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PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post Chapter III.12 Of Men
on: September 29, 2009 03:24
1)Why did the Valar, with the exception of Ulmo, leave Middle-earth untended? What effects did this have on the coming of Men?

We know much of the First Elves, their leaders, and what they did after their awakening, but of the first men we know little or nothing.
2)Why the difference? How are men portrayed in this chapter?

An extra question suggested by GlandorSaradan:
3) Why could Men not understand the message Ulmo had sent to them through the water? And why did they still want to approach the water even though they didn't understand what was going on?
TindomerelofNargothrond
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Post RE: Chapter III.12 Of Men
on: October 05, 2009 07:48
We know much of the First Elves, their leaders, and what they did after their awakening, but of the first men we know little or nothing.


I think one reason for this is because in Tolkien's world men themselves were very secretive about their past. The biggest glimpse of men's origins that I've found are in the "Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth" (hope I spelled that right) in Morgoth's Ring, and even in that short piece the idea that men keep their past close to the vest comes across loud and clear to me.

2)Why the difference? How are men portrayed in this chapter?


I think men come across as somewhat mysterious in this chapter. We're told that they're very different from the elves (and the ainur as well), but there's somewhat of a fog surrounding them at this point. In my opinion, the main thing stressed in this chapter is simply that contrast.
Passepartout
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Post RE: Chapter III.12 Of Men
on: October 06, 2009 10:53
1) I believe that the Valar left Middle-Earth unattended because they didn't want to destroy any more of Middle Earth like they did in the Battle of the Powers.

2) Men are potrayed kind of like children in this chapter. It seems like they look upon the Elves as teachers or parents and they are afraid of many things, like the Valar.

3) I'm not really sure about wy they didn't undestand the message Ulmo sent, but I think that they still wanted to approach the water because they found it somewhat delightful. In the Silmarrilion it quotes:

"Therefore they loved the waters, and their hearts were stirred."

I think this kind of clarifys that the men just really enjoyed it, even if they didn't really understand.

[Edited on 6/10/2009 by Passepartout]
oiotari
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Post RE: Chapter III.12 Of Men
on: November 23, 2009 11:50
Why could Men not understand the message Ulmo had sent to them through the water?

I can think of a couple possibilities:
1. Maybe it has to do with how the elves belong to this world, while men only dwell in it temporarily. Men are not so connected with the earth, and therefore they have a harder time understanding the messages from it.
2. Or maybe it's as simple as their lifespans. No man could live long enough to grasp the way that Ulmo was trying to speak to them.
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