Melkor

Melkor (the dark Vala)

Darkness, power, mind, chaos, freedom

The dark Vala differs from others. While other Valar symbolize various aspects, he symbolizes chaos and alternative. Without fear he walks through shadows and rarely remains anywhere for longer time. Melkor is dark, not evil. He is thinker and good-willed, he loves freedom and is unbound, which he treasures and guards, so trying to force him to do something or manipulate him causes him to enrage fast.

And there is a lot to tell about his rage, about that there is no doubt. He is gentle, but when needed, he doesn’t hesitate and show his evil face and yell. And when he acts so, even the gods shake in fear. But it isn’t mindless rage and even when he shows it, you can still speak and discuss with him. It is in fact very good thing to do, for otherwise his rage can turn into real attack.

Melkor is ancient (he knew Atlantis) and careful, but it is possible to build a good friendship with him. However you must accept his unboundness. He comes and leaves as he wants. He follows only his own heart. Even though he is so unbound, if you will be developing friendship with him, he will feel well in your presence and will often come to you even without being called to.

This Vala creates everything and nothing. He has need to create, but his creating is the one of changes and relationships, the influence at spirit and thinking, opinions about other ones, pride and self-identity. The fire and ice, which are his power, he can mix with creation or power of any other Vala (and even with more than one) and alter their creations, or even mix them into one.

He helps those, who try to get rid of stereotypes, he destroys inactivity, awakens chaos of creativity, mix various, even seemingly incompatible aspects to new combinations. He is good warrior but do not have lust for fight. Far more he appreciate naturality and peace. He awakens creativity and independency, he creates sustainable anarchy, where the groups are independent, but also friendly to each other, for even with the darkness he uses he appreciate freedom, love and life above all. Authority doesn’t mean much to him, no matter he has the right to give orders to gods, what they have to or are not allowed to do, concerning free nations of Arda. How it is now, I’m not sure. Yet he doesn’t place himself above anyone else and when he enters someone’s home, he honor the authority of natives, for he is in their realm.

Melkor like those, who honor the freedom and want to remain themselves, who go towards their goals even when these goals seem to be unreachable, for in truth, impossible doesn’t exist.

Tolkiens description

Melkor is brother of Manwe and the strongest of all Valar, he rules with frost and fire. Tolkien describes Melkor as source and embodiment of evil, the cruel tyrant, who do not creates but only deforms creations of others, to make their similarities and get them under his will. He brought suffering to uncountable mount of living and even more died because of him. He is creator of orcs, which he created by deforming elves, of dragons and many cruel and dark beings with name and many other, which have no name. He also seduced to dark ways other ainur, from them the most known is maia Sauron.

Feanor named him Morgoth, the dark enemy and he was known so in Middlearth, where he acted cruelty equally to all, no matter if they were animals, people, dwarves, elves, Maiar or Valar. (Which he couldn’t harm directly, except the times he was fighting with Tulkas)

Melkor himself noted to Silmarilion, that the story wouldn’t be so good without good enemy. However he doesn’t want to be associated with Morgoth.