Tolkien and Wheel of Time - Advanced Theory

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Now, I have mentioned a lot of the times that Tolkien's Legendarium and Jordan's Wheel of Time dovetail very, very well when you let your mind work around it a bit.

General View

Entire story of the Pattern, and all its ages and turnings, happen long after the War of the Ring and the War of Wrath: Morgoth was banished into the Void, and Sauron with him, along with many fallen Maiar. 

After that, Eru the Creator changed the passage of time on Arda so that it is cyclical and that Morgoth could never escape the Void. From age to age, he manages to make a bore in his prison and reaches the world of humanity, who call him Shai'tan and the Dark One. Sauron walks freely in the form of a  Myrddraal who the Forsaken and the Shadowspawn obey in all things, and, of course, bears a particularly telling name "Hand of the Dark" - Shaidar Haran.

Morgoth's Servants

"The Dark One and all the Forsaken are bound in Shayol Ghul, bound by the Creator at the moment of creation."

This is a well-known cathecism. So the main thing in it is that Shai'tan was imprisoned together with his servants from the beginning. As we know, this can't possibly be true about the Forsaken. But maybe this is not false on itself and based on a memory that the Dark One really was imprisoned with his great servants from the beginnng - those servants are vastly more horrible than the Forsaken: Sauron, Balrogs and all other fallen Maiar.

Mashadar and Machin Shin

Then we have two entities said to be distinct from the Dark One, yet are clearly forces of evil in Wheel of Time: Machin Shin and Mashadar.

For those two I propose this:

1. Mashadar is none other than Ungoliant. We know Mashadar devours everything in its way and that is exactly what Ungoliant cared about. She served Morgoth for a time, but eventually went on to serve her own gluttony. Tolkien mentions that some believe that she eventually devoured herself. It is possible her spirit remained, unable to take physical form, but still driven by hunger, brought to an almost bestial state of mind. (This would mean people of Aridhol didn't create Mashadar, though - they merely awakened Ungoliant somehow). This also offers a parallel for Padan Fain - Gollum was always bringing victims to Shelob, Ungoliant's daughter, so maybe Ungoliant later on chose Fain as her own Gollum who would bring her supplies on which she could feed herself.

 

 

2. Machin Shin is what was left of the character whose end is described in this passage:

 

 

"To the dismay of those that stood by, about the body of Saruman a grey mist gathered, and rising slowly to a great height like smoke from a fire, as a pale shrouded figure it  oomed over the Hill. For a moment it wavered, looking to the West; but out of the West came a cold wind, and it bent away, and with a sigh dissolved into nothing."

From *Lord of the Rings*, Book VI, chapter "The Scouring of the Shire" 

As he was not allowed to return to Valinor and unable to take a physical form, he became little more than a spirit of malice that in the Third Spoke on the Wheel dwells in the Ogier Ways.

 

Elves 

 

Elves who did not go to Valinor suffered a fate far worse than death or even fading that Tolkien described - they lost who they are, became twisted, completely betraying their nature and purpose in the world. They became creatures who left Arda for another world, or at least another dimension. There they became known as the Eelfinn and Aelfinn. Eru still uses them indirectly to assist Humans, but they lost who they are as people.

 

Heroes of the Horn

 

Look at the item that is able to summon the Heroes - Horn of Valere. That is how it is called. Valere might be a mispronunciation of the term Elves taught Humans: Valar. To be exact, it Valaróma, the horn of Oromë. Whenever it is sounded, Námo, that is Mandos, hears it and released the Heroes from his halls to aid the Armies of the Light.

 

Summary

As I said, I believe the two quite easily dovetail. The important thing to note is that this was obviously not Jordan's intent (unless you believe in the "Author is dead" idea, in which case it probably doesn't matter to you, lol) when creating the series. However,  some stories are very easy to reconcile with one another and make a good case they are the same story beyond just their themes. 

Anyway, that is my theory and head-canon at least. Please share what you think and name some other similarities or theory that could make sense in this.

Thank you in advance!

[mogi68]

It's fun to think about, and I don't see why not. Arda is supposedly Earth after all.  What about Lews Therin? Where does he fit in?

 

 

There is this quote when Eärendil arrives in Valinor.

Quote

Hail Eärendil, of mariners most renowned, the looked for that cometh at unawares, the longed for that cometh beyond hope! Hail Eärendil, bearer of light before the Sun and Moon! Splendour of the Children of Earth, star in the darkness, jewel in the sunset, radiant in the morning!

 

Who else is known as the bearer of light and the morning star? Lucifer. Some groups also call him "Son of the Morning". I say that Lews Therin = Eärendil