Gems, Eternity, and Evil

    The main topic for the discussion in class were the Silmarils and how these gems embody eternity and light together. Gems, we decided, are supposed to be beautiful, incorrupt, and in the garden of paradise; they make visible and physical the effects of virtue. So how are the Silmarils the purest and highest embodiment of this Platonic ideal? Well, it seems we can’t see the full picture, as they are made of a material no one will know of until the Second Music of the Ainur. Only Feanor knows of this, the brightest of the Eldar in body, mind, and spirit, who was their maker. Moreso, these gems are not anything like any other in Tolkien's world. “as they were indeed living beings, they rejoiced in light and received it and gave it back in hues more marvelous than before” (Silmarillion, 67). The light, more specifically, is that of the two great trees, Laurlein and Telperion, whose creation began the Count of Time. The gems are actually made with the full light of both, which was never achieved while the trees stood due to their cycles and the “mingling hour.” Indeed, the Valar recognized the importance of such gems as well: “And Varda hallowed the Silmarils, so that thereafter no mortal flesh, nor hands unclean, nor anything of evil will might touch them, but it was scorched and withered” (Silmarillion, 67).

    These gems are thus fundamentally linked to the questions of good and evil in Tolkien’s world and provoke many questions relating to those two sides. For example, Tolkien states that for Feanor “loved the Silmarils with the greedy love.” But Feanor is not considered evil because he is still able to hold and use them until they are taken away from him. Only after the slaying of kin does Feanor become evil, with Tolkien thereby creating a separation between action and intention for evil. What makes the Silmarils most interesting, I think, is the fact they are desired by both evil and good. The Valar want Feanor to show the gems to them, while Morgoth “lusted for the Silmarils, and the very memory of their radiance was a gnawing fire in his heart.” He thus embodies that evil as we discussed in class: exerting one’s own will over the other, as he desires to make the gems his own, even if they do end up burning Morgoth’s hand when he takes them.

    But is evil then rooted in greed or coveting, rather than the exertion of one’s will? Indeed, Morgoth disrupted the Music of the Ainur “for he sought therein to increase the power and glory of the part assigned to himself.” That seems pretty greedy at a first glance. Feanor himself commits the first kinslaying as the Telperi prevent him from getting back his Silmarils, the things he covets most deeply. Finally, there are biblical parallels in that first transgression through the story of Cain and Abel: “the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.” Evil in Tolkien’s world, though, does not seem wholly rooted in greed, as certain actions such as Smaug’s destruction of Lake Town do not follow this model. But it is a common first step he uses a lot in his works, whether that be from personal biases or the source material his tales revolve around.

    Why does Morgoth desire the Silmarils with such ardor though? It is, I think, because of that fundamental quality we discussed in class: their eternity. That temptation to desire eternity, to be immortal, is one that Morgoth very much had. But as evil as it may seem, that temptation is not a fundamentally negative one, for it is very human. We see that quality in the author of “Pearl,” who writes this piece to eternalize his deceased two-year-old daughter, placing her in the Gates of Heaven as a pearl. This element of eternity is one Tolkien discusses a lot in his work, mainly through the contrast between the elves and men. And he presents eternity there too as not being evil, calling man’s ability to die “The Gift of Men.” Another instance of eternity would be Sam’s speech at Cirth Ungol, of “We're in the same tale still. It's going on. Don't the great tales never end?” Tolkien, however, never explicitly states why Morgoth desires such gems, and his want for them would seem irrational due to their anti-evil enchantment.

    Tolkien does take a side on eternity and its relation to good/evil though. He shows that particular evils cannot be eternal, and they will fall at some point. All of his evil threats (Sauron, Ungoliant, etc.) are all destroyed in time, mainly through their own faults working against them (Ungoliant’s hunger causing her to devour herself). While these villains have the possibility of remaining eternal (Sauron is a Maiar, a heavenly spirit), their own evil pursuits destroy that reality. The tale Sam references continues over and over again because that strand of eternity is repeated over and over again: the strand of evil falling by its own faults. That is not to say evil itself is not eternal. Indeed, it seems it always will be a presence in our world and in Tolkien's. But that’s not to say that its instances cannot be defeated.

-GG