August 31, 2004

Re: Danny
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Got to say I really love this discourse Danny, very enjoyable.
About Merry overcoming his fear, even a rat will turn and bite when cornered. Is it courage or pure desperation?!
I was quoting The Steward Denethor not Theoden, brigand leader of the strawheads. Rohan a people bereft of culture and refinement. Even in our own world Heroic leadership has died. Its dangers far ourweigh its benefits. If Sauron was present on the Pelennor, it does not naturally follow that he would have won. The West would have had... more fun, shall we say, but Sauron is just one entity in an army of thousands, powerful yes but not omnipresent. Like Turin at the battle of Tumladen (sp?), no Orc etc would face him, but the Elvish army was still butchered around him. Then like ants on a scorpion, they would swarm him under (a la Hurin at the Nirnaeth), no matter how many he killed. Rule of thumb: An army is only as strong as its weakest unit. Basically.

Gandalf may have looked like an Old man but there was nothing frail in his form.

The Maia are not completely Immortal. The spirit of Sauron after the Ring was destroyed, would basically turn in on itself and gnaw itself out of existence. At the very least a "fallen" Maiar can no longer take physical form, and so, dies. Sauron is different, with the Ring he had an anchor to the world. Saruman did not, and so when he died, his spirit was dispersed to the east. In the Game of War, Gandalf could suffer pain, and so could claim a little courage there, but Sauron could suffer complete destruction. Both chose to play, but Sauron had the most to lose personally, and so was the most courageous.

Why are "evil" characters, the baddies, never allowed to be called courageous? Courage is not bound by right or wrong, who wears the black or white hats. Courage is basically going forward while acknowledging the outcome may/will result in hurt of a personal kind.

Why do people like the Valar? The so called guardians are totally inept at their job. The First Age they get annoyed like some spoiled brats by Feanor, and would not help the Elves and Men. At the end of the First Age, they fail Sauron. He could have been brought back from the "darkside", but they couldnt be bothered looking for him. Eonwe takes after his father, might have broken a nail. At Numenor they could have sent Maia to take Sauron into custody. It should never have gone that far anyways. The Valar basically spend most of their time trying to clean up their own mistakes. The rest the time is spent making mistakes.

Question: Orcs are twisted Elves. Do dead Orcs go to Mandos? Can they return?.... in Valinor?

Ahh better go.
"...
Death to light to law to love
Cursed be moon and stars above
..."

:) Ash Nazg...