Sylphs: Difference between revisions
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([[The Lay of Leithian]], 4077-9) | ([[The Lay of Leithian]], 4077-9) | ||
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'''Sylphs''' were creatures | '''Sylphs''' were creatures about which not much is known, other than nomenclature by the [[Eldar]].<ref name=LT1-66>{{LT1|III}}, p. 66</ref><ref>{{LB|C13}}, pp. 301, 306 (§4077-9)</ref> | ||
==Characteristics and divisions== | ==Characteristics and divisions== | ||
Revision as of 21:55, 19 August 2012
whose wings in Varda's heavenly hall
in rythmic movement beat and fall
(The Lay of Leithian, 4077-9)
Sylphs were creatures about which not much is known, other than nomenclature by the Eldar.[1][2]
Characteristics and divisions
The sylphs were part of what apparently was a three-fold division of the lesser Ainu spirits: sylphs (spirits of the air), sprites (spirits of the earth), and water spirits.[1]
Manwë had "two clans of air-spirits",[3] a basic division of two groups of sylphs which, with their Elvish names, are given as follow:
- Qenya Mánir (or Mānir[4]): "spirits of the air";[5] Gnomish môna or môni[3]
- Qenya Súruli/Sūruli, also Suluthrim) (sing. Sūru): "spirits of the winds"; Gnomish Sulus (pl. Sulussin)[3][5]
An individual Súruli mentioned by name was Ilinsor, steersman of the Moon. Ilinsor "loved the snows and the starlight and aided Varda in many of her works".[6]
Commentary
It has been suggested that the concept "air spirits" is used "metaphorically [...] for the winds that these spirits govern".[7]
The later legendarium
As the sylphs are not mentioned in later versions of the legendarium, it might be that Tolkien envisioned these creatures as the "servants and helpers" of the Maiar (mentioned in later versions of Elven chronicles)[8] — lesser spirits that would have remained in Middle-earth (and would thus perhaps be equivalent to the Faeries). As Tolkien never cared to elaborate much on these "lesser Maiar" in the texts used by his son Christopher when preparing the published The Silmarillion, one could speculate on how much Tolkien would have retained or rejected of this earlier conception.
See also
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 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", p. 66
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "III. The Lay of Leithian: Canto XIII (Beren and Lúthien in Angband)", pp. 301, 306 (§4077-9)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 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), pp. 57, 68
- ↑ 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. 31
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Index
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "VIII. The Tale of the Sun and Moon", pp. 192-5
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Early Elvish Poetry and Pre-Fëanorian Alphabets", in Parma Eldalamberon XVI (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, Carl F. Hostetter and Bill Welden), p. 59
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Of the Maiar"
| Legendary races of Arda | |
| Animals: | Dumbledors · Gorcrows · Hummerhorns · Pards · Swans of Gorbelgod · Turtle-fish |
|---|---|
| Dragon-kind: | Sea-serpents · Spark-dragons · Were-worms |
| Evil Races: | Ettens · Giants · Half-trolls · Hobgoblins · Ogres · Snow-trolls · Two-headed Trolls |
| Other: | Badger-folk · Great beasts · Lintips · Mewlips · Nameless things · Spectres |
| Individuals: | Talking Gurthang · Talking purse · The Hunter · Lady of the Sun · Lonely Troll · Man in the Moon · The Rider · River-woman · Tarlang · Tim · Tom · White cow |
