Editing Leaf by Niggle (section)

==== Of creation and sub-creation ====

{{further|Christianity in Middle-earth}}

"Leaf by Niggle" can be interpreted, too, as an illustration of Tolkien's religious philosophy of creation and sub-creation.<ref name="Hammond and Hammond">{{cite book |last1=Hammond |first1=J. Samuel |last2=Hammond |first2=Marie K. |chapter=Creation and Sub-creation in Leaf by Niggle |series=Inklings Forever |volume=VII |title=A Collection of Essays Presented at the Seventh Frances White Colloquium on C.S. Lewis & Friends |publisher=[[Taylor University]] |location=Upland, Indiana |year=2010 |oclc=825560650 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Manganiello |first=Dominic |title='Leaf by Niggle': The Worth of the Work |journal=English Studies in Canada |volume=24 |issue=2 |date=1998 |pages=121–137 |doi=10.1353/esc.1998.0035}}</ref> In this philosophy, true creation is the exclusive province of [[God in Christianity|God]], and those who aspire to creation can only make echoes (good) or mockeries (evil) of truth. The sub-creation of works that echo the true creations of God is one way that mortals honour God. This philosophy is evident in Tolkien's other works, especially ''[[The Silmarillion]]''—one [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Vala]], [[Morgoth]], creates the [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Orc]] race as a foul mockery of the [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]]. Another Vala, [[Aulë]], creates the [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|Dwarf]] race as an act of subcreation that honoured [[Eru Ilúvatar]] (the analogue of God in Tolkien's writings), and which Eru accepted and made real, just as Niggle's Tree was made real.<ref name="Evans 2013">{{cite book |last=Evans |first=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Evans (scholar) |chapter=Dwarves |editor-last=Drout |editor-first=Michael D. C. |editor-link=Michael Drout |title=[[J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2013 |orig-year=2006 |pages=134–135 |quote=The myth of the Dwarves' creation illustrates Tolkien's theory of subcreation as expressed in 'Mythopoeia,' and may indicate anxieties about the independent value of art.}}</ref> Niggle's yearnings after truth and beauty (God's creations) are echoed in his great painting. After death, Niggle is rewarded with the realisation (the making-real) of his yearning; or, alternatively, Niggle's Tree always existed and he simply echoed it in his art. From a [[metanarrative]] viewpoint, Tolkien's [[Arda (Middle-earth)|Arda]] is itself a subcreation designed to honour the true stories of the real world. Thus, ''The Lord of the Rings'', despite its lack of overt religious elements, can be interpreted [[Christianity in Middle-earth|as a profoundly religious work]].<ref name="Walsh 2013">{{cite book |last=Walsh |first=John |chapter=Tertullian |editor-last=Drout |editor-first=Michael D. C. |editor-link=Michael Drout |title=[[J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2013 |orig-year=2006 |pages=639–640 |quote=While 'Lord of the Rings' contains many elements from Northern Mythology ... it has at its heart several Christian themes.}}</ref>