But Leaf by Niggle can also be interpreted as an illustration of Tolkien's religious philosophy of creation and sub-creation.https://taylor.on.worldcat.org/oclc/825560650 Creation and Sub-creation in Leaf by Niggle J. Samuel Hammond and Marie K. Hammond, published in Inklings Forever, Volume VII, A Collection of Essays Presented at the Seventh Frances White Colloquium on C.S. Lewis & Friends, Taylor University 2010 Upland, Indiana In this philosophy, true creation is the exclusive province of 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.
