Summary

• Eru Ilúvatar is the creator of the universe and life in Lord of the Rings, using a melody called the Music of the Ainur.
• Ilúvatar created the Valar and Maiar to assist him in creating and running the world, with Maiar such as Saruman and Gandalf playing important roles in the story.
• Orcs, Balrogs, and other evil creatures of Middle-earth were corrupted versions of life that Ilúvatar had already created—twisted by Morgoth, who desired the power to create life himself.

The world of Lord of the Rings includes a deep and complex lore, with the creation of Tolkien's entire fictional universe attributed to a supreme being—Eru Ilúvatar. Though this character is never mentioned by name in Tolkien's original novels, his existence is alluded to throughout. Then, the author shed light on Eru Ilúvatar in his various writings and notes, collected and posthumously published as The Silmarillion.

Despite his absence, Ilúvatar is greatly important to the events of The Lord of the Rings. It was he who sent Gandalf back to Middle-earth after the wizard had fallen to the Balrog. This demonstrates how, no matter how alone Frodo and the other characters of the Third Age felt, Ilúvatar was always there pulling the strings, from the start of The Fellowship of the Ring to Return of the King and beyond. Inspired by deities of Norse mythology and the Judeo-Christian god, the story of Ilúvatar combines several tales of creation into something truly unique to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Eru Ilúvatar Is The Creator Of The Universe & Life In Lord Of The Rings

Though the world of The Lord of the Rings is often called Middle-earth, this is actually just the name of the continent in which Frodo and the rest of the characters live. The world itself is called Arda. Though a little more complicated than a typical planet, this world is fixed within a universe known as Eä. All of this was created long before Lord of the Rings by the supreme being, Eru Ilúvatar, who willed it into existence through a melody called the Music of the Ainur.

Eru Ilúvatar ("The One Father of All" in the Elven Quenya language) is the only possessor of the Secret Flame, or Flame Imperishable, allowing him to breathe life into things. This is how he created the various demi-gods and angel-like beings who served under him, as well as the Children of Eru Ilúvatar (Elves and Men), his adoptive children (the Dwarves), and all other living creatures in Middle-earth (such as the Ents).

Ilúvatar Created The Valar & Maiar To Help Him Create & Run The World

The first beings that Ilúvatar created were the Valar (similar to demi-gods) and the Maiar (like angels). Together, they were called the Ainur, and it was with their help that Ilúvatar created Eä. Ilúvatar had a vision of what a world full of life would look like, and using his song, he showed this vision to the Ainur. They so loved what they saw that they ed in his song, and when Ilúvatar uttered the word, it came into being. Then, he sent many of the Ainur into this universe, where they took on physical forms and could no longer leave.

The Valar were predominantly responsible for forming Arda and its continents (though, at first, there was only one giant continent). Among them was the Vala Melkor, who desired the power of the Flame Imperishable. Since this desire contradicted the will of Ilúvatar, Melkor's song was dissonant with that of the other Ainur, so his song sewed evil into the world. Melkor would eventually become the first Dark Lord or Arda, Morgoth.

The Maiar were tasked with assisting the Valar as they created and cared for the world. Several of these angel-like beings wound up important in The Lord of the Rings. Mairon, Maia to the Vala Aulë, would eventually follow Morgoth, become his first lieutenant, and take the name Sauron. After Morgoth's banishment, Sauron established himself as the new Dark Lord in Middle-earth, so the Valar sent Maiar to help the Elves and Men take him down. These "Istari" were called Curumo, Aiwendil, and Olórin. However, in Middle-earth, they took the form of old wizards and became better known as Saruman, Radagast, and Gandalf.

Did Eru Ilúvatar Create Orcs, Balrogs, & Other Dark Creatures?

Eru Ilúvatar is the only one capable of creating life. The Secret Flame exists in his very being, and no matter how much someone like Morgoth desired to steal it from him, it was not possible. This means that all life in Eä finds its roots in its god. Still, this isn't to say that Ilúvatar individually crafted every living thing before it was born on Middle-earth. The diety created the first Valar, Maiar, Elves, and Men, and from there, they multiplied and evolved on their own (Hobbits are believed to have evolved from Men, and Dwarves were created by the Vala Aulë and given life by Ilúvatar).

This begs the question—where did Orcs, Balrogs, dragons, and other evil beings of Middle-earth come from? When Morgoth came to Middle-earth, he was enraged by his failure to obtain the Flame Imperishable. He greatly desired the power to create life and felt this opportunity was being selfishly robbed of him. So, he did the next best thing—he took the life Ilúvatar had already created and corrupted it to be something of his own. He captured some of the newly awoken Elves and twisted them to become Orcs, and they began to breed and multiply independently. The Balrogs were crafted from Maiar, dragons are thought to come from the Great Eagles, and so on.

Where Is Ilúvatar During The Lord Of The Rings?

Eru Ilúvatar is never directly referred to in The Lord of the Rings, but that isn't to say he wasn't around. This god is considered omniscient and omnipotent and was, therefore, an invisible presence throughout all of Tolkien's stories. He lives (for lack of a better word) in the Timeless Halls, which is sometimes considered the heaven of Middle-earth. This is where Gandalf ed to after he was killed by the Balrog, Durin's Bane. When the wizard returned to Middle-earth, he said that he had been "sent back," though he doesn't say by whom, it can be assumed that it was Eru himself.

Ilúvatar is also credited with other divine interventions in The Lord of the Rings. Gandalf seemed to understand from the beginning that Hobbits would be necessary to Sauron's downfall, so it is believed that Ilúvatar ensured that the One Ring fell into Bilbo's hands. Then, Gollum's fall into the fires of Mount Doom at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is often thought to be Ilúvatar's work as well since no being of Middle-earth could have successfully thrown it in willingly. Of course, none of this is confirmed, and the work and plan of The Lord of the Rings' Eru Ilúvatar remains one of Tolkien's greatest mysteries.