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{{disambig-two|a mysterious power in the [[legendarium]]|book by Stratford Caldecott|[[Secret Fire: The Spiritual Vision of J.R.R. Tolkien]]}}
{{disambig-more|Secret Fire|[[Secret Fire (disambiguation)]]}}
{{object infobox
| name=Secret Fire
| image=[[File:Anna Kulisz - Ainulindale - Harmony.jpg|250px]]
| caption=''Ainulindale - Harmony'' by [[:Category:Images by Anna Kulisz|Anna Kulisz]]
| othernames=Flame Imperishable
| location=[[Eä]]
| owner=[[Eru Ilúvatar]]
| notablefor=Power of Creation
}}
{{quote|Therefore Ilúvatar gave to their vision Being, and set it amid the Void, and the Secret Fire was sent to burn at the heart of the World; and it was called Eä.|''[[Valaquenta]]''}}
{{quote|Therefore Ilúvatar gave to their vision Being, and set it amid the Void, and the Secret Fire was sent to burn at the heart of the World; and it was called Eä.|''[[Valaquenta]]''}}
 
The '''Secret Fire''', also known as the '''Flame Imperishable''', was Eru [[Ilúvatar]]'s mysterious power of creation.
The '''Secret Fire''' was a mysterious power in [[Arda]]. It is synonymous with the '''Flame Imperishable''' and perhaps also the [[Flame of Anor]].


==History==
==History==
The '''Secret Fire''', or '''Flame Imperishable''', refers to that aspect of Eru [[Ilúvatar]] which is his Power of Creation. It is the power to give life and substance, through it he granted free will and true life, imbuing a fëa within the beings he created.  The [[Ainur]] and [[Eä]] were made through it.  
The Secret Fire is that aspect of Eru which is his Power of Creation. Only by means of the Secret Fire can something with substance or life be made from nothing. It was by means of the Secret Fire that Eru gave to the [[Music of the Ainur]] real being and existence as [[Eä]].  


Without it, the appearance of life would be merely a mockery animated with a Vala's will, such as Morgoth's corruptions, which lived but did not have free will or true life.<ref group="note">{{MR|Myths}} In Text VIII, Tolkien explains: “I think it must be assumed that 'talking' is not necessarily the sign of the possession of a 'rational soul' or fëa. The Orcs were beasts of humanized shape (to mock Men and Elves) deliberately perverted / converted into a more close resemblance to Men. Their 'talking' was really reeling off 'records' set in them by Melkor. Even their rebellious critical words - he knew about them. Melkor taught them speech and as they bred they inherited this; and they had just as much independence as have, say, dogs or horses of their human masters. This talking was largely echoic (cf. parrots). In ''The Lord of the Rings'' Sauron is said to have devised a language for them. [Black Speech]  The same sort of thing may be said of Huan and the Eagles: they were taught language by the Valar, and raised to a higher level - but they still had no fëar.”</ref> [[Morgoth|Melkor]] was envious of it and sought it in the [[Void]], but the Flame was only with Eru.<ref>{{S|Ainu}}</ref> It was with Ilúvatar at the beginning, and later Ilúvatar set it (or an aspect of it) at the centre of [[Arda]].
Eru created all [[fëa|fëar]], including those of the [[Ainur]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]], and [[Men]], through the Secret Fire, and it is a part of each of them. Only a being animated with the Secret Fire can have its own true life and free will. Without it, creatures lack sentience and independent thought, though they may be puppeteered by a greater will. Aulë's Dwarves were such automata until Eru endowed them with their own fëar born of the Secret Fire.<ref>{{S|Aule}}</ref>


The Secret Fire is also described as being part of all [[Fëa and hröa|feä]]: it is that Gift which makes sentient beings capable of independent thought.  Aulë's [[Dwarves]] were not made in mockery of Eru's or any other Vala's creation, but they did not have independent thought or life until Eru granted them fëar.<ref>{{S|Aule}}</ref>
Even before the Music was sung, [[Morgoth|Melkor]] envied this power and sought it in the [[Void]], but the Flame Imperishable was with Eru.<ref>{{S|Ainu}}</ref> After the Music, Eru sent it to burn at the center of the [[World]].<ref>{{S|IIa}}</ref>


[[Gandalf]] the Grey referred to both the Secret Fire and the Flame of Anor at the Bridge of [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]:
Only Eru as Creator could command the Secret Fire; no created being could claim this power.<ref>{{L|212}}</ref> Given this, it is unclear as to how Melkor could have "made" such creatures as [[Orcs]] and [[Dragons]] or how these could have acted in the apparently rational and self-directed manner in which they did. See [[Orcs/Origin]] for a fuller examination of this thorny issue.


{{quote|You cannot pass, I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass.|[[The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]}}
[[Gandalf]] the Grey referred to both the Secret Fire and the [[flame of Anor]] while facing [[Durin's Bane|a Balrog]] on the Bridge of [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], saying "''I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor.''"<ref>{{FR|II5}}</ref>


==Inspiration==
==Inspiration==
This is an alternate name of the Holy Spirit in Tolkien's mythos, like [[Ilúvatar|Eru]] is the name of God. In ''[[Tolkien and The Silmarillion]]'', [[Clyde S. Kilby]] refers to a discussion he had with Tolkien: "Professor Tolkien talked to me at some length about the use of the word 'holy' in ''The Silmarillion''. Very specifically he told me that the 'Secret Fire sent to burn at the heart of the World' in the beginning was the Holy Spirit." (p. 59)
This is an alternate name of the Holy Spirit in Tolkien's mythos, like [[Ilúvatar|Eru]] is the name of God. [[Clyde S. Kilby]] mentions a discussion he had with Tolkien: "Professor Tolkien talked to me at some length about the use of the word 'holy' in ''The Silmarillion''. Very specifically he told me that the 'Secret Fire sent to burn at the heart of the World' in the beginning was the Holy Spirit."<ref>[[Clyde S. Kilby]], ''[[Tolkien and The Silmarillion]]'', "Tolkien as Christian Writer", p. 59</ref>


==See also==  
==See also==
* [[Fëa and hröa]]
* [[Fëa and hröa]]
 
* [[Orcs/Origin]]
==External links==
*[http://jonathansmcintosh.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/tolkien-servant-of-the-secret-fire/ Tolkien, Servant of the Secret Fire] by Jonathan McIntosh
{{references|notes}}
{{references|notes}}


==External links==
*[http://jonathansmcintosh.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/tolkien-servant-of-the-secret-fire/ Tolkien, Servant of the Secret Fire] by Jonathan McIntosh
[[Category:Concepts]]
[[Category:Concepts]]
[[category:Cosmology]]
[[de:Das Geheime Feuer]]
[[de:Das Geheime Feuer]]
[[fi:Salainen Tuli]]
[[fi:Salainen Tuli]]

Revision as of 02:23, 28 April 2022

The name Secret Fire refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Secret Fire (disambiguation).
Secret Fire
Anna Kulisz - Ainulindale - Harmony.jpg
Ainulindale - Harmony by Anna Kulisz
Other namesFlame Imperishable
Location
OwnerEru Ilúvatar
Notable forPower of Creation
"Therefore Ilúvatar gave to their vision Being, and set it amid the Void, and the Secret Fire was sent to burn at the heart of the World; and it was called Eä."
Valaquenta

The Secret Fire, also known as the Flame Imperishable, was Eru Ilúvatar's mysterious power of creation.

History

The Secret Fire is that aspect of Eru which is his Power of Creation. Only by means of the Secret Fire can something with substance or life be made from nothing. It was by means of the Secret Fire that Eru gave to the Music of the Ainur real being and existence as .

Eru created all fëar, including those of the Ainur, Elves, Dwarves, and Men, through the Secret Fire, and it is a part of each of them. Only a being animated with the Secret Fire can have its own true life and free will. Without it, creatures lack sentience and independent thought, though they may be puppeteered by a greater will. Aulë's Dwarves were such automata until Eru endowed them with their own fëar born of the Secret Fire.[1]

Even before the Music was sung, Melkor envied this power and sought it in the Void, but the Flame Imperishable was with Eru.[2] After the Music, Eru sent it to burn at the center of the World.[3]

Only Eru as Creator could command the Secret Fire; no created being could claim this power.[4] Given this, it is unclear as to how Melkor could have "made" such creatures as Orcs and Dragons or how these could have acted in the apparently rational and self-directed manner in which they did. See Orcs/Origin for a fuller examination of this thorny issue.

Gandalf the Grey referred to both the Secret Fire and the flame of Anor while facing a Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, saying "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor."[5]

Inspiration

This is an alternate name of the Holy Spirit in Tolkien's mythos, like Eru is the name of God. Clyde S. Kilby mentions a discussion he had with Tolkien: "Professor Tolkien talked to me at some length about the use of the word 'holy' in The Silmarillion. Very specifically he told me that the 'Secret Fire sent to burn at the heart of the World' in the beginning was the Holy Spirit."[6]

See also

External links

Notes

References