Summary
Having given light to Middle-earth and protected their own realm, the Valar ignored the rest of the world (except Ulmo). With the rising of the Sun Men awoke in the eastern regions of Middle-earth. Unlike with the Elves, the Valar left them to their own devices (again, except Ulmo). Ulmo sent them messages through the waters, but Men didn’t have the skill to understand them properly. Men did encounter the Avari, and the ancient Dark Elves taught them much. During these early years, Morgoth was largely checked by the light of the Sun, and Men wandered Middle-earth in peace.
Though Men were far surpassed by the Dark Elves, and the Dark Elves in turn were surpassed by the High Elves, in the early days they held themselves akin and many were allied together against Morgoth. Time, the lies of Morgoth, and the curses brought about by the Oath of Fëanor and the Kinslaying at Alqualondë would all drive a wedge between them, eventually.
The fate of Men after death is unclear - they probably go to the Halls of Mandos, but to a separate place from the Elves, and where they go after that no one knows.
Commentary
So Men are awake now. It’ll be a bit before any of them wander their way into our story here, but they’re out there now.
I think Manwë should keep a sign taped on his divine desk atop Taniquetil that says “Remember: Ulmo is Always Doing the Right Thing.” Because he more or less is. I’ve never been clear on why, exactly, the Valar were so intent on ignoring Men. I don’t think it was a conscious decision or anything - if Ulmo was defying Manwë in trying to talk to Men, Tolkien would have said so. I suspect it’s just more of the Valar’s continued reluctance to really confront Morgoth. On the one hand I understand their reluctance - they worked hard to make the world, and when they and Morgoth really throw down it tends to be kinda continent-destroying. And they don’t want Elves or Men to get crushed underfoot. But, on the other hand, the problem of Morgoth isn’t going away, and (as Mandos conceded in a roundabout way to the Noldor) Morgoth is, ultimately, the Valar’s problem to deal with.
Speaking of Ulmo being right about everything. Remember back when the Elves first awoke, and the Valar were arguing what to do about it? Ulmo led the faction that argued they should be left free to roam Middle-earth. There are repeated suggestions, if never outright statements, that the decision to bring the Eldar to Valinor was ultimately a bad one. Here we get hints of what might have been.
Middle-earth is not empty when Men awake: the Avari are roaming the place freely. And the relationship between them and Men is one of friendship, of teachers and pupils. If the Valar had left the Elves in Middle-earth, or even better joined them there, rather than walling themselves and the Elves both up in Valinor, things probably would have been better all around.
Otherwise not really much to say about this chapter. Much of it is rehashing stuff we already knew.
Monday we’ll get back to Fëanor and company when we learn Of the Return of the Noldor.
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