The Passing of the Elves
I'm not brave enough to dedicate this one to Rachel; I got enough death threats about the last one, and considering that this one takes elf-hating up a notch, I'd rather not be within 400 miles when she reads this. It began as the natural progression from the question of why Orcs haven't reverted to Elves, and, well... things just sort of got out of hand from there. Enjoy reading it, I know I enjoyed writing it! Dedicated to Tracy, my new writing pal!
Flipping through the pages of Tolkien�s The Lord of the Rings, I decided to take a closer look at the Long List of the Ents, their record of all the creatures in Middle-earth. An odd thought came to me as I scanned the list, looking to see that no one had been left out: the Orcs aren�t there! I found this exceedingly strange, because that race shaped the history of the world almost as much as their more well known and loved adversaries. I respect Treebeard greatly, so the search began for why the benevolent Ent left out a species that he himself had many encounters with. The answer came quickly: Orcs were never counted as a true race, because just as Trolls were made in mockery of Ents, so it was with Orcs and Elves.
So, then, I asked myself, what would happen if an Orc were to turn from his ways? Would he then be counted as an elf again and be welcomed as such by his long-sundered kin? Would they even be pardoned of the Ban of the Valar, and be allowed to return to the bliss of Valinor? This was a very troubling puzzle to me, because if this were so, it would contradict the Ban itself, but if not, then surely the Valar would seem to be much less gracious and merciful than they had always appeared to be.
I frantically began looking for an explanation to this paradox, confident that my beloved Tolkien would allay my fears and provide a suitable explanation. The logical hunt for an answer would be in his own books and histories. Yet this search was in vain, for nowhere in all of his works is there any account of an Orc reverting to elvendom. Obviously, something of this magnitude, this importance would be worthy of recognition; the very lack of such record allows for the fair assumption that no Orc was ever turned.
This is because, of course, no Orc can be turned!
Why, though? What rationale is there for the fact that Elves can be changed into Orcs, but not vice versa? How can it be explained that once an elf is turned, they will never be an elf again? Other races seem to have no qualms with abandoning their true natures: think of whole kingdoms of evil Men, or of M�m the Petty-dwarf, or of E�l the Dark Elf! Now, since Orcs are but Elves cloaked in darkness, and since Elves seemingly have no problesm with forsaking their inner selves, it would follow that Orcs would be capable of the same. Yet they are not!
What a mystery! What a paradox! What an unfathomable conundrum! It would seem that Orcs are the exception to the rule! What could possibly drive them to refuse to embrace the ideals of truth, justice and honesty? To understand, one must imagine themselves in the unique predicament that all the clans of this once-proud race found themselves in. The reason behind this dilemma then becomes quickly apparent: the force holding the Orcs back from goodness is fear.
Is this a fear of their dark masters? Perhaps. Yet many, indeed most of the Orcish race were bold and daring, defying any enemy with cunning. Fear or Morgoth, or Sauron, or any other lord, would only go so far � if it served them, any self-respecting Orc would not hesitate to abandon their orders and seek out what was best for them personally. What, then, could possibly prevent them from doing so? What strength there must be in the power that quails them! Indeed, there is a greater fear working on the hears of these strong-willed warriors, an all-consuming fear, a paralyzing fear that would cower even the mightiest of creatures: the fear of what reverting would mean!
Yes, it is true! Just as Elves, through darkness, were corrupted and became Orcs, so it would seem that Orcs, through benevolence, would revert to Elvendom. That is a fear that should excuse even the most vile Orc! What living being would not be terrified at the prospect of being an elf? Even moreso for the Orcs, because they remember what it was like to be counted among their number, a memory so haunting that not even the best counselors and psychiatrists of Morgoth could make them forget. Not even the deepest, darkest magic of the King of Evil himself could penetrate the horror that is bearing the name of �elf.� Not due to his own powers of persuasiveness and deception was the ease with which Morgoth turned Elves to his own devices. No, it was all too easy, for the Elves themselves were desperate for a way out. They actually thanked him!
It is doubtful whether even Tolkien himself could adequately explain the pain of living, day-to-day, bearing this despicable title. Perhaps the true extent of this dread can be relayed only through one fact: if, as is likely, an elf were pardoned of the Ban of the Valar, and then became an Orc, it would stand to reason that they would still be pardoned if they returned to elvendom. Not even the light of Valinor itself is sufficient to calm the fear in the hearts of all Orcs of being counted among the Eldar once again!
Pity them, my friends. Move to understand their plight, and their difficult existence. Misunderstanding and ignorance, these are the true enemies. Only together with knowledge and wisdom can we hope to combat the walls that divide us from our brethren, our brothers, the Orcs. We must stand on guard against lies and deceit, and eliminate those who would instigate these untruths!
Who are they, you ask? Who would dare to attempt to break us apart? It is those who were too afraid of change, too stubborn in their pride, to allow the willing to change this world for the better, to shape it for their children! It is those who would sit back and watch as we killed each other instead of walking hand in hand! It is those who, with a few carefully placed webs of trickery, could spend thousands of years watching us eliminate each other! They have caused us to hate the Orcs, and on their hands is the blood of tens of thousands! They have squandered the gift of immortality! Those who still dare to call themselves �elf� are not deserving of endless bliss, for that bliss comes at our expense!
They would not even seek to better themselves! No, though in their hearts they knew their weakness and depravity, they would not fight against it! Instead they did nothing, leaving us to do all the work, and yet they speak of having to heal the hurts of Middle-earth! We, they say, have marred their paradise, yet it is they who are doing the marring, for all things decay with time, if renewal and change do not come! They have not changed, they do not change, and unless we seek to affect it, they never will, and this wonderful land will never be all that it could be! These Elves, they would rather live in memory of the past, remembering the glory of this world before they began to corrupt it!
Come, my brothers! We will destroy them, the source of our world�s agony! Like a weed we will uproot them. Who will take them? Watch as they flee to their boats, their long-prepared escape! See? Already they are taken aback that we have discovered their abhorrent plan! Pursue them, until not one is left and every slight trace of them is erased forever! Let the first born on Middle-earth be the first to leave it! To ARMS!
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