Polyphony, Collective Improvisation, and the Gift of Creation.

Tolkien's creation myth, as transmitted in the Silmarillion and in other sources, describes the Ainur's singing as a form of collective polyphonic improvisation. This singing derives from the themes "declared" by Ilúvatar, which are - it will be argued - a form of divine self-revelation (and therefore of knowledge) imparted to the Ainur within the framework of a personal relationship with the God. The beauty of the Ainur's improvisation thus depends on their revealed knowledge of the creator's mind, on their loving attitude to Him and to their brethren, and on their acceptance of the rules and limitations of created beings as a gift which enables their singing to achieve its fulfillment and perfection. This approach, as will be discussed, is Tolkien's development of topics and imagery abundantly found in religious, literary, musical and mythological sources of the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]