Vanyar

From Tolkien Gateway
Vanyar
People
Marya Filatova - Indis of the Vanyar.jpg
"Indis of the Vanyar" by Marya Filatova
General Information
PronunciationQ. [ˈvaɲar]
Other namesMinyar (Q), Minil (S), Vaniai (T), Light-elves, Fair-elves
LocationsOiolossë; Valimar
AffiliationHost of the Valar
LanguagesQuenya (Vanyarin dialect)
MembersImin, Iminyë, Ingwë, Indis, Elemmírë, Amarië, and others
Physical Description
LifespanImmortal
DistinctionsMost revered of the Three Kindreds, loved by Manwë
Average heightTall
Hair colorGolden
Skin colorPale
GalleryImages of Vanyar
"The smallest host and the first to set forth was led by Ingwë, the most high lord of all the Elvish race. He entered into Valinor and sits at the feet of the Powers, and all Elves revere his name; but he came never back, nor looked again upon Middle-earth. The Vanyar were his people; they are the Fair Elves, the beloved of Manwë and Varda, and few among Men have spoken with them."
The Silmarillion, "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"

The Vanyar are one of the three groups of High Elves, along with the Noldor, and some of the Teleri (more specifically, the Falmari). They are the fairest of the Amanyar.

History[edit | edit source]

According to legend, the clan was founded by Imin, the first Elf to awake in Cuiviénen, his wife Iminyë, and their twelve companions. At this time, they were called the Minyar (Quenya "first ones").

However, it was Ingwë, the first Vanya to travel with Oromë to Valinor, who became their king. Always eager to reach Valinor, none of the Vanyar refused to go and were on the vanguard of the Great March; they reached Beleriand first and sailed on the first voyage of Tol Eressëa with the Noldor.[1]

At first the Vanyar dwelt in Tirion with the Noldor, but they loved the light of the Two Trees of Valinor and settled in the plains and woods of Valinor or the slopes of Taniquetil.[2] Their King Ingwë became the High King of the Elves and lived on Taniquetil beneath the halls of Manwë.[2]

After the release of Melkor, they were suspicious of him, being content within the Light of Valinor.[3] In the Darkening of Valinor they were next to the Valar and Maiar inside the Ring of Doom.[4]

A notable Vanya was Indis, the second wife of Finwë and mother of Fingolfin and Finarfin. Her second son Finarfin inherited her golden hair and passed it on to his children, including Galadriel. Nearly all full-blooded Vanyar were content to remain in Valinor and few were ever seen in Middle-earth,[1] as they only returned with the Host of Valinor for the War of Wrath.[5] The only named full Vanya known to have left Valinor against the will of the Valar was Elenwë, the wife of Turgon, who perished crossing the Helcaraxë and never reached the shores of Middle-earth.[6] Her daughter Idril, who survived the crossing, had the greatest share of Vanyarin blood of any named Exile, being five-eighths Vanyar.

Characteristics[edit | edit source]

The Vanyar were the first and smallest clan of the Elves, being only fourteen in number in their beginning.[7] All among them had golden hair. They were the most beloved by Manwë and Varda[1][2] and the Elder King gave them his gift of poetry and song.[8]

In the War of Wrath they held white banners[5] and it is said they preferred spears instead of swords and bows.[9]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The name Vanyar means "the Fair" in Quenya, referring to their golden hair. It seems to be from a primitive Elvish form bányâ[10][11] (stem BAN) but also from wanjâ (stem WAN)[12]. The Telerin cognate is Vaniai.[13]

The name was probably given to them by the Noldor, who loved gold and thus thought their hair to be a beautiful feature. The term probably originated around the time of the Sundering, if somewhat later. The Vanyar accepted it, but continued to refer to themselves as Minyar.[14]:503-6

Other names[edit | edit source]

The Vanyar called themselves Minyar, "the Firsts", their ancient name. Another name was Ingar or Ingwer which means "Chieftains" (etymologically related to the name Ingwë).[source?]

In Sindarin they were called Minil (singular Miniel).[13]

The Vanyar were also known under the name "Fair-elves",[1] from the fair colour of their hair.[15] They were also known as the "Light-elves".[16]

In an early form of the Legendarium, they are also called the "Spear-elves" for their love of spears, as opposed to the sword and shield of the Noldor and the bow and arrow of the Solosimpi.[9]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In the earliest versions of Tolkien's Legendarium (see: The Book of Lost Tales Part One), the first clan was called Teleri and Lindar, names that later were given to the third clan instead (the Elves known as Teleri in the published version of The Silmarillion were called Solosimpi back then).

In the Lhammas (1930s), Ingwi was a name for an early conception of the Lindar; this name reappeared only once, years later, in the late manuscript The Shibboleth of Fëanor (ca. 1968), as Christopher Tolkien notes.[17]

Elves
(Quendi · People of the Stars · Firstborn · Elder Kindred)
Three Kindreds:
(Eldar · Eldalië · Edhil)
 Vanyar (Fair-elves · Minyar) · Noldor (Deep-elves · Tatyar) · Teleri (Lindar · Nelyar)
Calaquendi:
(High-elves · Amanyar)
 Vanyar · Noldor · Falmari
Úmanyar:  Sindar (Grey-elves · Eglath · Falathrim) · Nandor (Green-elves · Silvan Elves)
 Moriquendi:  Úmanyar · Avari (Cuind · Hwenti · Kindi · Kinn-lai · Penni · Windan)
See also:  Awakening of the Elves · Sundering of the Elves · Great Journey

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Darkening of Valinor"
  5. 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Flight of the Noldor"
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Four. Quendi and Eldar" p. 381
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Of the Valar"
  9. 9.0 9.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, VI. Quenta Silmarillion", p. 215 footnote to §29
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", p. 351
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, p. 402
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, p. 383
  13. 13.0 13.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Four. Quendi and Eldar", p. 383
  14. {{WJ|C}
  15. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names", Vanyar
  16. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Flies and Spiders"
  17. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", pp. 332, 356 (note 3)