Q: Is the Secret Fire the Same as the Flame of Anor?
ANSWER: When Gandalf confronts the Balrog in “The Bridge of Khazad-dum” in The Fellowship of the Ring, he tells the Balrog: “I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor.” Until the publication of The Silmarillion the nature of the Secret Fire was a complete mystery. Some people may have guessed it was a metaphor for the Holy Spirit; however, until the publication of “The Music of the Ainur” the nature and function of the Secret Fire was not made fully clear. In that work Tolkien wrote:
Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashion the theme of Ilúvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the places of the dwelling of Ilúvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void. Never since have the Ainur made any music like to this music, though it has been said that a greater still shall be made before Ilúvatar by the choirs of the Ainur and the Children of Ilúvatar after the end of days. Then the themes of Ilúvatar shall be played aright, and take Being in the moment of their utterance, for all shall then understand fully his intent in their part, and each shall know the comprehension of each, and Ilúvatar shall give to their thoughts the secret fire, being well pleased.
It may be significant that “secret fire” is not capitalized here — or that could simply be an oversight on the part of either J.R.R. or Christopher Tolkien. The only other clear reference to the Secret Fire in The Silmarillion is provided in “Valaquenta”, where Tolkien writes:
In the beginning Eru, the One, who in the Elvish tongue is named Ilúvatar, made the Ainur of his thought; and they made a great Music before him. In this Music the World was begun; for Ilúvatar made visible the song of the Ainur, and they beheld it as a light in the darkness. And many among them became enamoured of its beauty, and of its history which they saw beginning and unfolding as in a vision. Therefore Ilúvatar gave to their vision Being, and set it amid the Void, and the Secret Fire was sent to burn at the heart of the World; and it was called Eä.
What Is the Secret Fire?
On the basis of the agreement between this passage and another (from “Ainulindale: The Music of the Ainur”) we know that the Secret Fire is the Flame Imperishable:
Then there was unrest among the Ainur; but Ilúvatar called to them, and said: ‘I know the desire of your minds that what ye have seen should verily be, not only in your thought, but even as ye yourselves are, and yet other. Therefore I say: Eä! Let these things Be! And I will send forth into the Void the Flame Imperishable, and it shall be at the heart of the World, and the World shall Be; and those of you that will may go down into it.’ And suddenly the Ainur saw afar off a light, as it were a cloud with a living heart of flame; and they knew that this was no vision only, but that Ilúvatar had made a new thing: Eä, the World that Is.
Many commentators seem to accept the identification of the Flame Imperishable with the Holy Spirit, or at least with an aspect of God that is both compatible with Tolkien’s Catholic sensibilities and purposeful within his cosmogony.
Hence, when Gandalf said he was a servant of the Secret Fire he was claiming to be a loyal and faithful servant of Ilúvatar — one of the faithful Ainur who had not rebelled and followed Melkor into darkness.
What is the Flame of Anor?
The Flame of Anor, however, cannot be the Secret Fire because Gandalf claims to wield it — that is, it answers to him. No Ainu would be capable of commanding the Flame Imperishable, so the Secret Fire must be something different from the Flame of Anor. But Gandalf also says to the Balrog: “The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn.” He juxtaposes the Flame of Anor with the “dark fire” that the Balrog wields. The Flame of Anor may therefore be the pure light and fire such as is provided by the Sun (also called Anor in Sindarin). That is, Gandalf may have been telling the Balrog that he was capable of fighting fire with fire, only his fire was pure like that of the Sun.
Could the Secret Fire Be Narya?
Some people have also suggested that Gandalf may have been referring obliquely to Narya, the Ring of Fire, which at that time was in his keeping. However the Keepers of the Three were sworn to not reveal their locations, so it seems unlikely Gandalf would have wanted to suggest to the Balrog that he was wielding a Ring of Power. Gandalf was already well-known for wielding fire, and he had displayed some part of this power earlier in the story, as when he lit the bundle of wood to start a fire on the mountainside during the snow storm.
Nor does the name of Narya imply any kind of secret, although the Rings of Power were kept secret for thousands of years.
Conclusion
To sum up, Gandalf was telling the Balrog that he was one of the Ainur – a servant of God, who was the only person who could wield the Flame Imperishable. As for wielding the flame of anor, I think he really meant to tell the Balrog that he (Gandalf) was also capable of wielding (and enduring) the powerful flames that a fire spirit normally wielded.
Gandalf was claiming to be a match for the Balrog’s power. And in the end, that is exactly what he proved to be.
See also
What Was the Source of Gandalf’s Fireworks?
Who Were the Spirits from Afar That Yavanna Summoned?
Why Would Melkor and Sauron Rebel Against Ilúvatar?
Count, Count, Weigh, Divide (Classic Essay)
Shhh! It’s A Secret Ring! (Classic Essay)
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Hmm… Plato, simile (or metaphor) of the Sun Republic 507b.
It is an extended parallel, summed up in the idea of an “inner light” (the divine light) which illuminates the mind and gives us the power of understanding, just as the Sun lights up a landscape. The “flame of Anor” is actual fire, Gandalf style, while the “secret fire” is its analogue on the higher plane.
“Dark fire” is worrying; it sounds like a metaphysical opposite number to the “secret fire.” Even if it doesn’t “avail” i.e. help the Balrog, it’s awfully Manichean – but a good line!