Posted: March 09, 1999 at 16:13:18: by Mordan
: Be wary of books such as Morgoth's Ring or any History of Middle-earth books. Most of it is early drafts. Morgoth wasn't killed, he was banished to the Outside. It clearly states that in the Silmarillion. That's the whole basis of Dagor Dagorath, Morgoth coming back from the Outside, and being once again powerful. I'm not sure what Morgoth's Ring says, I only have the Second Part of it, but keep in mind that it is Tolkien's earliest work. We can, perhaps, make inferrences from it, but I don't think they can be taken unquestioned.
: : It is the part four and five who are important! In the fifth part,
'Notes on motives in the Silmarillion' an essay by Tolkien on the nature of evil wrote in his later days! That's where I read what I tell you. It is reliable information, because keep in mind the Silmarillion wasn't finished. The Silmarillion was published by his son.
Tolkien knew his own work.
Are you sure of that? I don't think Tolkien knew all the ins and out of his work. Tolkien worked hard before writing something and before saying that the writing is correct. Many times Tolkien says he don't know about something! Tolkien didn't know everything about his own work. Many times he changed his mind about names and events. He even recognized Gandalf resurection case should have been thought more. The Letters and other writings proof that.
There are things we can be sure, like the statement 'Gandalf was a Maia'. About other things we will never be really sure; simply because we aren't able to ask him relevant questions, questions that should have been asked by the ones who had the chance to talk with Tolkien when he was alive. Mordan
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