# Why didn't Ulmo retrieve the Silmaril lost in the sea?



## Elbereth Vala Varda (Jul 3, 2022)

Since Ulmo is the King of the Seas, why did he not retrieve the Silmaril that was lost?

By all rights, he should have been able to without any problem. While I know that he rarely left the sea, for so great a quest I would assume he could make an exception.


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## HALETH✒🗡 (Jul 3, 2022)

Perhaps, being in the sea, the earth and the sky was the best destiny for the Silmarils. Thus the Silmarils were far away from those who wanted to take possession of them.
However,


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Jul 4, 2022)

HALETH✒🗡 said:


> Perhaps, being in the sea, the earth and the sky was the best destiny for the Silmarils. Thus the Silmarils were far away from those who wanted to take possession of them.
> However,
> View attachment 14298


That is true. I appreciate this explanation. 

I had considered that this was why, but questioned it, since it seems the Valar have power to change and move many things, even fate itself.


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## Gothmog (Jul 5, 2022)

Elbereth Vala Varda said:


> That is true. I appreciate this explanation.
> 
> I had considered that this was why, but questioned it, since it seems the Valar have power to change and move many things, even fate itself.


The Valar have no power to change fate, that only Iluvatar can do. The The Music of the Ainur is the Fate of all Arda except for Men. Once the Music was ended so was the chance of any Ainu to change even one note. All of the Building, destroying and re-building done by the Valar and the Maiar was done according to the Music. It is therefore part of the fate sung that the Sillmarils would be for most of the existence of Arda in the Air, Sea, and Earth.

Only Iluvatar himself could change this.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Jul 5, 2022)

Plus, there's the question of whether the Second Prophecy is "canon"; Christopher, as Elbereth indicates, didn't consider it to be.

Of course, that hasn't stopped debate on the subject. 😀


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Jul 5, 2022)

Gothmog said:


> The Valar have no power to change fate, that only Iluvatar can do. The The Music of the Ainur is the Fate of all Arda except for Men. Once the Music was ended so was the chance of any Ainu to change even one note. All of the Building, destroying and re-building done by the Valar and the Maiar was done according to the Music. It is therefore part of the fate sung that the Sillmarils would be for most of the existence of Arda in the Air, Sea, and Earth.
> 
> Only Iluvatar himself could change this.


That is true. The Valar can only move in the melody that he had prepared for them. Power to change fates was not their portion. It must have been best for all of Arda that the Silmarils were lost, though they may have been retrieved, for such was the Will of Illuvatar.


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