J.R.R. Tolkien created a world.
In the beginning there was Iluvatar. He is independent of all else. The eternal, timeless, spaceless. He created the Ainur, the divine beings that were but manifestations of his thought. He taught them music and they played tunes, at first alone, and slowly in groups, in harmony with one another. After some time, Iluvatar called them all to him and presented to them a great theme. They were fascinated by the new and great things that he revealed to them. Then Iluvatar told them to play a Great Music on this theme. With the Imperishable Flame, this theme and Music could come into Being. They began together and it seemed flawless for a time- the greatest Music ever to be heard yet. But, Melkor, one of the Ainur to whom was given the most knowledge and power played a tune of his own. He was impatient of the emptiness and Void of the world and wished to bring in Beings of his own conception. It created a discord among those around him. Iluvator understood this discord. He stood and raised his left hand and a new theme was introduced, a strong one with a new beauty but Melkor contended with it, and the discord rose. Iluvatar raised his right and a third theme was born. This one was soft at first but it grew with a power of its own, though filled with sorrow. Now there were two Musics running alongside one another and Melkor's was loud and violent, drowning out the other.
Iluvatar rose a third time and raised both his hands, and with one chord, so powerful in itself, the Music stopped. Iluvatar took them to the Void and said "Behold your Music". The Ainur were shown a vision of the world in the Void- in it but not part of it. And the world reflected the Music. But there were things that the Ainur were not a part of, things they could not understand The most beautiful of which were Children of Iluvatar, Elves and Men (the First Born and the Follwers), free beings within the world, given great gifts and thoughts. The world appealed to the Ainur and their desired turned to it, beautiful, full of colour and different elements. Melkor's desire was the greatest. He said he wanted to fix the disorder and turrmoil that had come through him but he secretly wished to control the Children and was jealous of them.
Ulmo was the chief contributor to the water element. He was the most gifted in Music and the Elves still feel the Music of the Ainur in the Seas. It was more great than he had initially conceived.
Then the vision was taken away. Iluvatar understood the desire of the Ainur and said this shall Be. And the Imperishable Flame was sent into the Void and Ea, the World, was created. Many of the Ainur stayed without but the fairest of the descended within the World to help its creation and to guide the Children. These were the Valar, the Gods, the divine beings of the world. They entered upon the condition that they would be bound to it till the End.
Melkor was one of them. Once within, he declared that this would be his kingdom and raised fires and tried to disrupt the work of the others, the chief of whom were Manwe, Ulmo, and Aule. Manwe, who was Melkor's brother in thought, and set against him, was sent down to see that things would Be as it had been concieved. He was given control of the Air and Sky. Ulmo took control of the Waters and Aule took the Earth under his care, creating gems and elements deep within.
When Melkor saw the beauty of the world, he was jealous and thus began the first conflict in the dominion of the world.
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