# Horrible error or high knowledge!



## Confusticated (Jul 28, 2004)

Why let Melkor be released after what he had done? Just to give him a second chance? Because his sentence was over? So what! Exceptions can always be made, and rationalized.


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## Eriol (Jul 28, 2004)

I don't think they are. So, if you could explain your thoughts, perhaps I could comment .


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## Confusticated (Jul 28, 2004)

We can start off with their being fooled by Melkor when he was released from Mandos, while not all of them were in fact fooled by him. I've always said that it was vital to the role of Manwe that he be ignorant (I would go as far as saying he was "crippled") in a way the other Valar are not, but maybe the guy is just a jerk none the less? I wonder if any Maiar every whispered among themselves how cool it would be if Ulmo were the High King of Arda, but any of them of a mind enough to rebel were able to see right through the whole sham and therefore joined Melkor?

By the way, you folks who posted in my Wise-women thread seem to enjoy my bitter BS more than my genuine, serious or schoarly threads... so keep this in mind if you grow annoyed with it.


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## Eriol (Jul 28, 2004)

Maikanare said:


> We can start off with their being fooled by Melkor when he was released from Mandos, while not all of them were in fact fooled by him. I've always said that it was vital to the role of Manwe that he be ignorant (I would go as far as saying he was "crippled") in a way the other Valar are not, but maybe the guy is just a jerk none the less? I wonder if any Maiar every whispered among themselves how cool it would be if Ulmo were the High King of Arda, but any of them of a mind enough to rebel were able to see right through the whole sham and therefore joined Melkor?



Oh, I could see how the Valar can be seen as "fools". But I don't think that is the same as "jerk". And the Sil has a cool sentence about the matter of rebellion -- "those who defend authority must stand by it when it goes against their wishes" (or something like that), when discussing Tulkas' and Ulmo's reaction to the decree of Manwë about Melkor.


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## Rangerdave (Jul 28, 2004)

Here is the direct quote

But they obeyed the judgement of Manwë; *for those who will defend authority against rebellion must not themselves rebel.*



RD


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## Narsil (Jul 29, 2004)

I don't think the Valar are "jerks" but they were certainly naive when they released Melkor from Mandos. Of course if they hadn't it would've made for a very dull story.


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## Inderjit S (Jul 30, 2004)

On releasing Melkor; Tolkien states that if Manwë had gone back on his word and not released Melkor then he may have tread the same path as his fallen brother. The Valar wanted Melkor to learn the error of his ways; that is why they punished him and gave him a chance to repent, if they went back on their words then they would have been as perfidious as Melkor, and the Valar are not meant to be perfidious but idiotic.


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