Warning! Spoilers for Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 6 ahead!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 mentions the Secret Fire – the oldest and most mysterious piece of Lord of the Rings Study. JRR Tolkien expanded his fantasy universe far beyond Frodo’s story, establishing a foundation that allowed for a more complex tale than what readers saw on the surface. Since Prime Video Rings of power series is set thousands of years before the War of the Ring, about halfway through the Second Age, it makes sense that it would contain some deep-cutting references to the more elusive aspects of Middle-earth history – especially now that Tom Bombadil is Involved. .
The Stranger, an Istar sent to Middle-earth to aid in the fight against Sauron, entered Tom Bombadil in The rings of power Season 2. That’s funny Lord of the Rings Character will assist the stranger in understanding his destiny by helping him learn to carry a staff and, therefore, command magic. As the pair work towards that goal in episode 6, Bombadil often references the Secret FireProving that it will whisper to the stranger when he learns to listen. In classic Tom Bombadil fashion, he doesn’t explain what that means. Fortunately, Tolkien’s works provide more answers.
The secret fire is literally the power of creation in Lord of the Rings
All life in Middle-earth and beyond comes from the secret fire
The secret fire, also called the flame imperishable, is the essence and power of creation in Lord of the Rings. It is the force that gives living, sentient beings the ability of free will, and True life cannot be created without it. The god of Lord of the RingsEru Iluvatar, was the only one capable of carrying the secret flame, since it is said that it is a part of him – he is the flame imperishable, and the secret flame is him. Iluvatar also sent the flame to the earth’s heart. So, not only did it burn as a part of the soul (soul) of every living being, but it served as the burning soul of the world itself.
The power of real creation was a highly coveted thing in Lord of the RingsAnd Tolkien pointed out in The Silmarillion Exactly what would happen if a supreme being tried to create life without the secret fire. One of Ilúvatar’s Vala, Aulë, was desperate to create beings he could watch over and love since Ilúavatar’s children, elves and men, had not yet awoken in Middle-earth. So, he used earth and stone to create dwarves. Because he does not possess the Secret Fire, his creations are lifeless and can only move, speak, and think when Aulë consciously pops them.
When Ilúvatar saw what Aulë had done, he punished him. However, he saw that the Vala’s intentions were good, and as a gift, he gave the dwarves true life with the Flame Imperishable. This demonstrated how There could be no conscious life in Middle-earth without Ilúvatar’s direct involvement. It was a fact that Melkur, another of Iluvatar’s Vala, could not connect and that’s why he became the evil Margot – The first dark lord.
The secret fire was a major reason why Morgoth became a villain
Melkor coveted the power of creation
Ilúvatar himself was the only being capable of creating true life, and he created the Ainur (the Valar and the Maiar) to assist in the execution. This made them all naturally passionate about creation. They were musicians and artists, but the songs and sculptures they crafted are the earth and its features. Still, this was not enough for Melkor, who wanted these True Power of creation. He spent endless centuries searching for Ilúvatar’s Secret FireNever understanding that it was within the God of Lord of the Rings himself. The more he searched and could not create life, the angrier Melkur became.
Eventually, Melkor resorted to the closest he could get to creating life. When the children of Ilúvatar woke up in Middle-earth, he found and captured some and began to distort them into creatures of his own. They were Still technically Ilúvatar’s creations – their souls were part of the Secret Fire. However, their bodies and minds have become something new. in Rings of powerAdar is one of the elves that Melkor captured and tortured to be a mockery of Iluvatar’s children. This is one of Tolkien’s possible origins for the orcs of The Lord of the Rings.
The rings of power hint that the secret fire is the source of the wizards’ magic
Tom Bombadil implies that the stranger’s power comes from the secret fire
It has always been clear that the secret fire is innately connected to the concept of the soul in The Lord of the RingsBut much of this power is still a mystery. This usually allows Rings of power Space for creative freedom. Tom Bombadil implies in season 2, episode 6 that the Secret Fire is something like the voice of a godwhich can be heard from within by those willing to hear it (like the Holy Spirit of Christianity). Additionally, Old Tom implies that this flame is what gives the wizards of The Lord of the Rings Very magical. Although this was never confirmed by Tolkien, it makes some sense.
Since all things come from Ilúvatar in The Lord of the RingsAnd the secret fire is from Eru, it is quite reasonable to say that this is where the aliens and other wizards’ power comes from.
Since all things come from Ilúvatar in The Lord of the RingsAnd the secret fire is from Eru, it is quite reasonable to say that this is where the aliens and other wizards’ power comes from. in Rings of power Season 2, Episode 6, The Stranger asked Tom Bombadil how he could “Master“His powers, to which old Tom replied,”What does the secret fire do Need with you as a master?“The implication is that Evil Istari, like the Dark Wizard (and later Saruman), deserves the belief that them ordered their forces. Since the evil in Middle-earth began with Melkor’s desire to command the secret fire, it all ties together nicely.
Why Gandalf called himself a Servant of the Secret Fire in Fellowship of the Ring
Gandalf understood his place in Iluvatar’s plan
The idea that the Secret Fire is the source of an Istar’s power connects well to Gandalf’s greatness Lord of the Rings Also dead. Tom Bombadil implies in Rings of power That the stranger will only have fluid access to magic once he realizes that he is not the master of the secret fire But that the flame is the master of it. That’s exactly what Gandalf said when facing the Balrog in Fellowship of the Ring. He ordered the beast – who would once have been a Maya like her and other sorcerers – to step down, calling himself the “Servant of the Secret Fire”:
“You can’t pass,” he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. “I am a servant of the Secret Fire, again of the Flame of Honor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not help you, Flame of Odeon. Go back to the shadows! You cannot pass.”
Gandalf acknowledges that he serves the Secret Fire in Lord of the RingsAnd although this does not necessarily mean that this is the source of power, it allows Rings of powers narrative to fit smoothly. The statement of the wizards also foreshadows his resurrection ever since It was Ilúvatar who sent him back as Gandalf the White– Something only possible because of the secret fire and Gandalf’s understanding of his place in the greater plan. This is what made the wizard the perfect enemy to Sauron The Lord of the Rings. If the stranger learns the same lesson in Rings of powerHe will soon be a powerful force against evil.