Can Eagles be corrupted?

[tolkienfan]

Can't Eagles get corrupted? I really have no idea.

[EDIT: This discussion is split off the thread Lord Elrond's mistake (http://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?p=503759&posted=1#post503759)]

[rohirrim TR]

i doubt it, but that might be a good plot twist for an rpg, just picture eagles taking over middle earth :evil: :D

[The Witch-King of Angmar]

Then again the Eagles were never formally allied to the Free Peoples, they usually do there own thing. Like the Ents.

[Gordis]

Can't Eagles get corrupted? I really have no idea.
No they can't, IMHO. They are birds of Manwe!

If they didn't help the quest more, it is just because the Lords of the West (the Valar) decided not to meddle in the ME life directly.

[Telcontar_Dunedain]

Well the Maia who were sent as the Istari weren't allowed to directy fight Sauron using there powers, so I'm guessing that the same applied to eagles.

[Gordis]

Exactly, TD!

[The last sane person]

Man, that's crap, those Valar are really an uncertain bunch....Just because it wasn't in the blasted song, they don't bother with it...One hit Wonders that they are....No improv skill whatsoever....

[tolkienfan]

Wizards can get corrupted... but I'm not trying to disagree with you!

[Curubethion]

And when they get corrupted, it's terrible. That's why they didn't interfere. And the eagles...I think Sauron would have noticed them immediately, and sent all his forces: fell beasts, the balrog (if he could)...

[Jon S.]

Could the eagles have flown Frodo into Mordor?

http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/eagles.html

[The Witch-King of Angmar]

Thats what this thread is about JS.

and Cubetheron, Sauron can't control The Balrog's can he? Because they are creatures of Morgoth (Saurons master i think) who is imprisoned in the Undying Lands.

Also maybe Prof. Tolkein wanted to make the Valar like God, he is all powerful, but he always makes us fight our own battles. Maybe thats why the Eagles and Maia weren't allowed to fight him directly.

[Jon S.]

LOL! :D Of course it is - why else would I post a link to a website entitled by its author, "Could the eagles have flown Frodo into Mordor?" P.S. Click on it, you might like it. :)

[Elanor]

Plus, if the eagles could have just flown off with the ring and plopped it into Mount Doom, the book would be a lot shorter!

[rohirrim TR]

yes elanor thats the whole point i think, i mean only tolkien knows but the eagles were pretty powerful and they probably (if they were united) could have taken mordor out by them selves, but then there would be no story, this is the way it always works with what if scenarios, :D :D

i did the same thing with starwars one time on a blog, and we all got lost because we eliminated vader and then there was no story :D

[Jon S.]

Plus, if the eagles could have just flown off with the ring and plopped it into Mount Doom, the book would be a lot shorter!

That's what's known as an "external to the story" factor, i.e., it may have influenced Tolkien but not Elrond and the rest of his council.

This all is discussed at length on the page I linked to previously.

[rohirrim TR]

yeah thanks for the link jon.s :) it brought up most of the stuff that i think of when people start up "what if " type of conjecture :D

[Tamuril Sirfalas]

i doubt it, but that might be a good plot twist for an rpg, just picture eagles taking over middle earth :evil: :D
wow now that would be something to chat about for days * hides in cellar while eagles maul outside* thats one thing i would not like to experience but i think the eagles could get corrupted they are just like everyone else and plus they probally have something they desire doesnt everyone? :D

[durinsbane2244]

i think that, as mortal living creatures, and obviously more intelligent than the eagles of earth, they could corrupt...

[Tamuril Sirfalas]

i think that, as mortal living creatures, and obviously more intelligent than the eagles of earth, they could corrupt...
yes i think that the eagles could be corrupted, they like everything get corrupted eventually dont they?

[Lotesse]

I believe the point about the evil of the Ring was that absolutely EVERY living thing had potential to become corrupted by it. No one was immune, even though some were much less or much more naturally susceptible, in the end, not a soul was immune completely. So, of course the eagles were corruptible. That's what I think.

I guess the only actually incorruptible being in LotR was Bombadil, but I bet if he'd kept it, everything & everyone AROUND him or whatever - like Goldberry, for instance - would have been vulnerable to its corruptability, so by proxy he would also end up being touched & corrupted by its evil.

[Varda]

What about Bilbo? The ring didn't corrupt him until the very end... until he had it too long and couldn't give it over to Gandalf. Does that mean he was less susceptible because of his "innocence"?