On The Nature of The Children Of Illuvatar
This is the product of too much thought on the unhappy nature of endings in the Silmarillion. Eru Illuvatar is a kindly and omniscient God, very demonstrably not the jealous and vengeful god of the Old Testament. Hence, it seems inconceivable that he would make the predominant instinct in the Eldar, the need to mate in soul for all eternity and then let them be able to fall in love with the Atani, unless the Atani's souls too, remained in Arda for all time. Aman is supposed to be happy for all... But could Aegnor be happy in Aman, without Andreth? Finduilas without Turin? Even those who have lost their children to mortality or even Mandos, can they be happy? I have chosen to interpret JRRT's fascination with the motif of Elendil (as in Ælfwine, then Alboin, then Alwin... A fascinating concept which never got off the grond, maybe because of its non-Catholic implications) as a not too unlikely indication of him having considered re-incarnation as a possible end for mortal souls. The title is very obviously derived from The Heretical Loremaster site. :)
In the fashion of the SilmariIlion, I imagine these writings to be scrolls stuffed in the most secret of places by a Noldo loremaster, in the days shortly after the sudden arrival of Ælfwine over the Long Road, stirred again among the elves, especially the Noldo, feelings of curiosity about the fate of Arda and Men. I imagine, those of the Noldor who had mortal friends would be especially full of questions and hopes. And since, the Noldor are supposed to be an especially curious bunch of philosopher-scientists, I am sure at least some of them were willing to challenge the teachings of the Valar, after millennia of basically having nothing to do.
The Hidden and Heretical Musings of A latter-day Loremaster of Aman
For long ages past, the loremasters have regarded the Children of Illuvatar to be two in number, the Eldar and the Atani. But as ages passed many peoples came forward in the world whose nature calls this assumption to question. The Peoples of Arda are the Valar, the Eldar, the Atani, the Khuzdul, the Ents and the Holbytlan.
The Valar are verily the eldest children, though not of Arda itself. As Ainu they sang the Great Theme and brought Arda into existence and falling in love with the wonders of this Tale to come, came into the circles of the World as the Valar, to find and guide the younger Children of Illuvatar and mayhap save them from the Shadow.
The Eldar are the First-Born and Men the Followers or Atani. The Khuzdul are Children of Aule, created in impatience but surrendered in faith- the adopted Children of Illuvatar. When Aule created the Khuzdul, Yavanna his spouse, lover of the trees knowing the destruction that awaited her people at the hands of these new people in pursuance of their craft, made the Ents, guardians of the old forests. The fea of these 'step-children' as such, were matters of concern and devicement by Aule and Yavanna themselves. All that is known or believed by the Eldar about the final fate of the Khudzul or the Naugrim as they call them, is recounted elsewhere. Of the Ents, little is known and less recounted.
The holbytlan or Hobbits, as they called themselves were a wonderous existence altogether. They snuck into Arda unnoticed by those of lore and even so far into the days as the end of the Third Age, there were few who knew or knowing, were credulous of their existence. In looks and temperament they were most like men, and like the Druedain and the Drugs might have been a long-sundered branch of Men, themselves. Indeed, they held themselves akin to the 'Big-People' even if by the War of the Ring, the hobbits of the Shire had forgotten ever co-existing with them. More curious, was the fact of their hardiness and keen perception. By many accounts, indeed they had been the first people to sense the awakening of Sauron in Dol-Guldor, prompting their mass-exodus to the lands of the Shire. But for the purposes of discussion of the fea, they can be counted among those who awakened at Hildorien, the 'Little People' with the 'Big'...
All the Children of Eru are beings of Fea (soul), Hroa (body) and indo (mind). Much has been said on the subject of fea and hroa but little about the indo. The fea is eternal for all- nothing, not even the darkest Shadow may destroy it, though it may twist and corrupt it to its nature. But the nature of hroa and indo and their relation to the fea are what separates one Children from the Others.
The fea is the eternal spark of life, that defines the children of Illuvatar, the very essense of their being. The Valar themselves know not whence the fea comes from, only that it comes from beyond the circles of Arda and hence from Illuvatar himself. Much thought has been given to the nature of the spirits of the Eldar and the Atani but little thought have the Valar given to themselves. For what are they, but great fea, uncloaked in the raiment of Arda unless they choose it be so?
For the Valar are great and were conceived in the mind of Illuvatar as beings of pure fea, outside of the physical circle of Arda. And as beings of spirit they have the greatest control over their fea, being able to choose whether to clothe themselves in the physical raiment of hroa or not, as they please. Being, that by nature they are not of Arda, but from Beyond, they share not the need of the mirroanwi for a necessary union between fea and hroa. With their great discipline they may freely choose the nature of the hroa they wear.
The Eldar are beings of Arda and as such their rightful nature is the nature of mirroanwi. Of eternal hroa and fea. One cannot exist in the natural state without the other. A hroa without fea is 'an empty house' and soon destroyed within Arda. In the Blessed Realms of Aman, the decay of hroa is absent but without the fea, it may do nothing but sleep. If by reasons of Shadow one is forcefully separated from the other, it is the duty of the Valar, Regents of Eru in Arda, to house the naked fea in a hroa once again. These are the Reborn. The Reborn are born almost always to their close kin but not as kin to any spouse they may have had, for the union of marriage is for the Eldar, for as long as their fea resides in Arda, and in the natural course of things that is forever. As beings of eternal union of hroa and fea, their fea has great control over their hroa, such that their countenance soon resembles not their parents but their very nature. It is for this reason, that the Reborn who come into the knowledge of their previous lives at the beginning of adulthood, resemble so closely their previous selves that none remain in doubt of who they are. And so are they doubly blessed. For as recompense to the unnatural shortening of life, they are blessed with two set of parents and two joyful childhoods. But the indo or mind in the Eldar is also eternal.
The indo is what makes a person his own self, the sum of all their life which shapes them. It is the óre, the inner mind, the enda, the centre, the sama, the mind of a being. For when the elves are Reborn, they have from the very birth their old fea, in a new hroa but still they are not yet their old self. The self that is gained on adulthood which recalls to their mind their past life is the indo, the knowledge of self. Hence for an Eldar the natural state is eternal fea and eternal indo but a hroa, eternal by design but perishable by the taint of the Shadow. The Atani or Men have a different nature. The fea is eternal indeed and sages past have believed them to be merely guests of Arda. But the Eruhin, as the sages have used the word, the Eldar and the Atani were made for Arda with the matter of Arda by Eru himself. Though their nature was corrupted by the Shadow, the Shadow could not have wholly subverted Eru's plan for his children to such great ruin, nor would Eru have wished for the unhappiness and separation of his Children, even.
The hroa and the fea of the Atani indeed part ways most easily but not for long. Mayhaps, like the Reborn of the Elves, the fea of Men too makes its way back from beyond Arda, once judgement has been passed and hurts healed, to be born once again into this world. But it is here that the work of the Shadow is evident, for unlike the Eldar, the indo of Men rarely returns to them, and almost never in full. But the fea retains its nature and the gravity of deep knowledge, so that Old Souls are always in Men greatly admired and rise to be leaders of their brethren with deeds worthy of song. In souls, old beyond measure or those with great nobility, some small measure of indo may return when faced with objects or circumstances of familiarity.
But even in this, one can see the greatness of Eru's design for once again the Marrer smote and caused great sorrow but also great joy. For with the loss of indo, the Atani may live every life as if it was the only one and with this apparent 'brevity of life' comes their mythical ability to burn ever more brightly and create things anew.
In the fashion of the SilmariIlion, I imagine these writings to be scrolls stuffed in the most secret of places by a Noldo loremaster, in the days shortly after the sudden arrival of Ælfwine over the Long Road, stirred again among the elves, especially the Noldo, feelings of curiosity about the fate of Arda and Men. I imagine, those of the Noldor who had mortal friends would be especially full of questions and hopes. And since, the Noldor are supposed to be an especially curious bunch of philosopher-scientists, I am sure at least some of them were willing to challenge the teachings of the Valar, after millennia of basically having nothing to do.
The Hidden and Heretical Musings of A latter-day Loremaster of Aman
For long ages past, the loremasters have regarded the Children of Illuvatar to be two in number, the Eldar and the Atani. But as ages passed many peoples came forward in the world whose nature calls this assumption to question. The Peoples of Arda are the Valar, the Eldar, the Atani, the Khuzdul, the Ents and the Holbytlan.
The Valar are verily the eldest children, though not of Arda itself. As Ainu they sang the Great Theme and brought Arda into existence and falling in love with the wonders of this Tale to come, came into the circles of the World as the Valar, to find and guide the younger Children of Illuvatar and mayhap save them from the Shadow.
The Eldar are the First-Born and Men the Followers or Atani. The Khuzdul are Children of Aule, created in impatience but surrendered in faith- the adopted Children of Illuvatar. When Aule created the Khuzdul, Yavanna his spouse, lover of the trees knowing the destruction that awaited her people at the hands of these new people in pursuance of their craft, made the Ents, guardians of the old forests. The fea of these 'step-children' as such, were matters of concern and devicement by Aule and Yavanna themselves. All that is known or believed by the Eldar about the final fate of the Khudzul or the Naugrim as they call them, is recounted elsewhere. Of the Ents, little is known and less recounted.
The holbytlan or Hobbits, as they called themselves were a wonderous existence altogether. They snuck into Arda unnoticed by those of lore and even so far into the days as the end of the Third Age, there were few who knew or knowing, were credulous of their existence. In looks and temperament they were most like men, and like the Druedain and the Drugs might have been a long-sundered branch of Men, themselves. Indeed, they held themselves akin to the 'Big-People' even if by the War of the Ring, the hobbits of the Shire had forgotten ever co-existing with them. More curious, was the fact of their hardiness and keen perception. By many accounts, indeed they had been the first people to sense the awakening of Sauron in Dol-Guldor, prompting their mass-exodus to the lands of the Shire. But for the purposes of discussion of the fea, they can be counted among those who awakened at Hildorien, the 'Little People' with the 'Big'...
All the Children of Eru are beings of Fea (soul), Hroa (body) and indo (mind). Much has been said on the subject of fea and hroa but little about the indo. The fea is eternal for all- nothing, not even the darkest Shadow may destroy it, though it may twist and corrupt it to its nature. But the nature of hroa and indo and their relation to the fea are what separates one Children from the Others.
The fea is the eternal spark of life, that defines the children of Illuvatar, the very essense of their being. The Valar themselves know not whence the fea comes from, only that it comes from beyond the circles of Arda and hence from Illuvatar himself. Much thought has been given to the nature of the spirits of the Eldar and the Atani but little thought have the Valar given to themselves. For what are they, but great fea, uncloaked in the raiment of Arda unless they choose it be so?
For the Valar are great and were conceived in the mind of Illuvatar as beings of pure fea, outside of the physical circle of Arda. And as beings of spirit they have the greatest control over their fea, being able to choose whether to clothe themselves in the physical raiment of hroa or not, as they please. Being, that by nature they are not of Arda, but from Beyond, they share not the need of the mirroanwi for a necessary union between fea and hroa. With their great discipline they may freely choose the nature of the hroa they wear.
The Eldar are beings of Arda and as such their rightful nature is the nature of mirroanwi. Of eternal hroa and fea. One cannot exist in the natural state without the other. A hroa without fea is 'an empty house' and soon destroyed within Arda. In the Blessed Realms of Aman, the decay of hroa is absent but without the fea, it may do nothing but sleep. If by reasons of Shadow one is forcefully separated from the other, it is the duty of the Valar, Regents of Eru in Arda, to house the naked fea in a hroa once again. These are the Reborn. The Reborn are born almost always to their close kin but not as kin to any spouse they may have had, for the union of marriage is for the Eldar, for as long as their fea resides in Arda, and in the natural course of things that is forever. As beings of eternal union of hroa and fea, their fea has great control over their hroa, such that their countenance soon resembles not their parents but their very nature. It is for this reason, that the Reborn who come into the knowledge of their previous lives at the beginning of adulthood, resemble so closely their previous selves that none remain in doubt of who they are. And so are they doubly blessed. For as recompense to the unnatural shortening of life, they are blessed with two set of parents and two joyful childhoods. But the indo or mind in the Eldar is also eternal.
The indo is what makes a person his own self, the sum of all their life which shapes them. It is the óre, the inner mind, the enda, the centre, the sama, the mind of a being. For when the elves are Reborn, they have from the very birth their old fea, in a new hroa but still they are not yet their old self. The self that is gained on adulthood which recalls to their mind their past life is the indo, the knowledge of self. Hence for an Eldar the natural state is eternal fea and eternal indo but a hroa, eternal by design but perishable by the taint of the Shadow. The Atani or Men have a different nature. The fea is eternal indeed and sages past have believed them to be merely guests of Arda. But the Eruhin, as the sages have used the word, the Eldar and the Atani were made for Arda with the matter of Arda by Eru himself. Though their nature was corrupted by the Shadow, the Shadow could not have wholly subverted Eru's plan for his children to such great ruin, nor would Eru have wished for the unhappiness and separation of his Children, even.
The hroa and the fea of the Atani indeed part ways most easily but not for long. Mayhaps, like the Reborn of the Elves, the fea of Men too makes its way back from beyond Arda, once judgement has been passed and hurts healed, to be born once again into this world. But it is here that the work of the Shadow is evident, for unlike the Eldar, the indo of Men rarely returns to them, and almost never in full. But the fea retains its nature and the gravity of deep knowledge, so that Old Souls are always in Men greatly admired and rise to be leaders of their brethren with deeds worthy of song. In souls, old beyond measure or those with great nobility, some small measure of indo may return when faced with objects or circumstances of familiarity.
But even in this, one can see the greatness of Eru's design for once again the Marrer smote and caused great sorrow but also great joy. For with the loss of indo, the Atani may live every life as if it was the only one and with this apparent 'brevity of life' comes their mythical ability to burn ever more brightly and create things anew.