It’s time for a new LOTR THREAD Spooktober Edition:

As I said I’m doing a thread on the character of Ungoliant, who she is, my belief about her nature, and the lesson Tolkien teaches with her story.

Imo this is one of the most interesting characters in the Legendarium:

There’s differing opinions on Ungoliants origin, as she is never specifically classified as a Maia. However we know for sure she is a spirit that chose to take the form of a giant spider and follow Melkor before his first defeat.

I’m of the belief that she isnt a Maia, but the physical embodiment of darkness. I think this theory is most strongly supported by what Ungoliants goals are compared to everyone else in the Legendarium.

Ungoliant feeds off of sources of light. She consumes light and converts it into utter darkness, or what Tolkien described as “unlight.”

So she doesn’t just make light absent, she creates black hole voids with the light she consumes.

Because of this ability, Melkor seeks her out to enlist her help in destroying the two trees of light. (The worlds light sources before the sun and the moon) She consumes and destroys the trees sucking the light of their sap until nothing remained and she swelled to a large size

After destroying the trees and allowing Melkor to steal the Silmarils (jewels that would affect people in a similar matter of the one ring) emboldened by her size she tries to take them from her former master.

But the key takeaway is that she doesn’t want the Silmarils for the same reason Melkor (and everyone else does)

She wants to consume them for their light. Their typical allure has no effect on her other than the fact that their a potential food source.

This is similar to Tom Bombadil’s reaction of disinterest to the one ring.

I believe that Tom and Ungoliant are a type of foil to one another. One a being of nature and light and the other a being of death and darkness.

After Melkor chases a now massive Ungoliant away with the use of his Balrogs, she escapes off to the mountains and produces children (one of them being Shelob)

eventually according to Tolkien Ungoliants hunger and insatiable appetite drives her to consume herself.

I think this is an underrated lesson in the Tolkien Legendarium.

When we think of villains we tend to imagine tyrants and dark lords who wish to rule over everyone else in their lust for power but we don’t often enough consider other forms of evil.

Ungoliants villainy was found not in her will to dominate, but to consume. Her gluttony, her insatiable appetite. Her lust.

Important to remember moderation and discipline in our lives, because appetite for the wrong things can be your destruction.