Would he have done it?

[davem]

Further to Aiwendil's point re: Eru, in Tolkien & the Great War John Garth sets out the state of the mythology at the time Tolkien went to war (June 1916)

Enu (sic), whom men refer to as Illuvatar, the Heavenly Father, created the world & dwells outside it. But within the world dwell the 'pagan gods' or ainur, who, with their attendants, here are called the Valar or 'happy folk' (in the original sense of 'blessed with good fortune').