# The music of the Ainur



## Ingwë (Dec 6, 2005)

*The music of the Ainur *or* The power of the Music in the Works of Tolkien*​ 
The question in this thread is: what is the power of the music? It seems that it is something more than the music in the real life. 

The first instance is the Music of the Ainur: 
And he spoke to them, propounding to them *themes of music*; and *they sang before him*, and he was glad. (...) Then the *voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words*, began to fashion the theme of Iluvatar to a great music (...) wherefore , though *the Music is over all* (...)Therefore I say: ’Ea! Let these things Be! And I will set forth into the Void the Flame Imperishable, and it shall be at the heart of the World, and the World shall Be (Ainulindale, The Silmarillion)

Another notable time:​*He chanted a song of wizardry*,
of piercing, opening, of treachers,
revealing, uncovering, betraying.
Then sudden Felagund there swaying
*sang in answer* a song of staying,
resisting, battling against power
of secrets kept, strength like a tower,
and trust unbroken, freedom, escape;
of changing and of shifting shape,
of snares eluded, broken traps,
the prison opening, the chain that snaps.
*Backwards and forwards swayed their song*.
Reeling and foundering, as ever more strong
*Thu’s chanting swelled*, Felagund fought,
and all the magic and might he brought
of Elfinesse into his *words*.
(...)
Behold! they are in their own fair shape,
fairskinned, brighteyed ​
​(Canto VII, The Lay of Leithian, HOME III)
​ 



And another major and notable point in time:​And Luthien now was left along.
*A magic song to Men unknown*
*she sang, and singing then the wine*
with water mingled three times nine
and as in golden jar they lay
*she sang a song of growth and* *day*;
and as they lay in silver white
*another song she sang, of night*
and darkness without end, of height
uplifted to the stars, and flight
and freedom. 

​

*And all names of things*

*tallest and longest on earth she sings*
(...)
Then did *she lave her head and sing*
a theme of sleep and slumbering,
profound and fathomless and dark
as Luthien’s shadowy hair was dark--
each thread was more slender and more fine
than threads of twilight that entwine
in filmy web the fading grass
and closing flowers as day doth pass.
Now long and longer grew her hair,
and fell to her feet, and wandered there
like pools of shadow on the ground. ​
​(Canto V, The Lay of Leithian)​





And a final instance:
Then suddenly she eluded his sight, and out of the shadows began *a song of such surpassing loveliness, and of such blinding power*, that he listened perforce; and a blindness came upon him, as his eyes roamed to and fro, seeking her. (Of Beren and Luthien, The Silmarillion)


In the first quote, the Music sung by the Ainur becomes the history that all of Arda is bound by. In the second quote, song is actually used as an offensive and defensive force. On the third, music allows Luthien to grow her hair out in a matter of a few hours. And the fourth quote shows Luthien’s singing being able to overcome Morgoth, the greatest of all the Ainur.


I hope this hasn't been discussed before 

​


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## YayGollum (Jan 15, 2006)

Hm? What is the music? Well, in the first quote, it is just a bunch of newborns wailing. The Eru dude likes at least some of it and makes it all real. In the second quote, it looks like some evil and creepily unfair magical type stuff is going on. That is the sort of thing that I shudder at and have to stand up to grab a bag of chips to calm down after reading.  Creepy magic. What is confusing about it, though? Actually, the same for the other quotes in there. Are you asking how this particular brand of magic works? It just does. It is a creepy as well as unfair bit of natural ability that these characters have.


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## Ingwë (Jan 16, 2006)

> Are you asking how this particular brand of magic works?


Don't you think that is strange? And you know about Sauron and Findor Felagund fighting not with swords but with music. The Elves have the Power to use the songs as a magic and the Men can't do that as far as I know. Why?
And yes, I am asking about your thoughts about the Music of the Ainur and how does it work


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## YayGollum (Jan 16, 2006)

No, I don't think that this particular brand is any more strange than any other type that I have run into in Tolkien type writings. They are all pretty evil, in my crazy opinion. Anyways, why don't humans have the ability to sing magical type stuffs, as far as you know? I would write ---> Because the fact that they can or can't is never provided. Some human types could do a bit of magical type stuffs. Usually trained by a more magical type being. Mayhaps they could sing some magic, but there are no examples of them ever being taught that particular brand of magic. Also, I tossed my thoughts on the achingly evil as well as terrifying music of Ainuric magic and how it works into this thread already. Something that that Tolkien person mentioned. That all magic is just a creepy as well as achingly evil and unfair natural ability that the characters in his stories are born with. just like sneezing.


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## octoburn (Jan 16, 2006)

I think that Tolkien's "music of the AInur" has some of the philisopical theory of "the music of the spheres"

it's kind of hard to explain, but it says that all things (past, present, future) are basically a physical manifestation of a musical note. something like that


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## Khôr’nagan (Jan 17, 2006)

There's no specific power in music alone, but rather the power is within whomever is singing/talking/whatever-ing, and the singing/talking/whatever-ing is the way that the people control the power and use it to do what they want. Humans can sing all they want, but without any power of their own, it's just words.


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## Walter (Jan 17, 2006)

Yes, the topic has indeed been discussed here once or twice as an enhanced search might reveal.

Tolkien's metapher of music - or sound - as an essential part throughout the creation of the universe is not unique. Neither is Eru's creative, imparative act of uttering "Eä!" unparalleled or the use of song for some magical purposes...

Creation by or through _logos_ ('word', though the meaning of _logos_ is far beyond that of 'word') - as is widely known - is found in John's gospel (John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God") and in the Vedic tradition we find literally the same statement made several thousands of years earlier ("prajapathi vai agre asset... tasya vag dvitiya aseet... vag vai parama brahma").

Also found in eastern tradition is the idea of _nada-brahma_, the sound sent by Brahma, and afterwards, by his ecstatic dance, the world evolves. A similar idea is found in (Islamic) Sufi tradition or in (American Native) Cherokee legend.

Music - or song - as a magical "tool" or "weapon" is found in the Finnish _Kalevala_ in the wizard singing contest between Väinämöinen Joukahainen.

So, IMO, Tolkien did not really "invent" these ideas, rather he was drawing - once again - from the "leafmould of his memory"...

----

The idea of the "music of the spheres" was indeed popular in medieval times, but the origin of it can be traced back to Socrates, I believe...

P.S.: Even from a scientifical point of view, the idea that music is the origin of the universe may not be that far off the mark as it would seem, after all matter is nothing else than condensed - or heavily bent - energy. Energy is emitting radiation of a certain frequency and frequncy can be related to sound (though the former is spreading in transversal waves and the latter in longitudinal waves)...


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## octoburn (Jan 17, 2006)

"Ea" was also the name of the Babylonian God of Creation. hard to say that's just a coincidence.


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## Walter (Jan 17, 2006)

octoburn said:


> "Ea" was also the name of the Babylonian God of Creation. hard to say that's just a coincidence.


Interesting indeed. At the beginning of the Enuma Elish, we learn that Tiamat - primeval dragon and identified with the principle salt-water (cf. Greek Okeanos) - "bore them all", begotten from Apsu, "their maker" identified with the sweet water principle. Ea/Enki is only introduced later without explanation, but seems to "inherit" Apsu's role as the god of fresh-water, after he killed him. Later Marduk, the warrior-god who slew Tiamat (re-)creates the world and menkind (centuries later, in Genesis, Yahwe seems to have inherited Marduk's role).

Thus, Ea's role in Mesopotamian tradition is left somewhat ambiguous, IMO...


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## Sangahyando (Jan 22, 2006)

Quite simply put in my opinion, the Music of the Ainur is like a spell which as Eru creates Ea with Elves and Ainur can enchant and bewitch others of weaker mental strength. The Music was but a spell but the Ainur weren't aware of it until the end of the twisting melodies intertwining with each other to make both a tremendously saddening tune and a cornucopia of sounds writhing amongst each other as does a cobra and mongoose in battle. Illuvatar simply morphed the song into a chant of arcane magic. Sauron and Felagund were fighting with song as it was an ancient way of dueling. The victor would smother the other in sound until the other succumbs to the waves of rhythm over the sea of beats.

Sangahyando, great-grandson of Castamir the Usurper


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## Ermundo (Jan 24, 2006)

I concur with you Sangahyando.


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## Sangahyando (Jan 25, 2006)

Thank you kindly, morgoththe1.

Sangahyando, great-grandson of Castamir the Usurper


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## Thorondor_ (Jan 25, 2006)

The music of Eru was more or less a design; some may be enchanted by its magnificence, but its power was given later, by the imperishable flame of Eru. I don't see how the Ainur would use the music to bewitch other minds - even in their minds it exists only as a memory, as strong as their nature is. Anyway, the Ainur are prohibited to rule over the Children of Eru by force, of whatever nature that force may be.


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## Maedhros (Jan 25, 2006)

I have always found more interesting _The Music of the Ainur_ of the _Lost Tales_.


> Then said Ilúvatar: "Mighty are the Ainur, and glorious, and among them is Melko the most powerful in knowledge; but that he may know, and all the Ainur, that I am Ilúvatar, those things that ye have sung and played, lo! I have caused to be -- not in the musics that ye make in the heavenly regions, as a joy to me and a play unto yourselves, alone, but rather to have shape and reality even as have ye Ainur, whom I have made to share in the reality of Ilúvatar myself. Maybe I shall love these things that come of my song even as I love the Ainur who are of my thought,4 and maybe more. Thou Melko shalt see that no theme can be played save it come in the end of Ilúvatar's self, nor can any alter the music in Ilúvatar's despite. He that attempts this finds himself in the end but aiding me in devising a thing of still greater grandeur and more complex wonder: -- for lo! Through Melko have terror as fire, and sorrow like dark waters, wrath like thunder, and evil as far from my light as the depths of the uttermost of the dark places, come into the design that I laid before you. Through him has pain and misery been made in the clash of overwhelming musics; and with confusion of sound have cruelty, and ravening, and darkness, loathly mire and all putrescence of thought or thing, foul mists and violent flame, cold without mercy, been born, and death without hope. Yet is this through him and not by him; and he shall see, and ye all likewise, and even shall those beings, who must now dwell among his evil and endure through Melko misery and sorrow, terror and wickedness, declare in the end that it redoundeth only to my great glory, and doth but make the theme more worth the hearing, Life more worth the living, and the World so much the more wonderful and marvellous, that of all the deeds of Ilúvatar it shall be called his mightiest and his loveliest."


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## Forgotten Path (Jan 27, 2006)

I think that words have always played a promenent role in all societies, such as Christianity (The gospel of John, _Logos_, etc.), but also in other works of fiction, such as A Wizard of Earthsea and Eragon/Eldest. Knowing the true name of something gives you power over it, and allows you to control and manipulate it. As an example from LOTR, Gandalf speaks a "*Word* of Command" to prevent the balrog from pursuing the Fellowship. For some reason the word that he spoke has power, unlike the everyday languages. (I attribute this to hime being one of the Maiar, and his being present before the creation of Ea.) 
I think what Tolkien has done was take this concept to the next level, drawing from sources like The Kalevala, and use Song as the instrument of Power. That seems to me more appropriete, since everything called into exsisitence must "vibrate in harmony" with everything else, like one big song.
Also, even if you take a modern and aethiestic view, the basis of our world is still harmony, as mentioned above by Walter. (That is, if you accept string theory)


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## Azol (May 19, 2006)

Does anyone know of a Music of Ainur realisation by some composer? Or maybe you can remember some work that comes close to what it may sound? Tolkien gave us a very interesting description of themes, instruments and structure, so why not?


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## Ermundo (Jun 1, 2006)

Forggoten Path said:


> Knowing the true name of something gives you power over it, and allows you to control and manipulate it.



In the works of Tolkien, this is stressed greatly. Treebeard from LOTR says that to know one's true name is dangerous. There is a funny word do describe the quote but I forget it.

Anyway, the music I believe is a manifestation of all of Ea, Past, Present, and Future, made into a song. The 3 themes are used to described different stages of Arda such as Arda unmarred, Arda marred, and Arda healed. Each of the Ainur contributed a different part to the whole, so in a sense the music is-...never mind what I was going to say (Trust me, what I would have said would have scared you.) but anyway the music is... a mural of the Ainur and Eru.

I know is sounds confusing so sorry.


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## Shireman D (Jun 2, 2006)

Walter said:


> Tolkien's metapher of music - or sound - as an essential part throughout the creation of the universe is not unique...
> 
> So, IMO, Tolkien did not really "invent" these ideas, rather he was drawing - once again - from the "leafmould of his memory"...
> 
> "music of the spheres" was indeed popular in medieval times, but the origin of it can be traced back to Socrates, ...


 
Also, you will recall that there was sharing of ideas among the Inklings so it is not at all surprising to find another member, C.S. Lewis, using the same kind of metaphor in _The Magician's Nephew_, where Aslan sings Narnia and its creatures into being.


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