Regarding the kind of original spirits that may have animated primordial stone-trolls, orcs, dragons, and other darksome critters:
Who can say what generations of the forced mating of elvish thralls under the corruptions of Morgoth's magic may have wrought upon their hapless and increasingly twisted and wicked descendents? Especially if matings were forced with beasts also bred by Morgoth for such purposes. Don't forget that original giants could have been in the mix as well. Remember also that any offspring that did not fit the plan might be culled immediately from the program (sent to the stewpots) or raised up for a short brutal life of harshest slavery.
Trolls may also have been purposefully bred for stupidity, as well as strength. Morgoth may have thought of trolls as most useful if strong, stupid, and easily controlled.
It is difficult to imagine (and not good for the spirit to try to imagine) the depravity of this kind of dark magic, genetic engineering, eugenics, and breeding. (It is unfortunate that we may live to see precisely these sorts of "improvements" made possible by perverted science...)
Elven or Maia spirits may have been used in the first generations of such a program, with Morgoth counting on corruption and dilution in succeeding generations to achieve his goals. It seems that the fading of Elves, which was a direct result of Morgoth's original work, make them particularly suitable spirits for taking posession of other beings. The duress of thralls could have hastened this fading, especially under the direct hand of Morgoth.
It would seem that Sauron understood something of this dark art of corrupting beasts and perverting spirits and continued in this work. (The beasts ridden by the Nazgul, the Olog-Hai...) Unfortunately, Saruman also had insight into the process, and seems to have bred orcs and men to his wicked purposes (I TOLD you it was bad for the spirit!).
All just one old hobbit's theories, of course. As I (and others) wrote earlier, there just doesn't seem to be enough definitive thought left behind by the Professor to come down on the side of any given theory. The best we might do is eliminate postulations that are obviously against what has been published. That leaves plenty of room for folk to choose what ideas suit their fancy.
For what it's worth, this sort of thread might be helpful one day to a fan fiction writer who needs some worthwhile speculation on the origin of Trolls and other twisted creatures of Morgoth for some part in a future work.
|