Over the ages, Middle-earth has been home to a diverse array of beings. While some of them are well-known by their names and attributes, the true nature of others remains elusive. For instance, we know that Ungoliant descended from the void, yet we can only speculate about the identity of Tom Bombadil.
However, there are certain beings about whom we know very little, aside from the fact that they exist. Hello everyone, and welcome to Middle-earth! I am your tale teller, Drgon.
Today, we will try to uncover the mystery of the Nameless Things. During the War of the Ring, the Fellowship of the Ring was forced to enter the Mines of Moria after being unable to traverse the Karadhras pass. Within the mines, Gandalf, the wizard, engaged in a fierce battle with a Balrog from the First Age of the Sun, ultimately resulting in both plummeting into a deep chasm.
Despite this, the remaining members of the Fellowship successfully escaped the mines After an extended fall, Gandalf and the Balrog landed in a deep, icy lake. The Balrog managed to escape the wizard, fleeing into a network of tunnels. These tunnels were created by the Nameless Things that Gandalf later mentioned.
Determined, Gandalf pursued the Balrog to the very summit of Moria, ultimately defeating it by casting it from the peak of Zirak Zigil. In the process, however, Gandalf himself perished. As a Maia, his mission in Middle-earth was not yet complete, and he eventually returned to life.
Reuniting with his companions in Fangorn Forest, Gandalf shared the details of his encounter with the Balrog and the ancient tunnels at the bottom of Moria, providing insight into the origins of those mysterious passageways. We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he clutched me, and ever I hewed him, till at last he fled into dark tunnels.
They were not made by Durin's folk, Gimli son of Glóin. Far, far below the deepest delving of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not.
They are older than he. Now I have walked there, but I will bring no report to darken the light of day. And that's all there is.
The term 'Nameless Things' is never mentioned again within Tolkien's canon. Neither J. R.
R. Tolkien nor Christopher Tolkien, in his compilation 'The History of Middle-earth,' provide further information about these enigmatic beings. even Tolkien, who loves writing letters, never gives a clue about what these things are in any of his letters.
So, with the limited information we possess, let's delve into some speculation about what these mysterious entities could be. Now, with only a single sentence to work with, we'll have to make the most of the clues it provides. The first question that arises is about the nature of these Nameless Things: Are they benevolent or malevolent beings?
There are two hints within the sentence that suggest a more sinister nature. First, the notion that they gnaw at the world evokes images of insects, and the implication of something being gnawed upon is that it has been damaged. This association carries a negative connotation However, the more compelling indication that these beings are malevolent lies in Gandalf's reluctance to discuss them in daylight.
As is well-known in Middle-earth, names hold power. Evil beings' names are typically not spoken aloud, and when Gandalf recites a verse in the Black Speech during the Council of Elrond, the atmosphere darkens. From Gandalf's words, it becomes evident that these creatures, which cause harm to the world from below and whose names are deemed unfit for mention in the light, are indeed malevolent entities.
Now let's consider whether these beings came into existence at a specific time or if they were, for example, created by Melkor. We have even fewer clues for this aspect, but it actually provides a significant piece of evidence. Gandalf states, "Even Sauron does not know of them.
" He claims that Sauron is unaware of their existence, not that he fears them. In this context, it seems unlikely that the Nameless Things were created by Melkor. It would be improbable for Sauron, who served as Melkor's right-hand man, to be unaware of such creatures.
Sure, Melkor probably did not share all his plans with Sauron, but I think it is unlikely that it was possible for Melkor, a Valar who desired recognition, to create such creatures in secret. Alternatively, Melkor might have created these beings during the Great Music. As you may know, the world of Arda was shaped by the Ainur, including Melkor, during the Great Music.
During this time, each Ainu paid little attention to the actions of the others. Melkor could have woven these creatures into his music, making it possible that even Sauron remained unaware of their existence. However, this possibility still doesn't seem highly plausible to me.
If Melkor had indeed created these beings, he would have likely utilized them effectively against his foes. Yet, there is no evidence suggesting that Melkor employed the Nameless Things during his time in the world. Conversely, we know that after the emergence of the Great Music, various beings descended to the earth, not just the Valar and Maiar.
Iluvatar created numerous entities, some of which, like Ungoliant, descended to the world and assumed a form. Melkor enlisted some of these beings, such as the Balrogs, to join his cause. Although Balrogs exhibit similar traits as though they were a race, they are not an actual race.
Similarly, the Nameless Things could be dark beings that descended from the void to the depths of the world, sharing common characteristics with one another. Their darkness, like Ungoliant's, might not be linked to Melkor; it could be an independent darkness that he did not create. Now, I'd like to introduce another layer of intrigue.
Although I mentioned that the Nameless Things are not explicitly referred to anywhere besides Gandalf's words, there is an instance where they are subtly implied without being directly named. Tolkien alludes to these enigmatic beings in The Hobbit, which he wrote decades before The Lord of the Rings. Allow me to read from the chapter titled 'Riddles in the Dark'.
Even in the tunnels and caves the goblins have made for themselves there are other things living unbeknown to them that have sneaked in from outside to lie up in the dark. Some of these caves, too, go back in their beginnings to ages before the goblins, who only widened them and joined them up with passages, and the original owners are still there in odd comers, slinking and nosing about. No name is specified, but don't you think that the original inhabitants of these caves could also be the Nameless Things?
These caves, which date back to the dawn of history, and the creatures dwelling within them existed long before the orcs. However, this clue prompts more questions than it resolves. If these beings can create tunnels, why would they fear weaker creatures such as orcs and emerge only when they are absent?
Could it be that, like many beings in Middle-earth, they have diminished in power over time, becoming more fearful than orcs and losing the grandeur of their ancestors, akin to Ungoliant's offspring? I can't say for certain, but considering the theme of "waning power over time" in Middle-earth, it's not an implausible possibility. Another theory regarding the Nameless Things is that they could be the precursors to dragons.
Throughout his time in Middle-earth, Melkor created many beings, but he never fashioned any of them from nothing. He always transformed one entity into another, like turning elves into orcs. Since dragons are also Melkor's creations, he must have reshaped them from something else.
Could these "things" be the Nameless Things? Observing Glaurung, the progenitor of dragons and the first dragon, we see that he initially resembled a legged worm. While we have no information about the appearance of the Nameless Things, it's not far-fetched to think that these tunnel-creating creatures might resemble worms.
In this scenario, could Melkor have discovered these beings and transformed them into dragons? However, once again, we face the issue of Sauron's unawareness of these creatures. If the Nameless Things were indeed the origin of dragons, one of Melkor's greatest achievements, it would be highly unlikely for Sauron to be ignorant of their existence.
Amidst discussions about the nature of the Nameless Things, I've seen some people suggest that these creatures might be a nod to other writers. Could it be possible for Tolkien to reference H. P.
Lovecraft or Frank Herbert? We can rule out Herbert's Dune, which features giant sandworms, as it was written after The Lord of the Rings. Although Lovecraft passed away in 1937 and lived during the same period as Tolkien, he only gained fame long after his death and lived a challenging life.
Lovecraft's Cthulhu story was first published in the Weird Tales magazine in 1928. It seems improbable that Tolkien would have been influenced by the work of a relatively unknown author featured in this magazine. Conversely, Tolkien was profoundly inspired by Norse mythology.
Could Níðhöggr, which bears a resemblance to Glaurung and "gnaws" at the roots of the world tree in Norse mythology, have found its way into Middle-earth? It's a possibility, but even if there was such an influence, it would make more sense to consider it not as the Nameless Things, but as a source of inspiration for dragons in the Middle-earth universe. As we reach the conclusion of this video, I acknowledge that I've posed more questions than provided answers, or that I've focused more on why certain possibilities don't seem plausible rather than outlining what should happen.
The unanswered mysteries that Tolkien left behind, whether intentional or not, contribute immensely to the depth of Middle-earth. Perhaps it's these subtle enigmas that make us adore this world so much. Keep in mind that these are my personal deductions, and I'm eager to read your theories as well.
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