Taistelun tuoksinassa tapahtunutta: haavoittuminen

Tik sanoi:

Hoitaessaan Frodoa Morian jälkeen Aragorn sanoo: "Haavassa ei ole myrkkyä, kuten örkin miekan jättämissä haavoissa usein on." (TSH I/2.6., s. 350).

Hämmentävää kyllä, en ole löytänyt muita kohtia, joissa viitattaisiin siihen, että örkit sivelivät miekkansa/keihäänsä/nuolensa myrkyllä. Sellaisia tosin saattaa olla. Myrkyn lajista ei myöskään ole tietoa.

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Vuonna 2509 ka. Celebrían joutui örkkien väijytykseen Punasarven solassa ollessaan matkalla Lothlórieniin. Hänet vangittiin ja häntä kidutettiin. Elladan ja Elrohir pelastivat hänet, mutta hän oli saanut myrkyllisen haavan jonka Elrond paransi Rivendellissä.

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The main explicit reference to this is a note given in the Maeglin materials in History of Middle-earth 11, which was added to the text by Tolkien at some time after writing it, but which was not included in the published Silmarillion:

For the Eldar never used any poison, not even against their most cruel enemies, beast, ork, or man; and they were filled with shame and horror that Eöl should have meditated this evil deed.

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The second reference is note 9 to the Druedain material in Unfinished Tales, concerning use of poison by the Druedain:

They had a law against the use of all poisons for the hurt of any living creatures, even those who had done them injury – save only Orcs, whose poisoned darts they countered with others more deadly.

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The third statement is in Letter 153 in The Letters of JRR Tolkien, which is a draft letter. It's not clear if a letter based on this draft was ever sent, and if so whether or not it included this statement (or something similar).

I should regard them as no more wicked or foolish (but in much the same peril) as Catholics engaged in certain kinds of physical research (e.g. those producing, if only as by-products, poisonous gases and explosives): things not necessarily evil, but which, things being as they are, and the nature and motives of the economic masters who provide all the means for their work being as they are, are pretty certain to serve evil ends.

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This makes it clear what Tolkien's own opinion is: poison is necessarily not in itself evil, but is almost certain to be used for evil purposes.

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