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Aule the deity of conlanging

From:Benct Philip Jonsson <bpj@...>
Date:Sunday, September 5, 2004, 21:09
I hereby propose to elect Aule the Smith, one of Tolkien's
Valar, as the deity of conlanging.  Not only is he part of
a myth created or discovered by a great conlanger, but also
a conlanger himself, as can be seen from the following
excerpt:

# It is told that in their beginning the Dwarves were made
# by Aulë in the darkness of Middle-earth; for so greatly
# did Aulë desire the coming of the Children, to have
# learners to whom he could teach his lore and his crafts,
# that he was unwilling to await the fulfilment of the
# designs of Ilúvatar. And Aulë made the Dwarves even as
# they still are, because the forms of the Children who
# were to come were unclear to his mind, and because the
# power of Melkor was yet over the Earth; and he wished
# therefore that they should be strong and unyielding. But
# fearing that the other Valar might blame his work, he
# wrought in secret: and he made first the Seven Fathers
# of the Dwarves in a hall under the mountains in Middle-
# earth.
#
# Now Ilúvatar knew what was done, and in the very hour
# that Aulë's work was complete, and he was pleased, and
# began to instruct the Dwarves in the speech that he had
# devised for them, Ilúvatar spoke to him; and Aulë heard
# his voice and was silent. And the voice of Ilúvatar said
# to him: 'Why hast thou done this? Why dost thou attempt
# a thing which thou knowest is beyond thy power and thy
# authority? For thou hast from me as a gift thy own being
# only, and no more; and therefore the creatures of thy
# hand and mind can live only by that being, moving when
# thou thinkest to move them, and if thy thought be
# elsewhere, standing idle. Is that thy desire?'
#
# Then Aulë answered: 'I did not desire such lordship. I
# desired things other than I am, to love and to teach
# them, so that they too might perceive the beauty of Eä,
# which thou hast caused to be. For it seemed to me that
# there is great room in Arda for many things that might
# rejoice in it, yet it is for the most part empty still,
# and dumb. And in my impatience I have fallen into folly.
# Yet the making of thing is in my heart from my own
# making by thee; and the child of little understanding
# that makes a play of the deeds of his father may do so
# without thought of mockery, but because he is the son of
# his father. But what shall I do now, so that thou be not
# angry with me for ever? As a child to his father, I
# offer to thee these things, the work of the hands which
# thou hast made. Do with them what thou wilt. But should
# I not rather destroy the work of my presumption?'
#
# Then Aulë took up a great hammer to smite the Dwarves;
# and he wept. But Ilúvatar had compassion upon Aulë and
# his desire, because of his humility; and the Dwarves
# shrank from the hammer and wore afraid, and they bowed
# down their heads and begged for mercy. And the voice of
# Ilúvatar said to Aulë: 'Thy offer I accepted even as it
# was made. Dost thou not see that these things have now a
# life of their own, and speak with their own voices? Else
# they would not have flinched from thy blow, nor from any
# command of thy will.' Then Aulë cast down his hammer and
# was glad, and he gave thanks to Ilúvatar, saying: 'May
# Eru bless my work and amend it!'
#


--

/BP 8^)
--
B.Philip Jonsson -- melroch at melroch dot se

         Solitudinem faciunt pacem appellant!
                                             (Tacitus)

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Peter Bleackley <peter.bleackley@...>