elkor, he who arises in Might, originally belonged to the great of the Ainur, and indeed he was as great or greater in power than even Manwë. He gave up the name he was given by Ilúvatar, and was called instead Morgoth, the Dark Enemy of the World. He turned the purposes of Ilúvatar to evil, and marred much of the good the Valar gave to Arda. He wanted to be a mightly lord and reign over all of Arda, keeping it for himself and turning all who lived there into his slaves.

"From splendour he fell through arrogance to contempt for all things save himself, a spirit wasteful and pitiless. Understanding he turned to subtlety in perverting to his own will all that he would use, until he became a liar without shame. He began with the desire of Light, but when he could not possess it for himself alone, he descended through fire and wrath into a great burning, down into Darkness." 8

He associated with evil creatures, and used them for his evil means. He caused the Darkening of Valinor by killing the Two Trees that Yavanna had created to light Valinor. While the Elves were living in the Blessed Realm, he created strife among them by spreading false rumours, and he kindled a strife that would lay a terrible doom upon the Elves when they returned to Middle-earth. For a long time, Morgoth had the upper-hand in Arda, and he terrorized Elves and Men, warring with them for a long time until the time of Eärendil and the War of Wrath when he was finally overthrown. Before the War of Wrath, Elves and Men contended with him, always fighting the evil he used against them, hoping beyond hope to overthrow him themselves, but Morgoth was far too strong for them. Had Melkor not coveted power in the time before Time, during the Music of the Ainur, many of the hurts Arda and its people suffered would never have been, but his evil thoughts from the beginning caused much pain that could not be assuaged until he was at last overthrown and imprisoned beyond the Walls of the World in the Timeless Void.

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