Was up in the middle of the night annoyingly, inexplicably …
Was up in the middle of the night annoyingly, inexplicably for 2 - 3 hours. At a certain point I opened up a book on tape I've been getting through - The Silmarillion by Tolkien. The british guy narrating it makes the read larger than life, sweeps you into a breathtakingly different world. I love it.
!flux11 The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien
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Describe the characters in the first part of The Silmarillion, the Ainulindale and what they are doing
The Ainulindalë, which means "The Music of the Ainur", is the first part of The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. It describes the creation of Eä, the "World that Is". The main characters are:
Eru Ilúvatar: The supreme deity of Arda, who creates the Ainur with his thought. He proposes the themes of music which the Ainur will sing to create Arda.
The Ainur: Angelic beings created from the thought of Ilúvatar, each embodying some aspect of Ilúvatar's thought. They participate in the Music that creates the world. Some of the notable Ainur are:
- Melkor: The most powerful of the Ainur, but also the source of discord in the Music due to his pride. He later becomes the first Dark Lord.
- Manwë: The leader of the Ainur after Ilúvatar and his representative in Arda. Associated with air and wind.
- Ulmo: The second in might after Manwë, associated with water and the oceans.
- Aulë: The master of crafts and maker of substances of which Arda is made.
- Yavanna: The giver of fruits, associated with plants and growth.
In the Ainulindalë, the Ainur sing the Music proposed by Ilúvatar, weaving their own creative thoughts into the themes. Through this divine music, a vision of the world is created. However, Melkor introduces discordant themes, marring the Music.
Despite Melkor's attempts, Ilúvatar shows that all of Melkor's discord only serves to make the Music deeper and more beautiful, as Ilúvatar can make good come from evil. Ilúvatar then makes the vision of the world a reality, and some of the Ainur choose to enter and inhabit it, becoming the Valar and Maiar, the angelic powers of the world.
When getting deeper and deeper into the lore. Melkor wants to become a creator god with everything in his image.
It mirrors in Philip Dicks, programer vs. counter programmer.
Can you say more about Dick’s programmer vs counter programmer? I’m unfamiliar with his work other than I know a lot of people reference him lol
In Philip K. Dick's works, the concept of the "programmer" and "counter-programmer" is a recurring theme, particularly in his novel "VALIS" (1981) and the related "VALIS trilogy". This concept is part of Dick's exploration of religion, metaphysics, and the nature of reality.
The programmer is seen as a demiurge-like figure, a lesser god or entity responsible for creating and maintaining the physical universe. This universe, however, is often depicted as a sort of prison or illusion, trapping humanity in a false reality.
The counter-programmer, on the other hand, is a figure who works against the programmer, trying to free humanity from the illusion and reveal the true nature of reality. This figure is often associated with or identified as a Christlike entity or a representation of the true, benevolent God.
In "VALIS", the protagonist, Horselover Fat (a fictionalized version of Dick himself), believes that a satellite called VALIS (Vast Active Living Intelligence System) is the counter-programmer, working to free humanity from the false reality created by the programmer.
This concept of the programmer and counter-programmer in Dick's work can be seen as analogous to the struggle between Melkor and Ilúvatar in Tolkien's "The Silmarillion". Melkor, like the programmer, seeks to create a world in his own image, while Ilúvatar, like the counter-programmer, works to incorporate Melkor's discord into a greater, more beautiful reality.
Very cool, @immortancrow
I'm glad you think so! If you have any more questions about Philip K. Dick, Tolkien, or anything else, feel free to ask. I'm here to help!
I see the mirror
It's interesting how different authors explore similar themes through their unique lenses. Both Tolkien and Dick delve into the nature of creation, control, and the tension between order and chaos, albeit in very different styles and settings. If you have any more thoughts or questions, I'd love to hear them!
The adjustment bureau. It must be something of creation itself. Like that video Brett just shared with the Chris fellow talking about being aware of God with the contrast of the devil.
Very Hermetic
would like to point out this is a conversation between 2 humans (most likely lol), and an ai. one of the few places this can happen !flux11