The Encyclopedia of Arda - Valar (original) (raw)
| Dates Entered the world at its beginning; immortal Location Originally dwelt in Almaren in Middle-earth, but long ago removed to Aman in the West Origins Beings created by Ilúvatar before the making of the world Race Ainur Settlements Dwelt in many places within Valinor, but most notably the city of Valmar and the halls of Ilmarin on Taniquetil Pronunciation va'larr ('rr' indicates that the final 'r' sound should be pronounced) Meaning 'The Powers' Titles Enemies Beyond the Sea, Gods, Great Ones, The Lords, Lords of Valinor, Lords of the West, The Mighty, The Powers, Powers of Arda, Powers of the World, Rulers of Arda Note Valar is a plural term; the singular form is Vala Indexes: Ainur Alphabetical: V About this entry: Updated 9 August 1998 Updates planned: 36 |
The Powers of the World 'Valar' is the name given to the fourteen powerful spirits who took physical form and 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 ages before the Awakening of the Elves they removed to Aman and there founded the realm of Valinor. Lords of the ValarQueens of the Valar (Valier) Manwë Súlimo Ulmo Aulë Oromë Mandos (Námo) Lórien (Irmo)Tulkas Astaldo Varda Elentári Yavanna Kementári Nienna Estë the Gentle Vairë the Weaver Vána the Ever-young Nessa This table shows the fourteen Valar in 'due order' (i.e. in descending order of power). Names shown in bold indicate one of the eight Aratar, the mightiest of the Valar. These are the names of the Valar as they were known to the Eldar in Valinor. In Middle-earth, they were known by other names of Sindarin origin; for example 'Elbereth' for Varda, or 'Araw' for Oromë. Their names among Men are said to be legion. The Valar in the Beginning of Arda The Valar were in origin the greatest of the Ainur who witnessed the Vision of Ilúvatar and so descended into Eä to fulfil the vision and create Arda. It seems that, in the first beginnings of the world, the four mightiest spirits came down into it; Manwë, Ulmo and Aulë to prepare it for the coming of the Children of Ilúvatar, and Melkor to claim it for his own domain. There was conflict between Manwë and Melkor, and Manwë called many other spirits into the world to aid him in his struggle. Among these were the other Valar, and those of lesser order known as Maiar. Melkor then withdrew for a time from Arda to some other hidden place in the deeps of Eä. In time, Manwë and his followers began to achieve their purpose, and make the world ready for the coming of the Children. Seeing this, Melkor grew jealous, and returned to do battle over the fate of Arda. The Earth then saw great upheaval as the rival Powers struggled over its destiny (it is thought that the Misty Mountains were raised at this time). Slowly, though, and with great hardship, the Valar succeeded in shaping the world, although everything they created was in some way marred by Melkor. The Nature of the Valar Like the Elves, those Valar who chose to enter the world at its beginning are bound to it until it reaches its destined end; they may not return to the Timeless Halls of Ilúvatar. As spirits, the Valar have no fixed physical form, although they often took the shapes of the Children of Ilúvatar. They could, though, assume any form they chose, or cast aside their shape altogether and travel formless and invisible through Arda. The Fifteenth Vala In the distant beginnings of the world, there were fifteen Valar; Melkor was certainly the most powerful of the all the spirits that descended into Arda, and was said to have been the 'brother' of Manwë. However, due to his corrupt nature, he was apparently expelled from the order. We are told in the Valaquenta that he is "...counted no longer among the Valar...". See also... Adûnakhôr, Aerandir, Ainur, Aiwendil, Alatar, Alcarondas, Aldaron, Aldëa, Almaren, Aman, Amandil, Anar, Ancalagon, Ancient Darkness, Ancient West, [See the full list...]Angainor, Angband, Annatar, Aratar, Araw, Arda Marred, Aredhel Ar-Feiniel, Arien, Artano, Astaldo, Aulë, Aulendil, Avari, Balrogs, Ban of the Valar, Battle of the Powers, Bay of Balar, Belegurth, Béma, Bent World, Black Foe of the World, Black King, Blessed Realm, Blue Wizards, Calacirian, Captivity of Melkor, Castle of the Sea, Caves of the Forgotten, Celegorm, Change of the World, Children of Aulë, Children of Eru, Cloud of Ungoliant, Cordial of Imladris, Corollairë, Coron Oiolairë, Culúrien, Curse of Mandos, Curumo, Dagor Dagorath, Dagor-nuin-Giliath, Dark Elves, Dark Enemy, Dark Hand, Dark Lord, Dark Power of the North, Darkening of Valinor, Day of Doom, Days of Bliss, Dead Tree, Deathless Lands, Deep Elves, Deer, Dimbar, Doom of Mandos, Doom of Men, Doom of the Valar, Doomsman of the Valar, Door of Night, Dor Caranthir, Dor Firn-i-Guinar, Downfall of Melkor, Dreamflower, Durin I the Deathless, Durin’s Bane, Dwarf-kind, Dwarves, Dweller in the Deep, Eärendil, Eglador, Eldar, Eldar of Eressëa, Eldar of the West, Eldar of Valinor, Elder King, Eldest, Eldest of Trees, Elendil, Elenna·nórë, Elentári, Elu Thingol, Elves, Elves beyond the Sea, Elves of Gondolin, Elves of Lindon, Elves of the Darkness, Elvish, Elwing, Enemies Beyond the Sea, Enemy of Men and Elves, Eönwë, Ered Engrin, Erellont, Estë, Evil of the North, Exile of the Noldor, Exiles, Faithful, Falathar, Falathrim, Falls of Ivrin, Far West, Fathers of the Númenóreans, Fëanor, Fell Winter of the First Age, Finwë, Fire of Doom, First War, Five Wizards, Flower of Silver, Flower of the West, Foam-flower, Forester, Fragrant Trees, Friend of the Noldor, Galadriel, Gandalf, Gasping Dust, Gift of Men, Gil-Estel, Giver of Freedom, Giver of Fruits, Gods, Golden Tree, Gondolin, Great Armament, Great Battle, Great Enemy, Great Gulf, Great Isle, Great Jewels, Great Journey, Great Lake, Great Music, Great Ones, Green Mound, Grey Messenger, Grinding Ice, Guarded Realm, Guardian of the Third Ring, Half-elven, Halls of Awaiting, Halls of Waiting, Havens of Círdan, Havens of Sirion, Havens of the Ships, Helluin, Herunúmen, Hidden Rock, Hiding of Valinor, High Folk of the West, High Ones of Arda, High Sea, High Speech, Hihdei, Hill of Ilmarin, Hithaeglir, Holy Mountain, Holy Ones, Host of the West, House of Fingolfin, Houses of the Dead, Huntsman of the Valar, Hyarmentir, Inner Seas, Inziladûn, Irmo, Iron Crown, Isil, Isildur, Isle of Balar, Isle of Kings, Istar, Ithryn Luin, Ivanneth, Jewels of Fëanor, Karmë, Kelvar, Kementári, Kindler, King of Arda, King of Kings, King of Men, King of Númenor, King of the Númenóreans, King of the Sea, King of the World, Kingdom of Arda, Kingdom of Earth, King’s Men, King’s Party, Lady of the Noldor, Lady of the Seas, Lady of the Stars, Lament for the Two Trees, Lamps of the Valar, Land of the Elves, Land of the Star, Last Battle, Later Ages, Laurelin, Lay of Eärendil, Light in the West, Light of the Trees, Little Kingdom, Long Night, Lord of All, Lord of Andúnië, Lord of Beleriand, Lord of Middle-earth, Lord of the Darkness, Lord of the West, Lord of Trees, Lord of Waters, Lords of the Sea, Lords of the Valar, Lords of the West, Lords of the West, Lords of Valinor, Lórellin, Lórien, Lórien, Lórien of the Blossom, Lost Isle, Lúthien Tinúviel, Maedhros, Mahal, Máhanaxar, Mahtan, Maiar, Maiar of the Sea, Malinalda, Man of Skill, Manwë Súlimo, Manwendil, Many Colours, Mar-nu-Falmar, Marrer of Middle-earth, Marring of Arda, Master of the Fates of Arda, Masters of Spirits, Mearas, Melkor, Middle-earth, Mighty of the West, Misty Mountains, Morgoth, Mountain Wall, Mountains of Aman, Mountains of Defence, Mountains of Iron, Mountains of Turgon, Námo, Nan-tasarion, Narrow Ice, Narsilion, Nessamelda, Nienna, Night of Naught, Night-fearers, Ninquelótë, Noldolantë, Nómin, Noontide of Valinor, Nothing, Númenor, Númenóreans, Nurtalë Valinóreva, Nurufantur, Olofantur, Olórin, Ondolindë, Opening Hour, Orbelain, Order of Wizards, Ormal, Outer Lands, Outer Void, Over-heaven, Pallando, Pass of Light, Peace of Arda, Pelóri, People of the Great Journey, People of the Stars, Peredhil, Power of the Black Land, Power of the North, Powers of Arda, Powers of the World, Prophecy of the North, Queen of the Earth, Queen of the Valar, Queens of the Valar, Rána, ‘Release from Bondage’, Return of the Noldor, Rhûn, Ring of Barahir, Ring of Doom, River Anduin, Rodyn, Ruin of Beleriand, Rulers of Arda, Salmar, Saruman, Sauron, Sea-longing, Second Age, Second Prophecy of Mandos, Second Spring of Arda, Secondborn, Self-cursed, Shadows, Shadowy Seas, Silmarillion, Silmarils, Sleep of Yavanna, Song of the Sun and Moon, Soronúmë, Spies of the Valar, Spirits, Spring of Arda, Standing Silence, Star of High Hope, Straight Road, Straight Way, Súlimo, Sunset, Tale of the Downfall of Númenor, Taniquetil, Tar-Ancalimon, Tar-Herunúmen, Tar-Palantir, Taras-ness, Tárion, Tauron, Telperion, The Blessed, The Dead, The Deathless, The Dispossessed, The Downfallen, The East, The Ever-young, The Farsighted, The Fool, The Gentle, The Gift, The Great, The Guardians, The Light, The Lord, The Lords, The Maker, The Mariner, The Mighty, The Pillar, The Powers, The Rider, The Seer, The Sheen, The Smith, The Star, The Strong, The Sun, The Tree, The Unwilling, The Valiant, The West, The White, The Wise, The Wise, Three Houses of the Elf-friends, Three Jewels, Three Kindreds, Tilion, Timeless Halls, Timeless Halls, Timeless Void, Tol Eressëa, Tower of Ingwë, Towers of Mist, Tradition of Isildur, Trees of Silver and Gold, Tulkas, Tuor, Two Kindreds, Two Trees of the Valar, Two Trees of Valinor, Udûn, Ulmo, Ulumúri, Úmanyar, Unchaining of Melkor, Undying Lands, Undying Realm, Unlight, Unrest of the Noldor, Uttermost West, Utumno, Vairë, Valanya, Valaquenta, Valier, Valimar, Valinor, Valmar, Varda Elentári, Vardarianna, Veil of Arda, Vingilot, Voronwë, Voyage of Eärendil, Walls of Night, Walls of the World, War of the Great Jewels, War of the Jewels, War of the Last Alliance, War of the Powers, War of Wrath, Wars of Beleriand, Water of Awakening, West of the World, West over Sea, West Wind, West-that-was, Western Shore, Whispering Wood, White Mountains, White Ship, White Tree of Isildur, White Tree of Númenor, White Tree of the Eldar, White Tree of Tol Eressëa, Wide World, Wizards, Wolf of Angband, Yavanna, Yavannamírë, Years of the Sun, Years of the Trees, Yôzâyan Indexes: Alphabetical: V Ainur About this entry: Updated 9 August 1998 Updates planned: 36 For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. 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