Vána
Vána | |
---|---|
Vala | |
"The Ever Young" by Elena Kukanova | |
Biographical Information | |
Other names | the Ever-young |
Titles | A Queen of the Valar(Valie) |
Location | Valinor |
Affiliation | Melian, Arien |
Family | |
Siblings | Yavanna |
Spouse | Oromë |
Physical Description | |
Gender | Female |
Hair color | Golden[1] |
Weaponry | Powers of the Valar |
Gallery | Images of Vána |
Vána (Q: "Beauty", pron. [ˈvaːna]) or Wána (Vanyarin, [ˈwaːna]) was the name of a Valië who was also called "the Ever-young".
Attributes
Vána was the younger sister of the Valie Yavanna and the spouse of the Vala Oromë. Vána was responsible for the preserving of youth made for all life in Arda. "All flowers spring as she passes and open if she glances upon them; and all birds sing at her coming."[2] Vána robed herself in flowers and she had the beauty of both heaven and earth upon her face and in all her works.[3] Among other things, the Valie Vána had golden hair.[4]
History
Vána dwelt in gardens filled with golden flowers and often came to the forests of her spouse Oromë. In the Days of the Two Trees of Valinor, the Maia maiden Arien, before she came to carry the Vessel of the Sun had served Vána, tending to the golden flowers of the gardens of Vána by watering them with the bright dews from the great Tree Laurelin. Melian was another Maia who initially served Vána before she departed to Middle-earth.[5]
After the Darkening of Valinor and the flight of the Noldor to Middle-Earth, most of the Valar were glad to have their ancient peace back, wishing neither the rumors of Melkor and his violence nor the murmur of the restless Noldor to come upon them again. Thus for such reasons, they clamored for the concealment of their land Aman. It was said that Vána was one among them.[6]
Other versions of the legendarium
In the early origins of the great Two Trees of Valinor, Vána played a formative role in the growth of the great Tree Laurelin: "Then was the pit covered with rich earths that Palúrien(Yavanna) devised, and Vána came who loveth life and sunlight and at whose song the flowers arise and open, and the murmur of her maidens round her was like to the merry noise of the folk that stir abroad for the first time on a bright morning. There sang she the song of spring upon the mound, and danced about it, and watered it with great streams of that golden light that Ulmo had brought from the spilled lakes--yet was Kulullin almost o'erflowing at the end."[7]
In the earliest form of the mythology, Vána and Oromë had the daughter Nielíqui.[8]
In the older version of History of Middle-earth, Tolkien wrote that even when the spells of Vána's sister Yavanna failed to heal the wounds of the Two Trees, Vána's love for the great Golden Tree Laurelin was so great that it caused the tree's remaining power to blossom in the form of a fruit of gold from which the Valar later fashioned in the making of the Sun.[9]
Genealogy
Aulë | Yavanna | VÁNA | Oromë | Nessa | Tulkas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
References
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol.1: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "The Hiding of Valinor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Valaquenta, "Of the Valar"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol.10: Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Valar"
- ↑ The History of Middle-Earth, Vol.1: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "The Hiding of Valinor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Valaquenta, "Of the Maiar"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol.2: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "The Fall of Gondolin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "III. The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Index, p. 288
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "VIII. The Tale of the Sun and Moon"
Ainur | ||
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Valar | Lords | Manwë · Ulmo · Aulë · Oromë · Mandos · Irmo · Tulkas · |
Valier | Varda · Yavanna · Nienna · Estë · Vairë · Vána · Nessa | |
Maiar | Arien · Blue Wizards · Eönwë · Gandalf · Ilmarë · Melian · Ossë · Radagast · Salmar · Saruman · Tilion · Uinen | |
Úmaiar | Sauron · Balrogs (Gothmog · Durin's Bane) · Boldogs | |
Concepts and locations | Almaren · Aratar (indicated in italics) · Creation of the Ainur · Fana · Máhanaxar · Ainulindalë · Order of Wizards (indicated in bold) · Second Music of the Ainur · Timeless Halls · Valarin · Valinor · Valimar |