The treachery of the Valar

[Mithadan]

Man, the Usurpers. The Valar and presumably all the Maiar knew of the Coming of Men from the Third Theme of the Ainulindalë and from the Vision of Arda. Indeed the Silmarillion states:

In those days,moreover, the Valar knew indeed of the coming of Men that were to be, the Elves as yet knew naught of it; for Manwë had not revealed it to them. But Melkor spoke to them in secret of Mortlal Men, seeing how the silence of the Valar might be twisted to evil.

Melkor was captured by the Valar after the Elves arose in the East. He was imprisoned for three ages in Mandos, and during much of these three ages the Noldor, Vanyar and the Teleri resided in the West with the Valar. By all of Tolkien's draft tiime lines, the Elves lived in the West for tens of thousands of years. During all this time, not even a mention of the coming of Men? Why not?

Clearly the Valar reached a decision to conceal the coming of Men from the Elves, likely before the Elves ever went into the West, perhaps during the same council in which it was decided that the Elves would be summoned. This was not a casual decision. It was apparently made known to each and every resident of Valinor. "Don't tell the Elves about Men." This is active and intentional concealment. What were the motives of the Valar? It was easily "twisted" into evil by Melkor, in part because it smacks of misrepresentation. This concealment seems unsavory. Why did the Valar do this? Surely they knew the Elves might get a bit miffed when they found out.