The Valar and the Silmarils: Why Were They Not Used to Rekindle the Trees?

The question of why the Valar did not use the Silmarils to rekindle the Trees after the final defeat of Melkor the Morgoth is a complex one. There are both short-term and long-term reasons for this decision, involving the rightful ownership of the Silmarils and the broader implications of their use.

The Long-Term Answer

The silmarils were created by Feanor, and thus they belonged to Feanor, not to the Valar. The Valar had no claim over the silmarils, as they were created by a Valinorian Elf. Even though Feanor was in Mandos, the home of the afterlife, and his sons were scattered, the Valar respected the elves' decision not to surrender the silmarils. Eonwe, the herald of Manwe (the King of the Valar), informed Feanor's two surviving sons that due to their evil deeds regarding the silmarils, they had lost the right to claim possession of them.

The Short-Term Answer

Even if the Valar had all three silmarils, their immediate goal would have been to teach a lesson to the sons of Feanor for their actions during the war. The silmarils had been stolen by Melkor which made them inaccessible to the Valar for a time. The Valar did not know that the silmarils had been stolen until it was too late. They were too focused on teaching a lesson to the sons of Feanor rather than immediately rekindling the Trees.

The Fate of the Silmarils

The two surviving sons of Feanor, Maedhros and Maglor, were the last to possess the silmarils. However, both brothers were severely burned by the silmarils and threw them into a fiery crater and the sea. Maedhros threw the silmaril into a volcano, and Maglor threw his into the sea before taking his own life. Eonwe, as a plenipotentiary of the Valar, was likely instructed to allow the sons of Feanor to retain the silmarils until their evil deeds led to the loss of their right to them.

The Valar, acting in accordance with their principles, respected the integrity of the silmarils and did not forcibly take them. Only Earendil, with the help of Elwing, managed to bring one of the silmarils back to Valinor, but it was not the Valar who took it. Instead, it was a consequence of the conflict between the Valar and the sons of Feanor. The Valar considered themselves authorized to use this silmaril, albeit with respect for its original creator's wishes.

A Deeper Purpose

There may be a deeper purpose to Eonwe's behavior. The act of returning to Middle-earth to punish and teach the sons of Feanor could have been a strategic move. If the Valar had rekindled the Trees, it would have created a paradise on Earth, making all the struggles and exiles meaningless. The exiled elves, like the sons of Feanor, had a destiny to fulfill through their actions, not just by living in a re-created paradise.

The Ultimate Fate of the Silmarils

The ultimate destiny of the silmarils as a means to rekindle the Trees is only described in the drafts of Tolkien's works regarding the Dagor Dagorath, the final battle that will see the definitive defeat of Melkor. At that point, and only then, will Feanor accept that the three jewels should be dismantled to recover their light. This final revelation will mark the end of all salvational or eternal damnation narratives related to the silmarils.

In conclusion, the actions of the Valar regarding the silmarils were not simply a case of procrastination or inaction. They were decisions made with a deep understanding of the significance of the silmarils and the broader implications of using them for a greater good or punishment.