MasterK-Bob
New Member
I've been super busy but I'm now finally catching up on Morgoth's Ring, etc. in class 3, Dr. Olsen made a big deal about Tolkien's doubling down on Augustinian evil only corrupting theology not working with elves. That may be, but I always presumed the fëar of the elves being tortured were driven forth but the biological processes of their hroar, including their functional and intelligent brains, were kept alive in a manner producing exactly the autonomous nature orcs had in the versions in which they were made by Melkor of hate and slime originally. I always paralleled it to the soulless vampires in the buffyverse who still had the same brains and memories and inclinations, but no more souls. Orcs are heavily traumatized now soulless beings, IMO. Without elven fëar sustaining them, I think they are mortal, which I think are the thing that keeps elves alive and ageless, I think the original orcs realized how terrible their situation was and, bring soulless and incapable of love or joy, only hated and acted on their baser biological and psychological urges when not being dominated by their master. Their children didn't understand their soullessness, but they were and are soulless. Reproducing automata with independence when undominated, but no free will to choose to act against their baser instincts. At most they can cunningly put aside one base desire for a while in pursuit of another more important one.