One of the elements of early Middle Earth that is quite central to Tolkein’s mythos but can sometimes be relatively unclear is the Gift of the Valar, also often referred to as the Gift of Ilúvatar or the Gift of Men. (Multiple names for the same idea is one of the major reasons why Tolkien lore can be so confusing.) What is this Gift, and why is it so important to the world of Middle Earth?
RELATED: LOTR: Questions About Middle-Earth That Tolkien Never Answered
The Gift of Ilúvatar is the gift that Eru Ilúvatar (the supreme deity over Arda) gave to his Younger Children; aka, the race of Men. In short, this gift was death, and it was what separated Men from Elves. Death allowed Men to go beyond the confines of Arda (the world), since Ilúvatar willed that Men would not be content within the boundaries of the world. They are not tied to the Earth in the way that Elves and other creatures are, because Men’s spirits can leave this world and not return. Elves, on the other hand, are bound to the earth and cannot truly die until the world dies. Immortality might seem appealing, but eventually, even the Valar were jealous of the Gift of Men and their liberation from the physical world.
Because of this Gift, it was decided that Men would be the main instruments of Ilúvatar in the world. Men would be able to shape their destinies outside the Music of the Ainur, which governed the fates of basically everything else in Arda. The Music of the Ainur was the song of the Ainur (divine beings) that essentially created the universe. Because of the Gift, Men could choose to either live their lives dependent on the destiny that the Music of the Ainur laid out for the world, or they could forge a new path that they created themselves.
Of course, Ilúvatar knew that Men would not always use this freedom to bring good to the world, and that they would often stray from his vision for them. Despite this, he still saw Men as the instruments to carry out his plans for the world, and knew that all would come to pass through them as he thought. Originally, Men did not fear the Gift, and did not see death as something to be avoided. They loved their lives in the world, but they were still willing to give everything up in the end to let their spirits pass on from Arda, to a place unknown to even the wisest beings in the world.
When the first Dark Lord showed up in Arda, Ilúvatar’s original vision of the Gift was tainted, and Men began to fear death and see the Gift as a curse rather than a liberation. Some even tried to refuse the Gift by avoiding death, but this strategy often came with consequences. It turned some into monsters, in the case of the Nazgûl, the King of the Dead, and Smeagol (who, as a Hobbit-like creature, still counts as a Younger Child of Ilúvatar). They all tried to obtain immortality in various ways, and were punished for it.
However, not all Men rejected the Gift; there were many who still saw it as a blessing. When the time came for them to accept it, they happily — or at least peacefully — gave themselves up to it. For example, the early Kings of Númenor accepted the Gift when their time came, as did Aragorn. However, because the Gift had been tainted by Morgoth, most Men came to fear it.
This is most easily seen at the end of Númenor, when the Númenoreans felt that even their extended lifespans were not enough and tried to avoid the Gift even more. This led to the destruction of Númenor when they sent a fleet to the Undying Lands, since Sauron had convinced them that this would give them the knowledge of the immortality of the Elves. Needless to say, it didn’t go over well, and it led to the lifespans of Men shortening from the long Númenorean lives to something much shorter. However, some descendants kept the longer lifespans, and these became the Dúnedain (which Aragorn was a part of).
In short, the Gift was Ilúvatar’s way of distinguishing Men from Elves and the other races of Arda, and allowing their spirits to leave this mortal plane rather than be stuck on it until the literal end of time. While the Gift was intended as a blessing from the supreme deity of Arda, its corruption came quickly, and it became something to be feared rather than welcomed at its proper time. However, those that still saw it as a gift were able to go in peace and take advantage of this gift that even some of the Elves longed for in the end.
MORE: LOTR: Games That Explore Lore Untouched By The Movies
