Nothing is Evil in the Beginning, Part 1

“Nothing is evil in the beginning”

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power opens with these words, followed by a scene that features a young Galadriel in the Blessed Realm of Valinor: the Years of the Trees. We see her fashioning a small boat of fabric, whispering a spell in Quenya, and setting it down a quiet stream in the sight of her peers. These children—seemingly accustomed to antagonizing Galadriel—proceed to mock her craft; and as wings magically sprout from the boat and it begins to glide through the water they sink it with hurled stones. The altercation nearly comes to blows, stayed only by Finrod when he comes to reprimand and rescue his sister, “again”. This introduction to the series reveals that in the heaven-like land of Aman, such divisions and conflict may be common, albeit amongst the youngest of the Eldar.

This struck me as an odd introduction to The Rings of Power. Throughout J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings, Valinor is portrayed as idyllic to the point that simply basking in the Light of Valinor can heal the wounds of one’s soul. Even more so in the Years of the Trees, when the light of the Two Trees illuminated the land. The Light of the Trees imparted clarity, wisdom, and even a measure of power upon the Elves that dwelt in Valinor. They came to be known as Calaquendi—Elves of the Light—in contrast to the Dark Elves or Moriquendi who never gazed upon the Light of the Trees. The blessing of the Light of the Trees was so marked that even the Elves of Middle-earth that had never journeyed to Valinor could receive some aspects of the blessing through their interactions with the Noldor that came back to dwell in Middle-earth.

As such the suggestion that conflict, even the quarrels of children, would be common in Valinor during the Years of the Trees strikes me as a departure from the vision that Tolkien had for the Blessed Realm, and perhaps even the timeline of “evil” in the world of Arda. Certainly, Arda had already been woefully struck by Morgoth with the destruction of the Lamps. But this land was the safehaven of the Valar, yet uncorrupted by the Dark Lord’s touch. And although the Elves had suffered greatly in their long journey from the far ends of Middle-earth and across Belegaer to reach Valinor, they now dwelt in the Light of the Trees and under the guidance of the Valar.

Perhaps I am reading far too much into the first few minutes of the show, overanalyzing what was meant to be the pretext for a tender moment between siblings. I have been attempting to approach the series with an open mind, and will not discount the showrunners’ interpretations of Tolkien’s universe just because of a few perceived inconsistencies. I still hope that The Rings of Power gives us a spectacular glimpse into the largely unexplored Second Age of Middle-earth, and could see it serving as a gateway into Tolkien’s larger body of work for those only familiar with The Lord of the Rings. Despite my initial impression, I believe the show still has the potential to be great, for as it is said “nothing is evil in the beginning”.