July 3, 2002

Religion and Tolkien's Writing
Colin

I don't know if there's been any kind of debate on the nature of religion in Tolkien's books, but I thought I'd share my opinions on this subject.

I'd suggest that any kinds of 'conventional' religions as we understand them don't apply in Middle-earth - these revolve around the necessity of FAITH as a suspension of rational belief. There's no real evidence that Gods or Afterlives exist, yet billions of people believe in these.

With Tolkien, religion isn't necessary, because there's no need for faith. All the peoples in his writings know that a God exists (Eru/Iluvatar/The One), and that He created the world. Similarly, the equivalents of Angels (the Valar and Maiar) play an active and visible role in the stories.

The equivalent of 'Heaven' could be to sail into the West, to the Undying Lands / Valinor. Since the Elves are the Chosen, Firstborn people, they're guaranteed this journey at some point in their lives. Ultimately, then, I'd suggest that the other peoples of Middle-earth have no need for religion because they know that they simply aren't able to 'Sail into the West'(with a few very special exceptions). Faith has no place in a world where the religious hierarchy is so clearly defined.

One further point - my reading of Tolkien is that, during the First and Second Ages, the Elves could travel to and from Valinor freely. But, after the fall of Numenor and the removal of the Undying Lands from the world, something changed. My feeling is that the Elves no longer had this freedom, and therefore their decision to sail into the West became much more final. In this sense then, it becomes the symbolic equivalent of death and passing into an afterlife.

What does anyone else think?