Quote:
Originally Posted by Mithadan
I agree that Orcs have an appreciation of their own cleverness and their own works of their hands. Beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. Of course there is the question of objective versus subjective beauty. Tolkien attempts to apply "objective" standards of beauty to Orcs and their works and thus they are interpreted (and presented) as ugly.
With regards to your form follows function argument that Orcish adornment of their weapons is essentially more honest than the Elven practice of making their works, including their weapons, beautiful (Objectively? Subjectively?), there are two principles in play. First is Tolkien's admiration of the hero, even if the hero is flawed). The Elves, generally being "heroic" (and no I do not wish to debate the morality of Feanor, etc.) posess mighty and wonderous weapons. The Orcs, as "villians" (Objectively? Subjectively?) bear hideous weapons that only an Orc or one of their ilk could admire.
Second, the Elves, as part of their nature, imbue a degree of their essence and world view into everything they make. A sword need not be beautiful, but it can be so it should be.
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What we don't see, though, are the annals of the Orcs, and those actions they considered heroic. Though I concede this is only within a framework of moral relativism: Tolkien binds Evil to something that can be made tangible, touched, seen and discerned. That's more about moral universalism or moral absolutism.
Orcs and valour are not used synonymously, though Azog, is a name that I'm sure was a folk hero for the Orcs in their songs under their own mountain. Gundabad is a great, long lasting stronghold that we know very little about. And Carn Dum, Tharbad and some other places, where acts of Orcish heroism would have been fashioned.
On the second idea--that's my core point. If you argue that Melkor was responsible for Feanor's fall (and on an aside--it's a spectacular fall from heroism--he gets a mention in the Second Prophesy where he bears the Silmarils to Yavanna, who breaks them to rebirth the Two Trees)--then Elven imperial living in Middle Earth disguises evil with Elvish beauty.