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The '''Valar''' are the ''Powers of Arda'' who live on the Western continent of [[Aman]].
{{Transcribed|Valar_tengwar.png|Valar|Tengwar, Quenya mode}}
 
The '''Valar''' ([[Quenya]], sg."''Vala''") are the ''Powers of Arda'' who live on the Western continent of [[Aman]].


The Valar were the fourteen powerful spirits of the [[Races|race]] of the [[Ainur]] who entered [[Arda]] after its creation to give order to the world and combat the evils of [[Melkor]]. They dwelt originally on the Isle of [[Almaren]], but after its destruction, long before the Awakening of the [[Elves]], they moved to [[Aman]] and founded [[Valinor]].
The Valar were the fourteen powerful spirits of the [[Races|race]] of the [[Ainur]] who entered [[Arda]] after its creation to give order to the world and combat the evils of [[Melkor]]. They dwelt originally on the Isle of [[Almaren]], but after its destruction, long before the Awakening of the [[Elves]], they moved to [[Aman]] and founded [[Valinor]].

Revision as of 09:09, 25 July 2006

Valar
Tengwar, Quenya mode

The Valar (Quenya, sg."Vala") are the Powers of Arda who live on the Western continent of Aman.

The Valar were the fourteen powerful spirits of the race of the Ainur who entered Arda after its creation to give order to the world and combat the evils of Melkor. They dwelt originally on the Isle of Almaren, but after its destruction, long before the Awakening of the Elves, they moved to Aman and founded Valinor.

They were the greatest of the Ainur who witnessed the Vision of Ilúvatar and so came to create Arda. Melkor came to Arda to claim it for his own.

Manwë and Melkor fought, and Manwë called other spirits to help him in his battle. Among these were the other Valar and the Maiar. Melkor withdrew from the battle, and the others continued their creation of the World. But Melkor saw this, and returned to fight for control of Arda.

The Valar have no fixed shape, but often take the shapes of Men and Elves, or they can remain invisible.

The Valar are not Gods, though Men often mistake them as such. They are actually emissaries or regents of Ilúvatar, the monotheistic God of the world, who rarely directly intervenes in the world's course of events.

Names

These are the names of the Valar as they were known to the Eldar. In Middle-earth, they were known by other names of Sindarin origin; for example they called Varda Elbereth. Men knew them by many other names, and sometimes worshipped them as Gods. The Dwarves called Aulë, their creator, Mahal. It should be noted that, with the exception of Oromë, the names listed below are not actual names but rather titles: the true names of the Valar are nowhere recorded. Male Valar are called "Lords of the Valar"; females are called "Queens of the Valar," or Valier.

Lords of the Valar

Queens of the Valar (Valier)

  • Varda Elentári, Queen of the Stars, wife of Manwë
  • Yavanna Kementári (Palùrien), Giver of Fruits, wife of Aulë
  • Nienna, Lady of Mercy
  • Estë the Gentle
  • Vairë the Weaver
  • Vána the Ever-young
  • Nessa the Dancer

Other names

The Aratar (Sindarin: Exalted) or High Ones of Arda are the eight greatest of the Valar: Manwë, Varda, Ulmo, Yavanna, Aulë, Mandos, Nienna, and Oromë. Melkor, the most powerful of all, is not counted among them.

Lórien and Mandos are brothers and are referred to collectively as the Fëanturi or "Masters of Spirits".

Relationships between the Valar

Ilúvatar brought the Valar (and all of the Ainur) into being by his thought, and may therefore be considered their father. However, not all of the Valar are siblings; where this is held to be so it is because they are so "in the thought of Ilúvatar".

It was the Valar who first practiced marriage, and later passed on their custom to the Elves. However only one such marriage among the Valar took place within the world, that of Tulkas and Nessa after the raising of the Two Lamps.

                                       Ilúvatar  
                                      ||||||||||_____________________________________________
  ____________________________________|||||||||____________________________________         |  
  |           _________________________|||||||________________________            |         |  
  |           |           ______________|||||_______________         |            |         |
  |           |           |     _________|||__________     |         |            |         |
  |    _______|_______    |     |      ___|_____     |     |      ___|____     ___|____     |
  |    |      |      |    |     |      |       |     |     |      |      |     |      |     |
Vairë=Námo  Nienna  Irmo=Estë  Ulmo  Melkor  Manwë=Varda  Aulë=Yavanna  Vána=Oromë  Nessa=Tulkas

See also


Ainur
Valar Lords Manwë · Ulmo · Aulë · Oromë · Mandos · Irmo · Tulkas · Melkor
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