The Enigma of Trolls in Middle Earth: A Canon-Driven Explanation

Trolls in Tolkien's Middle Earth have always been a source of fascination and speculation for fans of the literature. This article delves into the question of how trolls were created in Middle Earth, drawing on canonical information from The Silmarillion, The History of Middle Earth, and other works. By examining the established facts, we can uncover the origins of these formidable beings.

Established Facts and Early Housekeeping

To address the question of troll creation, it's essential to first establish the widely accepted facts. According to the Silmarillion, there are two main ideas that inform our understanding: A. Morgoth corrupted them into being, and B. They existed naturally. These are not mutually exclusive, as A is irrefutable, and B aligns with the possibility that many could have escaped and thrived on their own toward the end of the First Age and onwards.

This distinction allows us to reconcile the fact that William, Tom, and Bert, the trolls seen in The Hobbit, were living freely in the wild, despite their tainted nature. They were still subject to Morgoth's curse, which would solidify them under the light of dawn, making them inherently unnatural and under Morgoth's corruption.

The Nature of Creation and Corruption

Morgoth's ability to corrupt created beings, rather than create them from scratch, aligns with the established canon. According to the rules set by Eru, Melkor cannot create new beings but can only corrupt those already created. This means that trolls, like orcs, are examples of living beings that were made according to the rules but in a twisted and ruined form due to experimental cross-breeding and inter-breeding processes.

To better understand this process, it's helpful to look at examples of how other beings were created. For instance, the dwarves were initially brainless automatons without the Flame Imperishable and therefore devoid of a soul/spirit or Fea. The Ents and Huorns, like trolls and orcs, have Fea and Hroa, making them living beings that reproduce naturally. Orcs, in particular, were created as a mockery of elves using the Melian-Thingol (M/T) model, where a Maia with Fea mated with an elf, producing living beings like Luthien.

Trolls, on the other hand, were created in mockery of Ents. This is evidenced by their parallel to the Ent-wives, who were likely captured by Morgoth and forced to reproduce with shape-changing demons aligned with Melkor. The result was a race of trolls, who were dim-witted, large, and solidified by sunlight, a physical and metaphorical representation of their unnatural and evil taint.

The Melian-Thingol Model and Trolls

The creation of trolls is directly related to the Melian-Thingol model of reproduction. Just as the M/T model produced Luthien, the same principles likely applied to the creation of trolls. A lesser Maia, aligned with Melkor, would take on a human form and be ordered to mate with an Ent-wife under a spell, resulting in the birth of trolls.

The fact that trolls are human-like in form provides a clue to the required form of the father, as the mother is also an Ent in human form. Additionally, Eru's rules of creation ensure that trolls are living beings with spirits and natural origins, allowing us to reconcile their existence with the established canon.

It's worth noting that the sunlight effect on trolls is a key aspect of their unnatural corruption. Just as sunlight caused ents, trees, and huorns to grow and evolve, it caused trolls to devolve and die. This serves as a physical and metaphorical representation of their corruption and evil taint.

Conclusion

While the question of troll creation remains shrouded in mystery and is somewhat difficult to address in Tolkien's work, we can draw logical inferences based on the established canon. Morgoth, through the actions of a lesser Maia aligned with him, likely ordered a human-like shape-changer to mate with an Ent-wife under a spell, resulting in the creation of the race of trolls. This explanation aligns with Eru's rules of creation and the established history of Middle Earth. While the true nature of these beings may remain a source of literary intrigue and speculation, it is clear that their origins are deeply rooted in the complex and intricate world of Tolkien's creation.

The study of troll creation not only sheds light on the historical and mythological aspects of Middle Earth but also provides insight into the inherent tension between corruption and natural order, a recurring theme in Tolkien's works.