The Changing of Middle Earth

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

So, my main point is, do you think that the flooding of Beleriand and the further sundering of Middle Earth from Valinor had a greater affect on how involved the Valar became in the story?

The Valar were an odd lot. It took much to get them worked up, and most of the time they seemed quite diffident, reserved and inattentive. It seems rather like they were never quite sure how to handle difficult situations, as giving up their authority to Eru during the Numenorean crisis proves, or earlier, when they moved the Eldar to a new home in Valinor (but failed to assure the entire race came along), and then placed a ban on the Noldor when they chose to leave (which, according to the Valar, was ostensibly for the elves' own protection).

Perhaps Eru erred when he showed the Ainur only part of the puzzle during creation, for the Valar never seemed able to conclusively resolve a problem -- it took several attempts to finally contain Morgoth, and by that time so much damage was done that the elves never really recovered. Still, there are allusions to the Valar working in Middle-earth after the shape of the world changed (the omnipresent eagles always arriving at the precise time, or the shifts in the wind at crucial points in LotR), and maybe Eru's intervention in the flood of Numenor was a direct slap at the Valar's bungling -- nearly eliminating the influence the Valar once could wield in Middle-earth, but failed to properly handle or use. Hence, Gandalf and the Istari (and Glorfindel) were sent as emissaries for the Valar, because they were effectually prevented from offering further aid as, historically, they always messed things up.