Magic by Melkor, No Returns Accepted - Page 10
© Michael Martinez
That is to say, there is really no distinction between the "magic" of Iluvatar and the "magic" of Melkor, except in scale and purity of purpose. Melkor's power is incomparably small beside Iluvatar's, but Melkor's perversion has also corrupted or tainted his power so that it is impure. All power is cut from the same mold, and flows from the same source. But Iluvatar bestows power irrevocably in some measure upon the creatures of his thought. Melkor's efforts to identify himself with Arda by disseminating his strength throughout the world are thus an act of defiance. And largely fruitless. Iluvatar won't rescind his gift to Melkor, but neither is he barred by Melkor's will.
On the other hand, having made the Halls of Ea and populated them with Ainur and other creatures of similar but lesser stature, Iluvatar doesn't need to continually infuse Ea with his power. So there is a finite aspect to magic. Only so much of it came into the universe, only so much has been added through the births of beings with the ability to enchant things. The separation of Aman from Middle-earth in a way limits or even diminishes the magic which can be "tapped" by Men or other beings. What Melkor left behind is about it. New Elves and Dwarves may be born, but their power is incomparably small next to Melkor's. As Elves leave or die, as Dwarves die, and as their artifacts vanish or are destroyed, the available reserve of usable, tractable magical energy diminishes.
That is, it should become more and more difficult through the passing millennia for Men to practice "true" magic because the sources of magic they require become fewer and fewer. One of the harshest criticisms levelled at Tolkien by modern fantasy writers is that there seems to be no limit to the magic in his world, and yet nothing could be farther from the truth. "Magic" is extremely difficult to define, but the expressions of power, the creation of "magical artifacts", diminish in scope and number as the ages pass because the power is leaving Middle-earth.
Hence Feanor's Silmarils and the Rings of Power define an upper limit of the expression of power in Middle-earth. Undoubtedly other great works were achieved: the cities of Gondolin, Menegroth, and Khazad-dum were in many ways "magical". But they were the products of whole populations, the results of ages of labor. And yet nothing like them would be achieved again. Even in the Fourth Age, when Durin VII led his people back to Khazad-dum, it's unlikely they would revive the ancient glory of their city. Only an echo of the past would be achievable, in part because their numbers had been diminished, but also because they had lost so much ancient lore. Khazad-dum was the last relic of a span of ages when magical cities were possible. Now they are simply legends.
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