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The Middle-Earth Prophecies - Page 2

© Michael Martinez

When Ar-Pharazon invaded Aman to seize immortality, the Valar are said to have lain down their guardianship. Iluvatar then intervened and changed the world, removing Aman from Arda and making what remained into a round world. Can the Valar have known that the Numenoreans would rebel against their authority? I don't believe so. For, being armed with such fore-knowledge, they would have effectively condemned uncounted multitudes of Numenoreans to become evil. Tolkien writes that Manwe could not, would not compel Melkor to repentence, or use against Melkor the devices which Melkor himself used. In Osanwe-kenta, Tolkien says that "if Manwe had broken [his] promise [to release Melkor from imprisonment at the appointed time] for his own purposes, even though still intending 'good', he would have taken a step upon the paths of Melkor. That is a perilous step. In that hour and act he would have ceased to be the vice-regent of the One, becoming but a king who takes advantage over a rival whom he has conquered by force." Manwe equally refrained from compulsion where Sauron was concerned. Sauron had been commanded to present himself to Manwe for judgement, but when Sauron failed to appear the Valar did not seize him. The first war to take Melkor prisoner was launched on behalf of the Children. The second war at the end of the First Age was launched for a similar purpose. It was not Manwe's intention to compel Melkor or to force Time to follow a certain path. Hence, pronouncing dooms, as when the Valar cast the Noldor out of Aman and imposed a great doom upon them, in fact a curse, was not an act by the Valar of compelling specific choices or altering the actions of the Children. When the Valar cursed the Noldor, they could not be compelling the Noldor to commit further evil, which the Noldor did, but rather, they had to be unfettering the Children from whatever graces their association with the Valar had bestowed upon them. The Valar removed their influence from the hearts of the Noldor, who had stepped upon a path which could (they reasonably inferred) only lead to self-destruction. Pengolodh writes in Osanwe-kenta, "Things may seem alike, but if they are in kind wholly different they must be distinguished. Foresight which is prevision, and forecasting which is opinion made by reasoning upon evidence, may be identical in their prediction, but they are wholly different in their mode, and they should be distinguished by loremasters, even if the daily language of both Elves and Men gives them the same name as departments of wisdom."

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