Original Sin in Arda

[lindil]

Doug P. posted

The comparisons between Christian doctrine and the world of Arda with regard to Original Sin seem to fall short in one very important respect. Whereas the Original Sin of Adam paved the way for Christ to become the path to salvation for all humans, there does not seem to be a convincing Christ figure in Middle-Earth.

In the aforementioned Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth from Morgoth's Ring, we see Finrod surmising [or one could perhaps say prophecying] the need for Eru to become Incarnate to ultimately repair the marring of Arda. oF course this bald staement does not do an iota of justice to the beautiful dialog that JRRT allows between them.

So I see "original sin" within the Legendarium as having been split into two aspects [ as regards mankind - some other races receive their own treatments individually].

#2 - the fall of mankind [ as per the tale of Adanel] which resulted in the mortality of Man in M-E

and #1 - the fall of Melkor which resulted in the corruption and entering of death into Arda.

In traditional Christianity, the fall of the world and the fall of man are both the product of Adam and Eve's disobedience. In the legendarium they are split. However they both require the Incarnation of God to heal the marring. So in essence the cosmology of the Legendarium ends up being Christian, that does not mean every detail of the cosmology is Christian, it is not.

I just wish to stress again that I think it is only with the
Osanwe-Kenta,
The Athrabeth and the
Laws and Customs among the Eldar
[ and I would also add the Narn]
that the spiritual foundation of the Legendarium becomes mature, and this makes CJRT's omission of these from the Silmarillion something of a minor tragedy [ one that is however, in the process of being somewhat repaired].

[ January 13, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]