Were Dragons inherently "evil"?

[Mithadan]

There is a letter on the subject in Letters of JRRT. I do not have that volume with me. I have referred to the letter in other posts before. I'll run a search.

In Morgoth's Ring, p. 409, one of Tolkien's later writings (discussing the nature and origin of Orcs) states that only Eru can "make creatures with independent wills, and with reasoning powers."

[Mithadan]

Letter 153 quoted in the following post (in a thread called Inherent Evil): http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showpos...2&postcount=39

Interestingly, the letter speaks of a "ban" upon creating thinking beings as opposed to an inability to do so.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

Letter 153 quoted in the following post (in a thread called Inherent Evil): http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showpos...2&postcount=39

Interestingly, the letter speaks of a "ban" upon creating thinking beings as opposed to an inability to do so.

from the Post citing Letters

...even Orcs would become part of the World, which is God's and ultimately good.) " (Letter 153)

Yes, it's interesting that he went more towards 'a ban' position rather than 'incapacity' to create 'new' sentient creatures. (I'm thinking of Dwarves here and Illuvatar doing a little fixing up of them. I seem to remember they were automatons or some such before a correction).

I have a fondness for Orcs some lately though I don't want to attend an Orc function as I'm sure I'd end up either a main course, or else sport of some sort (being a bit like mutton at my age). Um, perhaps if Elrond fostered Azog? we might have had a boorish variation on Boromir? as the outcome. I do remember reading up and discovering that Orcs have some capacity for creating art as well, though a more menacing variety.

Thank you for the materials

[Faramir Jones]

Ivriniel, I would strongly suggest you get a copy of Morgoth's Ring. As someone with all 13 volumes (13 being the index) of The History of Middle-earth, I've suggested to people that if they wanted to just get a few volumes, the best ones would be The Lays of Beleriand, which you already have, and Morgoth's Ring.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

There is a letter on the subject in Letters of JRRT. I do not have that volume with me. I have referred to the letter in other posts before. I'll run a search.

In Morgoth's Ring, p. 409, one of Tolkien's later writings (discussing the nature and origin of Orcs) states that only Eru can "make creatures with independent wills, and with reasoning powers."

Ta Muchly. I just reviewed Letters and I missed it. I have not yet bought or read Morgoth's Ring, though I see a lot of citations here referring to it. It looks like a really interesting Tome.

I've got those five really (hard) volumes at hand as well, (The Lays of Beleriand, etc) where it's 'Gnomes', Thu, and MaeDRos, The Quenta and some other really odd phonetics in variations of names. I always baulked at Noldoli being -- gnomes -- and I'm glad Chris (or whoever it was) fixed it .

Cheers