The Silmarillion

This is a book compiled from J. R.R. Tolkien’s writings and notes after he died by His Son, Christopher Tolkien. It should not be compared to Tolkien’s published works as it was unfinished, but it certainly relates as a background mythology of Middle Earth. Tolkien was a professor of ancient language and was intrigued by Norse mythology among others. He lamented there was no British mythology and desired to write a story long enough and well told as are found among the myths. He accomplished this in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. During the period they were first published nothing of the like had ever been seen, so characteristically they laid about hidden and ignored until the awakening of the Jesus Movement Revival of the late sixties and early nineteen Seventies. During that time people were looking for Tolkien’s inspiration within these works. Some suggested WWII and Sauron as Hitler, others pointed to Tolkien’s Christian faith which was weaved in truths throughout the tales. With this background I reread The Silmarillion once again since I first read it in 1976.

None of Tolkien’s works are allegory, but I was looking for principals of truth within its foundations, as The Silmarillion is among other things a Creation account of Middle Earth. One reference in the book stated, “…not though the sea should drown all the land; as after indeed befell, and still Tol Morwen stands alone in the water beyond the new coasts that were made in the days of the wrath of the Valar.” It seems Middle Earth also had a transformational flood. But who are the Valar, under Iluvatar, God over all? Tolkien’s books are fiction, but scripture says, “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?” (Zechariah 4:10) There are heavenly beings besides angels, cherubim and seraphim, thus Tolkien tells a story of good spoiled by evil in the Silmarillion. Melkor, the selfish evil one, destroys, corrupts and makes crooked all he can. The Elves take it upon themselves to confront the evil and retrieve their three Silmaril jewels stolen by Melkor, later named, Morgoth, together with his evil captain Sauron. 

The book is a sad tale of decline, dissipation and decomposition of the initial created glory of Elves, Dwarfs and Men as a result of Morgoth’s evil and hatred spread among these through revenge, selfish interest and desire for control. It provided a background deep enough to supply The Lord of the Rings with interest, historical basis and purpose which culminated in good overcoming evil, not by might but through humility and self sacrifice. The Silmarillion is a dark background which provides stark contrast to the highlights of the Lord of the Rings.The recent Netflix TV series, “The Rings of Power,” includes many direct references taken from the Silmarillion.

Even so, I would only recommend it to the serious Tolkien fan.