Posted: September 07, 1999 at 13:10:36: by Fangorn
: : : Where the trolls really "made" out of stone? If they were it again strikes me as puzzling due to the fact that Morgoth could not bestow life upon something non-living. I know that trolls would be turned to stone if exposed to sunlight but were they really fashioned out of stone or it that just a myth among the people of ME?: : : Thanx again, everybody, for all the help. Even though my questions have probably been discussed hundreds of times, this really gives me a chance to get a better understanding of Tolkien's work. : : crackpot theory one: : : Morgoth cannot give life. But are stones really inanimate? Maybe they just need to be woken. Legolas once mentioned that the stones had memory of the Elves once living here? : : crackpot theory two: : : If trees have shepherds, why don't stones? : In the Silmarillion, it says that Iluvatar allowed for the creation of the Ents because he had allowed for the creation of the Dwarves. Because the Dwarves (and the other Eruhini) would have need to harvest plants, Yavanna wished for the plants to have protectors. Since Aule already had the Dwarves, he had no reason to ask for "Shepheards of Stone". : Here's a question, though. I have not read much of HoME (just parts of 1,2 and all of 5) but I haven't found mention of Melkor's inability to create life. In fact, in Quenta Silmarillion (part of HoME 5), Tolkien says that Melkor (or Melko) created the Balrogs. Where does it say (other than Sil) that Melkor couldn't create life? This boils down to the difference between bestowing life on something and changing one living thing to another. Both can be considered a "creation". Balrogs, as far as I know, were maiar spirits which Melkor "changed" in a sense; turning them to evil and perverting their form. If Melkor could bestow life I'm sure he would've come up with something better than dim-witted trolls and filthy orcs.
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