out of pity.  'Ye  should  not have  been left  alone and  uninstructed,' he said.  'The  world  is  full  of  marvellous  riches  which knowledge can   unlock. Ye   could   have   food   more  abundant   and  more delicious  than  the  poor  things  that  ye now  eat. Ye  could have dwellings of ease,  in which  ye could  keep light  and shut  out the night. Ye could be clad even as I.'                                


Then  we looked  and lo!  he was  clad in  raiment that  shone like silver and gold, and he  had a  crown on  his head,  and gems  in his hair. 'If ye wish to be like me,' he said, 'I  will teach  you.' Then we took him as teacher.                                            


He  was  less swift  than we  had hoped  to teach  us how  to find,  or  to  make for  ourselves, the  things that  we desired,  though he had  awakened  many  desires  in our  hearts. But  if any  doubted or were  impatient,  he  would  bring  and  set  before  us all  that we wished for. 'I am the Giver of Gifts,' he said; 'and the  gifts shall never fail as long as ye trust me.'                                


Therefore  we  revered  him,  and  we   were  enthralled   by  him; and  we  depended  upon  his  gifts,  fearing  to  return  to  a life without  them  that  now  seemed  poor  and  hard.  And  we  believed all  that  he  taught.  For  we were  eager to  know about  the world and  its  being:  about  the beasts  and birds,  and the  plants that grew  in  the  Earth;  about  our  own making;  and about  the lights of  heaven,  and  the  countless stars,  and the  Dark in  which they are set.                                                            


All  that  he  taught  seemed  good,  for  he had  great knowledge. But  ever  more  and  more  he  would  speak  of the  Dark. 'Greatest of all is the Dark,' he said, 'for It has  no bounds.  I came  out of the Dark, but I am  Its master.  For I  have made  Light. I  made the


Sun  and  the  Moon  and  the  countless  stars.  I will  protect you from the Dark, which else would devour you.'                       


Then  we  spoke of  the Voice.  But his  face became  terrible; for he was angry.  'Fools!' he  said. 'That  was the  Voice of  the Dark. It wishes to keep you from me; for It is hungry for you.'



Part two next post...


-- Edited by Glorfindel1235 at 23:20, 2006-10-08

__________________

Utúlie'n  aurë!  Aiya  Eldalië  ar  Atanatári,  utúlie'n  aurë! 
Auta  i  lómë! 
Aurë entuluva!

Anarion, Son of Elendil - rank 8
Status: Offline
Posts: 2161
Date: Oct 8, 2006

Part two:



Then  he  went  away,  and  we  did not  see him  for a  long time, and without his gifts we were poor. And there came a day when suddenly the Sun's light began to fail, until it was blotted out and a great shadow fell on the world; and all the beasts and birds were afraid. Then he came again, walking through the shadow like a bright fire. We fell upon our faces. 'There are some among you who are still listening to the Voice of the Dark,' he said, 'and therefore It is drawing nearer. Choose now! Ye may have the Dark as Lord, or ye may have Me. But unless ye take Me for Lord and swear to serve Me, I shall depart and leave you; for I have other realms and dwelling places, and I do not need the Earth, nor you.' 
Then in fear we spoke as he commanded, saying: 'Thou art the Lord; Thee only we will serve. The Voice we abjure and will not hearken to it again.'                                           


'So be it!' he said. 'Now build Me a house upon a high place, and call it the House of the Lord. Thither I will come when I will. There ye shall call on Me and make your petitions to Me.'     


And when we had built a great house, he came and stood before the high seat, and the house was lit as with fire. 'Now,' he said, 'come forth any who still listen to the Voice!'               


There were some, but for fear they remained still and said naught. 'Then bow before Me and acknowledge Me!' he said.          


And all bowed to the ground before him, saying: 'Thou art the    


One Great, and we are Thine.'                                        


Thereupon he went up as in a great flame and smoke, and we were scorched by the heat. But suddenly he was gone, and it was darker than night; and we fled from the House. Ever after we went in great dread of the Dark; but he seldom appeared among us again in fair form, and he brought few gifts If at great need we dared to go to the House and pray to him to help us, we heard his voice, and received his commands. But now he would always command us to do some deed, or to give  him some gift, before he would listen to our prayer; and ever the deeds became worse, and the gifts harder to give up.                


The first Voice we never heard again, save once. In the stillness of the night It spoke, saying: 'Ye have abjured Me, but ye remain Mine. I gave you life. Now it shall be shortened, and each of you in a little while shall come to Me, to learn who is your Lord: the one ye worship, or I who made him.'   


Then our terror of the Dark was increased; for we believed at the Voice was of the Darkness behind the stars. And some of us began to die in horror and anguish, fearing to go out into the  Dark. Then  we called  on our  Master to  save us  from death, and  he  did not  answer. But  when we  went to  the House  and all bowed down  there, at  last he  came, great  and majestic,  but his face was cruel and proud.                                         


'Now  ye  are  Mine  and must  do My  will,' he  said. 'I  do not trouble that some of you die and go  to appease  the hunger  of the Dark;  for  otherwise  there  would  soon  be  too  many   of  you, crawling like lice on the Earth. But if ye  do not  do My  will, ye will feel My anger, and ye will die sooner, for I will slay you.'


Thereafter  we  were  grievously  afflicted,  by  weariness,  and hunger,  and  sickness; and  the Earth  and all  things in  it were turned against us. Fire and  Water rebelled  against us.  The birds and beasts shunned us,  or if  they were  strong they  assailed us. Plants gave us poison; and we feared the shadows under trees. Then  we  yearned  for  our  life  as  it  was before  our Master came;  and we  hated him,  but feared  him no  less than  the Dark. And  we  did  his  bidding,   and  more   than  his   bidding;  for anything  that  we  thought  would  please  him,  however  evil, we did, in the hope that he would lighten our afflictions, and  at the least would not slay us.                                         


For most of us this was in  vain. But  to some  he began  to show favour:  to  the  strongest and  cruellest, and  to those  who went most  often  to the  House. He  gave gifts  to them,  and knowledge that  they kept  secret; and  they became  powerful and  proud, and they enslaved us, so that  we had  no rest  from labour  amidst our afflictions.  


Then  there  arose  some  among  us  who  said  openly  in  their despair:  'Now  we  know  at  last  who  lied,  and who  desired to devour  us. Not  the first  Voice. It  is the  Master that  we have taken who is the Darkness; and he did  not come  forth from  it, as he said, but he dwells in it. We will  serve him  no longer!  He is our Enemy.'                                                      


Then  in fear  lest he  should hear  them and  punish us  all, we slew them, if we could; and those that fled we  hunted; and  if any were  caught,  our  masters,  his  friends,  commanded   that  they should  be taken  to the  House and  there done  to death  by fire. That  pleased  him  greatly,  his  friends said;  and indeed  for a while it seemed that our afflictions were lightened. But it is told that there were a  few that  escaped us,  and went away  into far  countries, fleeing  from the  shadow. Yet  they did not escape from  the anger  of the  Voice; for  they had  built theHouse  and  bowed  down  in  it.  And  they  came  at  last  to the land's end and the shores of the impassable water; and behold!            


the Enemy was there before them.



What this is basically saying is that at first Men heard a Voice telling them to learn the lore of the land and to grow etc. That was the Voice of Eru. But then Melkor came amoung them disguised as a bringer of gifts and knowledge and telling them about thew Dark Voice which they must ignore (which was the one he was speaking with really). Thus the fell into the service of the Dark out of fear and slew any amoung them who actually found out that it was the First voice that they should have liotened to. the ones who escaped the killing came into Belerinad and became the Good men, but the came as far as the could and ehold!: There Morgoth had them at his mercy!



__________________

Utúlie'n  aurë!  Aiya  Eldalië  ar  Atanatári,  utúlie'n  aurë! 
Auta  i  lómë! 
Aurë entuluva!

Witchking of Angmar - Rank 10
Status: Offline
Posts: 3118
Date: Oct 9, 2006
firstly just a tip: take care in the future with very long quotes.
if you quote so much it is considered illegal as you have no copyright for such a large segment of the text
but on small forums like this one, it is ok.

secondly aboutthe post
nicely found Glorfindel, I have never read this before and I find it interesting
what you can notice is that Sauron learned much from Melkor
it would not be the last time that an evil person would use the name of Giver of Gifts for evil purposes
just as Melkor used it when dealing with Men, Sauron used it when dealing with the Elves of Hollin.

also, it explains why Men receive the Gift of Death, and why their lives are so short

__________________
Honor, Freedom, Fatherland
Anarion, Son of Elendil - rank 8
Status: Offline
Posts: 2161
Date: Oct 9, 2006

I particularly like this part:


"Then  we  spoke of  the Voice.  But his  face became  terrible; for he was angry.  'Fools!' he  said. 'That  was the  Voice of  the Dark. It wishes to keep you from me; for It is hungry for you."


It appears that Melkor knew that Eru was directly interveaning with his purposes and got angry with any mention of him.

Also another part:


"Then our terror of the Dark was increased; for we believed at the Voice was of the Darkness behind the stars. And some of us began to die in horror and anguish, fearing to go out into the  Dark. Then  we called  on our  Master to  save us  from death, and  he  did not  answer."


Notice that when the Men ask Melkor to take away there death he knows it is not within his power and simply ignores them.



__________________

Utúlie'n  aurë!  Aiya  Eldalië  ar  Atanatári,  utúlie'n  aurë! 
Auta  i  lómë! 
Aurë entuluva!

Soldier of the East - Rank 4
Status: Offline
Posts: 306
Date: Oct 9, 2006
Your right Glorfindel1235, this is of huge importence. I've never come across this before. Thanks for the post.

__________________
Witchking of Angmar - Rank 10
Status: Offline
Posts: 3118
Date: Oct 9, 2006
however, it seems that Tolkien later decided to let this topic remain a mystery, as he did not include this text in the Silmarillion.
it would have been very interesting information if he did, but he didn't.
actually, little more then legends is said in the Silmarillion about the beginnings of both Men and Elves.
of course we know of how Orome found them, about the Hunter and the Rider, but these are only small pieces of information, parts of a much larger puzzle

__________________
Honor, Freedom, Fatherland
Samwise Gamgee - rank 9
Status: Offline
Posts: 2372
Date: Oct 9, 2006

Wow Glorfindel - that was a very good read!


The Might - just becuase he did not mention it in The Silmarillion doesn't mean its not what he intended.


Only if something is disputed in a later book can something in an older book be disputed. 



__________________
My Master Sauron the Great bids thee Welcome....
Witchking of Angmar - Rank 10
Status: Offline
Posts: 3118
Date: Oct 9, 2006
can you please explain me why you just said?
where in this thread have I ever said that the story was not intended
I just said I find it curious he did not wish to publish it.
perhaps we wanted to publish it, but decided to let this be a mystery in the Silmarillion.

__________________
Honor, Freedom, Fatherland
Samwise Gamgee - rank 9
Status: Offline
Posts: 2372
Date: Oct 9, 2006
It is not hard to see that you implied that this read is of less worth becuase it was not in the Silmarillion.

__________________
My Master Sauron the Great bids thee Welcome....
 
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.



Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard