Melkor and Mairon / The Void, The Flame Imperishable
Not many in middle earth noticed the strangeness of the glow in Annatars eyes that could be so easily mistaken for the light of the trees. But those who were wise enough noticed the absence of Valinors light and knew it as the flame of creation itself, that within him it had twisted into a burning inferno.
In the beginning Melkor had searched the void far and wide for the flame imperishable. As he realized that a part of that flame resided within him he desperately tried to reach it. Tearing himself apart in the process.
Angelico Press, 2017, 306 pp. Review by Jane Clark Scharl “The study of myths belongs to metaphysics, not psychology.”—Nicolas Gomez Davila
“But the thrust of The Flame Imperishable is not merely that Tolkien was influenced by St. Thomas. The truly intriguing part of the argument is that through the mythology of Middle Earth, Tolkien is able to contribute to and clarify certain aspects of Thomistic thought that remained ambiguous.
“One of his primary contributions, according to McIntosh, is the idea of sub-creation, a term Tolkien coined in his essay “On Fairy-Stories.” He uses the term on two levels: first, to describe his own creative labor in making Middle Earth; and second, to describe the role of humans (and possibly other intelligent beings, as we will mention later) in enriching the creation established and sustained by God. The fascination with creation indicates another affinity with St. Thomas, who is sometimes called the ‘doctor of creation’ due to his intense interest in the relationship between Being and God. Despite Tolkien’s avowals that he was not a philosopher, sub-creation is a metaphysical concept, as metaphysics is the study of Being and how things come into and remain in existence.
“McIntosh examines the Ainulindalë to see the principle of sub-creation at work in Tolkien’s mythology, then cross-references to Tolkien’s letters and essays to establish a connection between the metaphysics of Middle Earth and those of our own world. In the idea of sub-creation, McIntosh argues, Tolkien is able to expand on St. Thomas’ idea of God as the font of Being to which all things owe their existence, not merely initially but at each and every moment actively sustaining everything that has being. Tolkien’s idea of sub-creation says that if we, as humans, participate in God’s own Being through our existence, and part of that Being involves the work of creating, then surely we as humans can—indeed, must—participate in the work of creating in order to be fully what we were meant to be. Creation, artistic and otherwise, becomes a essential element of humanness.“
So, has anybody ever posed the theory that Feanor might be some sort of embodiment of the Secret Fire? I mean, I feel like that would explain a lot of all of his uniqueness. The overwhelming power of his spirit,even at birth. The ability to create the Silmarils, something even the Valar couldn’t replicate, his (re)turning into fire at his death?
I mean, he’s got fire right there in his name, and the Secret Fire is all about the power of creation, and Feanor’s quite possibly the most creative, (I wish there was a better word for the sheer intensity of his ability) being in all of Arda. I believe there’s even part where he talks about, perhaps Eru gave him a greater purpose and power then even the Valar can foresee?
I don’t even pretend to suggest that’s what Tolkien himself might have had in mind, but it’s an idea that’s been tumbling around in my mind. Even as just a theory it certainly adds a very interesting element to Melkor’s interest in him.
