Was Ungoliant an alien Vala in Tolkien's Round World legendarium?

[Mithadan]

My preference is to interpret Tolkien's Legendarium as internally consistent (where possible). So, the speaking peoples/entities are made up of Ainur (including the Valar and Maiar), Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Ents, though some of Morgoth's corruptions may have been interbred with beasts. To me, all of Tolkien's speaking peoples fit within these categories or some combination thereof. So, in my view, Ungoliant was a rogue Ainu, recruited initially by Melkor/Morgoth.

When one discusses Tolkien's late musings and philosophical writings, those not published in his lifetime, we run into the concept of "canon." What did Tolkien actually decide upon as his "final" conception, versus what he was creatively fiddling with. Canon is in the eye of the beholder. In my interpretation of his Legendarium, Tolkien's notes and writings about Arda always being round and his thoughts about an expanded version of Ea fall into the latter category. Regardless, if one wants to shoehorn them into his final conception, then Ungoliant could be an "alien Ainu" or merely an Ainu corrupted by Melkor who came to Arda.

[Galin]

I don't think it's one idea or the other. In my opinion Tolkien's solution was to include both Round World and Flat World in his Legendarium, and the different ideas concerning the Sun as well. Well, in as much as we can say anything about "finality" with respect to posthumously published material anyway.

And with respect to author published material, there's an example that goes beyond musing: Tolkien revising a statement about the Sun in The Hobbit (Third Edition). . . which (at least in the sense that it takes out a reference to a time under the stars when the Sun did not yet exist) "agrees" well with my reading of Treebeard's tale in The Lord
of The Rings, in which the Sun exists before the Elves sail West over sea.

By the way, lately, but fairly often, I find it difficult to post here due to a Resource Limit Reached message, or something like that. Hmm. Anyone else?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Galin

By the way, lately, but fairly often, I find it difficult to post here due to a Resource Limit Reached message, or something like that. Hmm. Anyone else?

Ditto, it's been good for a while but it's getting bad again. Just keep refreshing the page and you will get through eventually.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

So, the speaking peoples/entities are made up of Ainur (including the Valar and Maiar), Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Ents, though some of Morgoth's corruptions may have been interbred with beasts. To me, all of Tolkien's speaking peoples fit within these categories or some combination thereof.

Just out of curiosity, where are you including orcs? Some of them were speaking entities.

I"m with Galin and Galadriel in having difficulty getting in, sometimes even with multiple page refreshings.