Welcome Guest 

Register

Forum Home » Books Discussion » BC Archive: The Silmarillion » MoM: And Morgoth was Pleased
Author Topic:
atalante_star
Scholar of Imladris and Theodens Lady
Posts: 1365
Send Message
Avatar
Post MoM: And Morgoth was Pleased
on: March 31, 2005 08:30
Lets look back to a few chapters ago ... and look at what Morgoth wanted from the world and its inhabitants:
"Visions he would conjure in their hearts of the mighty realms that they could have ruled at their own will, in power and freedom in the East; and then whispers went abroad that the Valar had brought the Eldar to Aman because of their jealousy
...
Melkor spoke to them in secret of Mortal Men, seeing how the silence of the Valar might be twisted to evil. ... now the whisper went among the Elves that Manwë held them captive, so that Men might come and supplant them in the kingdoms in Middle-earth, for the Valar saw that they might more easily sway this short-lived adn weaker race, defrauding the Elves of the inheritance of Ilúvatar." (Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor)

Morgoth was quite determined to spread discord among the elves, Valar and men, setting the elves against the Valar and men. His whispering campaign obviously was intended to set elf against elf as well.

Now, we're at a point in the Silmarillion where Men have arrived, but where Morgoth has not yet declared major and drastic open warfare against the Children of Ilúvatar, I thought maybe that it's worth stopping and thinking how pleased with himself Morgoth is feeling at this point.

So .... I've tried to make up lists of any squabbling and bickering that has occurred in ME, and whether these events can be traced back to Morgoth's interference in any way:

Things with Morgoth's interference:

- Fëanor and Fingolfin's rift
- Finarfin turning back to Valinor, filled with grief and bitterness against the House of Fëanor
- Kinslaying
- the loss of many elves on the crossing of the Helcaraxë
- Fëanor's death
- the arguments between Caranthir and Angrod (?)
- the Noldor lying about previous events to Thingol and Melian, and the subsequent distrust of the Noldor by the Sindar
- Eöl's dislike of the Noldor (?and his seduction of Aredhel)
- Bereg and Amlach's discontent

Things without Morgoth's interference:

- Thingol not welcoming the Noldor into Doriath (though there was a residual distrust of Morgoth in there)
- the mutual dislike between Caranthir and the Naugrim
- the Green-elves worries about the coming of Men

And some quotes on the subject:
"But the dawn is brief and the day full often belies its promise; and now the time drew on to the great wars of the powers of the North, when Noldor and Sindar and Men strove against the hosts of Morgoth Bauglir, and went down in ruin. To this end the cunning lies of Morgoth that he sowed of old, and sowed ever anew among his foes, and the curse that came of the slaying at Alqualondë, and the oath of Fëanor, were ever at work." (Of Men)

"Morgoth, seeing that by lies and deceits he could not yet wholly estrange Elves and Men, was filled with wrath, and endeavoured to do Men what hurt he could." (Of the Coming of Men into the West)
Members Online
Print Friendly, PDF & Email