Tolkien Gateway

Spirits (creatures)

The name Spirit refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Spirit (disambiguation).

Spirits refers to beings whose nature in essence were of non-corporeality.

[edit] Groups

[edit] The Ainur

Before Eä, Eru created the spirits known as the Ainur, the Holy Ones. The greater were called Valar and the lesser Maiar.[1]

Some of the spirits were associated with a certain element, or physical phenomenon:

  • Air spirits: Spirits shaped like hawks and eagles delivered messages to Manwë as he sat in his throne in Ilmarin upon Taniquetil.[2]
  • Fire spirits: The Maia Arien is said to have been "from the beginning a spirit of fire".[3] Melkor seduced some of the fire spirits, which became known as the Balrogs.[4]
  • Water spirits: A host of spirits followed Ulmo to maintain the waters of Arda, of whom the Maiar Ossë and Uinen were the greatest.[5] Perhaps Salmar, and Goldberry and the River-woman were such water spirits.
  • Shadow spirits: It is told that Morgoth sent "spirits of shadow" against Tilion, as he hated the light of the Sun and Moon.[3]

[edit] Evil spirits

All Ainur originally adhered to Eru, but the Vala Melkor became corrupted and fell from the grace of Eru.[1] Melkor "gathered to himself spirits out of the voids of Eä that he had perverted to his service", and these became known as the Úmaiar or demons.[6]

In the late Third Age, spirits of "evil vigilance" are said to have abode in the Two Watchers.[7] The Barrow-wights are furthermore said to be evil spirits who had entered in deserted mounds, stirring the bones of the dead.[8]

[edit] Names

In Quenya, a collective name for the spirits were ëalar.[9]

[edit] Other versions of the legendarium

In an early version of Tolkien's mythology, tiny, gleaming spirits appear dancing in a poem about Tavrobel.[10]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Account of the Valar and Maiar According to the Lore of the Eldar"
  2. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Beginning of Days"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"
  4. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Of the Enemies"
  5. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Beginning of Days" ("Salmar came with [Ulmo] to Arda, [...] and Ossë and Uinen also, to whom he gave the government of the waves and the movements of the Inner Seas, and many other spirits beside.")
  6. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Two. The Annals of Aman", pp. 53 (§17), 79 (commentary to §30)
  7. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"
  8. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"
  9. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Three. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: (I) The First Phase: 3. Of the Coming of the Elves", p. 165 (commentary on §18)
  10. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Christina Scull & Wayne G. Hammond (eds), The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Once upon a Time and An Evening in Tavrobel", pp. 284-5>
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