The Rings of Power
Warning!
Spoilers for Rings of Power season 2, episode 6 ahead!
In classic Tom Bombadil fashion, he doesn’t explain what this means.
Thankfully, Tolkien’s works provide more answers.
Fea and Hroa are Quenya words for soul and body.
Fea comes from the Secret Fire, while Hroa comes from the earth.
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So, he used earth and stone to create Dwarves.
When Iluvatar saw what Aule had done, he chastised him.
This demonstrated howthere could be no conscious life in Middle-earth without Iluvatar’s direct involvement.
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This made them all naturally passionate about creation.
They were musicians and artists, but the songs and sculptures they crafted were the earth and its features.
The more he searched and failed to create life, the angrier Melkor became.
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Eventually, Melkor resorted to the closest he could get to creating life.
They werestill technically Iluvatar’s creationstheir souls were part of the Secret Fire.
However, their bodies and minds had become something new.
This is one of Tolkien’s possibleorigins for the Orcs ofThe Lord of the Rings.
Additionally, Old Tom implies that this flame is what gives the wizards ofThe Lord of the Ringstheir magic.
While this is never confirmed by Tolkien, it makes some sense.
Since evil inMiddle-earth began with Melkor’s desire to command the Secret Fire, this all ties together nicely.
This is precisely what Gandalf said when facing the Balrog inFellowship of the Ring.
The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell.
“I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor.
You cannot pass.
The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun.
Go back to the Shadow!
You cannot pass.”
It’s what made the wizard the perfect enemy to Sauron inThe Lord of the Rings.
Tolkien’s classic novels.
