The Silmarillion Chapter Summary & Analysis | Ainulindale: The Music of the Ainur and Valaquenta

Ainulindale: The Music of the Ainur and Valaquenta Summary

The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien is a story of creation. Ea, the World that Is, is created, and the Valar prepare the way for the Children of Iluvatar. Along the way, the Valar and the Children of Iluvatar battle evil in the form of Melkor in order to survive and maintain good in Ea. The Silmarillion parallels the Christian story of creation in many ways but still manages to introduce its own mythology of the creation of the world and humanity. Iluvatar creates the Ainur, the Holy Ones, in order to sing for him. At first, each member of the Ainur sings alone, but then they begin to harmonize. Iluvatar reveals a theme to which the Ainur compose a great song. Melkor, one of the Ainur, interweaves matters that are not within the theme, creating chaos. Iluvatar dispels the chaos,...
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