The Silmarillion

The novel begins with a description of creation of the world by Eru (known as Ilúvatar in the Elvish language), who makes the Holy Ones known as Ainur. Eru speaks to the Ainur and teaches them to sing together and shows them “the glory” (3) of the beginning and the end of everything he has created. The Ainur bow before Eru. Eru encourages them to sing “a Great Music” (3) together; the music pours into “the Void” (3) and fills it. Eru listens to the Ainur sing and notices that one of them, Melkor, is singing a discordant tune “of his own imagining” (3) that aims to increase Melkor’s own standing and power. Some of the Ainur begin to sing in harmony with Melkor, spreading the discord. Eru introduces new harmonies, and the sounds begin to drown one another out. Soon, there are two competing themes: “[O]ne was deep and wide and beautiful, but slow and blended with an immeasurable sorrow [...] the other [...] was loud, and vain, and endlessly repeated [...] a clamorous unison” (3). Eru rises with anger and stops the music. As mighty as the Ainur are, he says, they cannot alter his music.