"The Dark Fire Will Not Avail You" - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Nikkolas · 12-17-2011, 01:54 AM

So there was something I had to wonder after finishing The Silmarillion.

Men served Morgoth and after he was gone, they served Sauron. This is both understandable and even logical. Living in the First Age with a dark god just up north who sends out his forces at leisure to massacre and enslave all opponents must have been immensely frightening. To Men of those days, I doubt they considered or even knew of any alternative. They just wanted to save themselves or their families.

But what about the Maia?

We have Balrogs. We have Sauron. We have Saruman. They are not as limited as Man. They know infinitely more about the workings of the universe. They know there is a God with a capital G. They know there is a contingent of gods just to the West who also happen to command the mightiest army in existence.

They must know that, no matter what they do, it's meaningless. They are destined to lose even before they begin. They can devote all the time in the world to building a military but one thought from Eru and their work is flushed away.

So why? Why do these intelligent, well-informed beings turn to evil when they know that evil canot possibly prevail?

12-17-2011, 01:54 AM	#1
Nikkolas Haunting Spirit Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 55	"The Dark Fire Will Not Avail You" So there was something I had to wonder after finishing The Silmarillion. Men served Morgoth and after he was gone, they served Sauron. This is both understandable and even logical. Living in the First Age with a dark god just up north who sends out his forces at leisure to massacre and enslave all opponents must have been immensely frightening. To Men of those days, I doubt they considered or even knew of any alternative. They just wanted to save themselves or their families. But what about the Maia? We have Balrogs. We have Sauron. We have Saruman. They are not as limited as Man. They know infinitely more about the workings of the universe. They know there is a God with a capital G. They know there is a contingent of gods just to the West who also happen to command the mightiest army in existence. They must know that, no matter what they do, it's meaningless. They are destined to lose even before they begin. They can devote all the time in the world to building a military but one thought from Eru and their work is flushed away. So why? Why do these intelligent, well-informed beings turn to evil when they know that evil canot possibly prevail?