Let's Talk Morgoth

[King of the North]

Tolkien is very good at encrypting symbolism and meaning in his writing so that the reader has to think. Therefore Melkor (Morgoth) could stand for many things. Being a Roman Catholic I relate Belegurth to Lucifer. Both stories are kind of a fall from grace, Lucifer was once an angel, and Melkor an Ainu (in fact the most powerful, wisest, and cunning). Another similarity is the way in which they were cast away from the good angels/Ainu. Even though the Dark Lord had already seperated from the rest of Great Ones, it was really made official in the Battle of the Powers when Tulkas defeated him. In the battle between Michael (and his angels) and the Dragron (Lucifer), the end result was Satan and all his angels being cast out of heaven like "lightning from heaven" Luke 10:18 NIV. Both battles were battles between Gods, divine beings. There is another explanation for what Melkor stands for though. After experiencing one of the deadliest battles in the whole of WWI (the Somme), Tolkien and others like him needed a new explanation of evil. In his hospital bed, recovering from the Somme, he began writing The Silmarillion and began with the destruction of the beautiful Elven city of Gondolin. Morgoth became the main bad guy, and I think he created a great representation of evil.