Fëa and Free-Will; The Battleground of Eä?
 

Central to the creation of Eä is the divine gift of the fëa and its hröa. The Children of Eru have existed from their initial awakening beneath the light of the stars and the first rising of the Sun respectively. Each of these Children is gifted their fëa and its hröa, in addition to free-will and independent thought.

This quote, from Last Writings specifically addresses the laws relating to the spirit (of Elves) following its departure from the body (the divorce of the fëa and its hröa) and the role of the Valar as decreed by 'The One' Here we see a specific set of laws, exclusive to the Firstborn in relation to the 'management' of their souls by The Valar. Yet, the consideration here is that embodiment could be delayed by them should the individual have commited acts of evil without repentance. This is incredibly significant in the overall scheme of things, especially when one views the fëa as an invaluable gift of Eru. Therefore, it is interesting to understand the motives of Melkor, ever seeking to mar, abuse or corrupt the souls of not only the Children of Iluvatar, but those Ainur who were considered lesser than the Valar! Consider this from Myths Transformed when understanding the motives of Melkor; The connection between the two seems apparent, that if Melkor corrupts it, the Valar may deny it the freedom expressly offered by 'The One.'

Is this the beginning of the battle for the souls of Arda's inhabitants? Is Melkor's role within Eä much more sinister than his desire to have it as his own Kingdom? What becomes of those corrupted individuals who do not repent and are stayed for an enternity in the Halls of Mandos? Does this represent a victory for Melkor, to have denied the individual their freedom through lies and deceipt?

What then of the Secondborn? Their fëa does not reside in the keeping of Mandos after their short lives are expended. Does not the quote showing Melkors corrupting power seem more detrimental to the afterlife of the Edain? Their spirit departs and the journey begins, returning to the place set aside for them by Eru. But what of those corrupted by Melkor, those who called him 'lord' and failed the test? They do not belong to the Valar, for they have no power to restrain the fëa as punishment for its wrong-doing.
So also can the ''will' of these Children be considered a battleground among the Valar. For those allied to Eru the continued freedom of the 'will' of the Children their responsibility. Should the freedom of their 'will' be lost, then Melkor has gained lordship over them and thus controls the fëa. Yet what becomes of the doomed fëa, those who gave their will to Melkor and so paid the price for their blasphemy against Eru?
From The Athrabeth; If Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth might be considered canon (which I believe it ought to be) then the battle for the souls of the Edain is the ultimate currency. The themes that permeate Tolkiens work suggest that this battle of 'evil against good' is in fact a battle for the souls of the Children of Eru. Each one saved or lost representing a victory to the successful side.

Is this how Tolkien envisaged his creation with the currency fought over being Fëa and Free-Will?

Nice post--strange nobody has responded before now [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img]

In the notes on the Athrabeth, the following statement is made:
It seems that this is Tolkien's way out of the dilemma of what to do with a fëain Mandos who has accepted Melkor as Lord. Elves (and Dwarves) never do this, and the fëa of Men are fated to leave Arda independent of whether they fall into service of Melkor.

Of course, this view assumes that Orcs are not in fact corrupted Elves, and that the view of the Edain that mortality is an imposed condition, is mistaken.

I dare to presume you'll find it helpful to look through the following:

The Role of Fate In Middle Earth
The halls of mandos and elvish "free will"
Of Evil, Free will, and Fate (from 'Gollum')
Immortality

yours truly