Oromë

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Oromë
Vala
Ralph Damiani - Orome.png
"Orome" by Ralph Damiani
Biographical Information
Other namesArōmēz (V)
Araw (S)
Arum (NS)
Aldaron (Q)
Tauron (S)
Béma (R)
PositionLord of Forests
LocationHouse of Oromë, Woods of Oromë
AffiliationThe Valar
Notable fordiscovering the Elves
Family
SiblingsNessa
SpouseVána
Physical Description
GenderMale
WeaponrySpear and bow
SteedNahar
GalleryImages of Oromë
"Oromë is a mighty lord. If he is less strong than Tulkas, he is more dreadful in anger."
The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Of the Valar"

Oromë was a Vala and one of the Aratar,[1] also known as the Huntsman of the Valar[2] and the Great Rider[3]. He is considered one of the more powerful of the Valar.[1]

Attributes[edit | edit source]

Oromë was a hunter of monsters and evil creatures, riding on his steed Nahar, and blowing his great horn Valaróma. He loved horses and hounds as well as all trees and forests. In Yavanna's woods in Valinor, he trained his folk and beasts to hunt the evil creatures of Melkor.[1] He hunted all foul beasts of Morgoth, and when he blew his horn, all would know that the woods had been purged.[4] Oromë was known for his terrible wrath, in contrast to Tulkas, who laughed often.[1]

Oromë was the brother of Nessa and the husband of Vána.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

Orome Hunts the Monsters of Morgoth by Kip Rasmussen

During the Years of the Trees, after most of the Valar had withdrawn completely from Middle-earth and hidden themselves in Aman, Oromë was the last who came to Valinor, and even then he still hunted in the forests of Middle-earth on occasion.[1] He visited Middle-earth during the Sleep of Yavanna, hunting monsters and fell creatures and the shadows fled temporarily until he left.[5]

Thus, he was responsible for finding the Elves when they awoke at Cuiviénen, and was the first to name them the Eldar. Seeking to ensure their safety, Oromë accompanied the Elves from Cuiviénen to Beleriand. Being a powerful huntsman, he was active in the struggles against Morgoth, who feared Oromë in his anger. Morgoth went so far as to raise the Misty Mountains as an impediment to Oromë's riding.[3]

After the destruction of the Two Trees of Valinor, Oromë led his host in pursuit of Morgoth and Ungoliant. However, they were thwarted by Ungoliant's unlight.[6]

Because Oromë was the only Vala who travelled in Middle-earth during the Elder Days, it was believed, even during the Third Age that the wild oxen found near the Sea of Rhun descended from his Kine.[7]

Legacy[edit | edit source]

In the aftermath of the Dagor Bragollach, Fingolfin rode to Angband alone to challenge Morgoth to single combat. Those who saw him thought Oromë himself had arrived; for a great madness of rage was upon him, so that his eyes shone like the eyes of the Valar.[8]

During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in the Third Age, King Théoden displayed a drive and ferocity comparable to that of Oromë.[9]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The name Oromë is said to be derived from his Valarin name Arōmēz.[10]

His name is translated as "Horn-blowing" and "Sound of Horns".[11]

Other names[edit | edit source]

Araw was the Sindarin form of the name of the Oromë,[12][13] while its North Sindarin form was Arum.[10]

Tauron was an epithet used by the Sindar for Oromë.[14][15] In the Valaquenta, Tauron is translated as "Lord of Forests".[14] Another translation is "The Forester".[16][15] The language, to which the name pertains, remains non-explicit in Tolkien's texts:

  1. Quenya word? The root of the word could be taure ("great wood") plus the ending -on. The name would thus have the sense "One of forests".[17]
  2. Sindarin word? This would be suggested by its usage among the Sindar and by the Noldorin form it replaced (see below).

Béma was the name used by the Northmen for Oromë. As the great huntsman and horseman of the Valar, he and his steed Nahar were known to the horse-loving people of Rohan, who claimed that their great horses, the Mearas, had ancestors brought out of the West by Béma himself.[18] The name Béma is also from the tongue of Rohan (Tolkien was inspired by the Old English word béme "trumpet").[19]

Tolkien used at least two earlier forms of the by-name Tauron:

  1. Tavros - the form Tauros replaced - used in such early texts as the Lay of Leithian.[20] The name is Gnomish, defined as "Chief wood fay 'the Blue Spirit of the Woods'".[21][22][note 1]
  2. Tauros - the form Tauron replaced - is a Noldorin word defined in the Etymologies as meaning "Forest-Dread" (roots TÁWAR + GOS).[23]

In Eriol's Old English translations, Oromë is referred to as Wáðfréa "Huntinglord", Huntena fréa "Hunting Lord and Lord of Hunters" and Wealdafréa "Lord of Forests". The name Béaming is a translation of Q. Aldaron.[24]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aulë
 
Yavanna
 
Vána
 
OROMË
 
Nessa
 
Tulkas
 
 
 
 


Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In the earliest form of the legendarium Oromë was described as the son of Aulë and Yavanna whilst having the daughter Nielíqui with Vána.[25] (Nessa was already his sister; see Valarindi, Children of the Valar)

Notes

  1. The form Tavros cited here from the Gnomish Lexicon, is defined as a "proper name". The form tavros (with a minuscule t) is defined as "forest, wooded land".

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Of the Valar"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion", note 1 of p. 1039
  3. 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Sindar"
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Beginning of Days"
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Darkening of Valinor"
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion", Stewards of Gondor, footnote after Vorondil the Hunter, p. 1039
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Ride of the Rohirrim", p. 838
  10. 10.0 10.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Four. Quendi and Eldar: Appendix D. *Kwen, Quenya, and the Elvish (especially Ñoldorin) words for 'Language': Note on the 'Language of the Valar'", p. 400
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Qenya Noun Structure", in Parma Eldalamberon XXI (edited by Christopher Gilson, Patrick H. Wynne and Arden R. Smith), pp. 82, 85
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 96
  13. J.R.R. Tolkien, "From Quendi and Eldar, Appendix D" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 39, July 1998, p. 10
  14. 14.0 14.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names"
  15. 15.0 15.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", p. 358 (note 21)
  16. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names"
  17. Suggestion by User:Sage
  18. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl"
  19. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 153
  20. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, passim
  21. J.R.R. Tolkien, "I-Lam na-Ngoldathon: The Grammar and Lexicon of the Gnomish Tongue", in Parma Eldalamberon XI (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne), p. 69
  22. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I, p. 267
  23. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", p. 391
  24. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: Appendix 1: Fragments of a translation of The Quenta Noldorinwa into Old English, made by Ælfwine or Eriol; together with Old English equivalents of Elvish names"
  25. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Index, p. 288
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