The Rings of Power teaser looks expensive

It’s quite biblical yes. But just like it seems much more like Genesis if you just look at the started with starlight bit, or summarize it. It’s also easy to pull lines and match them one to one without looking at the actual piece.

Here’s an excerpt from the beginning of the Silmarillion version of the Music of the Ainur

https://read.riversideca.gov/Mobile/BakerAndTaylor/Excerpt?ISBN=0395257301&UPC=&position=1

"There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Iluvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad. But for a long while they sang only each alone, or but few together, while the rest hearkened; for each comprehended only that part of the mind of Iluvatar from which he came, and in the understanding of their brethren they grew but slowly. Yet ever as they listened they came to deeper understanding, and increased in unison and harmony.

And it came to pass that Iluvatar called together all the Ainur and declared to them a mighty theme, unfolding to them things greater and more wonderful than he had yet revealed; and the glory of its beginning and the splendour of its end amazed the Ainur, so that they bowed before Iluvatar and were silent.

Then Iluvatar said to them: 'Of the theme that I have declared to you, I will now that ye make in harmony together a Great Music. And since I have kindled you with the Flame Imperishable, ye shall show forth your powers in adorning this theme, each with his own thoughts and devices, if he will. But I will sit and hearken, and be glad that through you great beauty has been wakened into song.

Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashion the theme of Iluvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the places of the dwelling of Iluvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void. Never since have the Ainur made any music like to this music, though it has been said that a greater still shall be made before Iluvatar by the choirs of the Ainur and the Children of Iluvatar after the end of days. Then the themes of Iluvatar shall be played aright, and take Being in the moment of their utterance, for all shall then understand fully his intent in their part, and each shall know the comprehension of each, and Iluvatar shall give to their thoughts the secret fire, being well pleased."

The lines you’re pulling are from quite a bit later, and not part of the creation, technically. It is as noted, the 3rd try on creating light. I think that’s also from early in the Silmarillion, same section but well into a different piece. About goings on in Undying Lands.

By contrast the KJV of Genesis is basically a bulleted list.

“Let there be light” is like line 3.

" Genesis 1

King James Version

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."

Can’t seem to find a larger excerpt from the section on the trees unfortunately. And my copy of the Silmarillion seems to have walked off.

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Cheers - fun talking @Ryuthrowsstuff — Yeah all I know of Tolkein beyond the 1970s cartoon film is discussions like this thread.

Dumb joke: Would a Doubting Thomas be a Doubting Hobbit!

My Catholic friends ADORE this stuff (and popular Catholic figures like Stephen Colbert do as well) so it’s clearly good pasta no matter how you look at. These LOTR discussions do resemble Bible Study, but what’re gonna do.

Good regards and respect to your comments. I appreciated them.

I suppose it would be amusing if they were each always half a degree across on the horizon, no matter where we were observing them from, just like their equally magical descendants in the sky

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