While rereading the Silm I came across such a description of the sinking of Numenor.
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…and Numenor went down into the sea, with all its children and its wives and its maidens and its ladies proud; and all its gardens and its halls and its towers, its tombs and its riches, and its jewels and its web and its things painted or carven, and its laughter and its mirth and its music, its wisdom and its lore: they vanished forever. And last of all the mounting wave green and cold and plumed with foam, climbing over the land, took to its bosom Tar-Miriel the Queen, Fairer than silver or ivory or pearls. Too late she strove to ascend the steep ways of the Meneltarma to the holy place; for the waters overtook her and her cry was lost in the roaring of wind.
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OK, I’m not going to ask why it happened and who was to blame if anyone.
My question is: WHY SUCH A POETIC, NOSTALGIC DESCRIPTION? It didn’t leave (with me) the feeling of a rightly deserved punishment, or eliminating something dangerous or hostile. Compare with a much grimmer description of destruction of Angband and sinking of Beleriand
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And an end was made to the power of Angband… For so great was the fury of these adversariesthat the northern regions of the western world were rent asunder, and the sea roared in through many chasms, and there was confusion and great noise; and rivers perished or found new paths, and the valleys were upheaved and the hills trod down; and Sirion was no more…
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IMHO the wording and style of the first quotation are more suitable for describing fair things destroyed by the Enemy, some terrible loss that shouldn’t have been. And mind, not a word mentions actual rebels or traitors perishing in the catastrophe, or even being on the island at the time. Only children and women and the fruits of fairest culture, and I read it that JRRT laments them. Was it then a mistake, a terrible accident? It couldn’t possibly be, as Eru is the One who knows exactly what He is doing. A lesson then? But for whom? The victims could hardly be taught anything this way. The rebels whose families and riches those were? But they had already been taken from this world (dead or asleep). The Faithful – they didn’t seem to need any such lesson. The rest of the world just in case? But haven’t there been greater villains who deserved punishment but were let off to redeem? Sorry if I sound too harsh or lengthy, but I’m trying to sort things out.
An idea that struck me after reading a recent thread Elves don't belong in Valinor? was that the Valar, Gods or God-like they be, weren’t perhaps always up to the point in carrying out Eru’s designs. And finally they messed things up so that simply lost control of things and had to appeal to Eru. As has been stated by many people here, it was the first (apart from the act of Creation) case of His direct interference in Arda’s affairs. I just presume that He wanted to make it the last one and exercised his power and might to such an extent to impress the Valar. As IMO creation of the Numenorean civilization was their pride and peak of there interference with the affairs of peoples of M-E.. If you agree that not only Elves and Men, but the Ainur were also His children, it’s just a kind of lesson, cruel but final, that a father could teach his children, who’ve become too big-headed but are unwilling or unable to cope on their own.
Well, to cut a long story short, with one stone Eru killed two birds – eventually taught a lesson to those who would learn and physically removed the Valar from the world, thus allowing them to watch and subtly influence, but preventing from meddling directly with HIS design.
If you had time and patience to read this to the end - thanks!