The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 mentions the Secret Fire—the oldest and most mysterious piece of Lord of the Rings lore. J.R.R. Tolkien expanded his fantasy universe far beyond Frodo’s story, establishing a foundation that allowed for a more complex tale than what readers saw on the surface. Since Prime Video’s Rings of Power series is set thousands of years before the War of the Ring, about halfway through the Second Age, it makes sense that it would contain some deep-cut references to the more elusive aspects of Middle-earth history—especially now that Tom Bombadil is involved.

The Stranger, an Istar sent to Middle-earth to aid in the fight against Sauron, has run into Tom Bombadil in The Rings of Power season 2. This strange Lord of the Rings character will assist the Stranger in understanding his destiny by helping him learn to wield a staff and, therefore, command magic. As the pair work toward this goal in episode 6, Bombadil frequently references the Secret Fire, indicating that it would whisper to the Stranger if he learned to listen. In classic Tom Bombadil fashion, he doesn’t explain what this means. Thankfully, Tolkien’s works provide more answers.

The Secret Fire Is Literally The Power Of Creation In Lord Of The Rings

All Life In Middle-earth & Beyond Comes From The Secret Fire

The Secret Fire, also called the Flame Imperishable, is the essence and power of creation in Lord of the Rings. It’s the force that gives living, sentient beings the ability of free will, and true life cannot be created without it. The god of Lord of the Rings, Eru Ilúvatar, was the only being capable of wielding the Secret Flame since it is said to be a part of him—he is the Flame Imperishable, and the Secret Flame is him. Ilúvatar sent this flame to the earth’s core as well. So, not only did it burn as part of the fëar (soul) of every living being, but it served as the burning soul of the world itself.

The power of actual creation was a highly coveted thing in Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien indicated in The Silmarillion precisely what would happen if a supreme being attempted to create life without the Secret Fire. One of Ilúvatar’s Vala, Aulë, was desperate to create beings he could watch over and love since the Children of Ilúavatar, Elves and Men, had not yet woken up in Middle-earth. So, he used earth and stone to create Dwarves. Because he didn’t possess the Secret Fire, his creations were lifeless and could only move, talk, and think when Aulë consciously puppetted them.

When Ilúvatar saw what Aulë had done, he chastised him. However, he saw that the Vala’s intentions were good, and as a gift, he granted the Dwarves true life with the Flame Imperishable. This demonstrated how there could be no conscious life in Middle-earth without Ilúvatar’s direct involvement. This was a fact that Melkor, another of Ilúvatar’s Vala, could not wrap his mind around, and it was for precisely this reason that he became the villain Morgoth—Middle-earth’s first Dark Lord.

The Secret Fire Was A Major Reason Morgoth Became A Villain

Melkor Coveted The Power Of Creation

Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook

Ilúvatar himself was the only being capable of creating true life, and he created the Ainur (the Valar and the Maiar) to assist in the execution. This made them all naturally passionate about creation. They were musicians and artists, but the songs and sculptures they crafted were the earth and its features. Still, this wasn’t enough for Melkor, who desired the true power of creation. He spent endless centuries searching for Ilúvatar’s Secret Fire, never understanding that it was within the god of Lord of the Rings himself. The more he searched and failed to create life, the angrier Melkor became.

Eventually, Melkor resorted to the closest he could get to creating life. When the Children of Ilúvatar woke up in Middle-earth, he found and captured some and began distorting them into creatures of his own. They were still technically Ilúvatar’s creations—their souls were part of the Secret Fire. However, their bodies and minds had become something new. In Rings of Power, Adar is one of the Elves that Melkor had captured and tormented to be a mockery of Ilúvatar’s children. This is one of Tolkien’s possible origins for the Orcs of The Lord of the Rings.

The Rings Of Power Hints The Secret Fire Is The Wizards’ Source Of Magic

Tom Bombadil Implies The Stranger’s Power Comes From The Secret Fire

It’s always been clear that the Secret Fire is innately connected to the concept of the soul in The Lord of the Rings, but a great deal about this force is still a mystery. This naturally allows Rings of Power room for creative liberty. Tom Bombadil implies in season 2, episode 6 that the Secret Fire is something like the voice of a god, which can be heard from within by those ready to hear it (like the Holy Spirit of Christianity). Additionally, Old Tom implies that this flame is what gives the wizards of The Lord of the Rings their magic. While this is never confirmed by Tolkien, it makes some sense.

Since all things come from Ilúvatar in The Lord of the Rings , and the Secret Fire is of Eru, it’s fairly reasonable to say that this is where the Stranger and other wizards’ power comes from.

Since all things come from Ilúvatar in The Lord of the Rings, and the Secret Fire is of Eru, it’s fairly reasonable to say that this is where the Stranger and other wizards’ power comes from. In Rings of Power season 2, episode 6, the Stranger asked Tom Bombadil how he could “master” his powers, to which old Tom answered, “What does the Secret Fire need with you as a Master?” The implication is that evil Istari, like the Dark Wizard (and later Saruman), gained the belief that they commanded their powers. Since evil in Middle-earth began with Melkor’s desire to command the Secret Fire, this all ties together nicely.

Why Gandalf Called Himself A Servant Of The Secret Fire In Fellowship Of The Ring

Gandalf Understood His Place In Iluvatar’s Plan

The idea that the Secret Fire is the source of an Istar’s power connects well to Gandalf’s big Lord of the Rings death as well. Tom Bombadil implies in Rings of Power that the Stranger will only have fluid access to magic once he understands that he is not the master of the Secret Fire but that the Flame is the master of him. This is precisely what Gandalf said when facing the Balrog in Fellowship of the Ring. He commanded the beast—who would have once been a Maia like himself and other wizards—to back down, calling himself the “servant of the Secret Fire”:

“‘You cannot pass,’ he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. “I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.”

Gandalf acknowledges that he serves the Secret Fire in Lord of the Rings, and while this doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the source of power, it allows Rings of Power‘s narrative to fit in smoothly. The wizards’ statement also foreshadows his resurrection since it was Ilúvatar who sent him back as Gandalf the White—something only possible because of the Secret Fire and Gandalf’s understanding of his place in the Greater Plan. It’s what made the wizard the perfect enemy to Sauron in The Lord of the Rings. If the Stranger learns the same lesson in Rings of Power, he will soon be a powerful force against evil.