Ainur Moodboards

Some moodboards for Ainur from J. R. R. Tolkien's works.

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The Animal Ainur

There are multiple mighty beasts that show up in Tolkien’s writings, and their exact role in the hierarchy of Arda changed over time. They are usually much larger than normal members of their species, and some of them are able to speak. At one stage in Tolkien’s works, these characters were seen as Maiar who had taken an animal instead of humanoid or elvish appearance. An example of this is a quote regarding the eagles from an early version of The Silmarilion that states:  “Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world.”

Similarly, a quote relating to the hound Huan says:

“As the Valar would robe themselves like the Children, many of the Maiar robed themselves like other lesser living things, as trees, flowers, beasts.”

The problem with the concept was that Thorondor of the eagles and the steed Nahar had descendants, and Tolkien had already decided that the Ainur (with the exception of Melian) wouldn’t have children. So it was decided that while these special creatures were empowered by the Valar with special gifts, they were still creatures, and didn’t have souls/spirits like the Ainur and the Children of Illuvatar. 

Characters in this post are:

Huan, the Hound of the Valar

Thorondor (also called Sorontar), the King of the Eagles

Nahar, the Steed of Oromë

Uin, the Oldest of Whales

Gorgumoth, the Hound of Mandos

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The Animal Ainur

There are multiple mighty beasts that show up in Tolkien’s writings, and their exact role in the hierarchy of Arda changed over time. They are usually much larger than normal members of their species, and some of them are able to speak. At one stage in Tolkien’s works, these characters were seen as Maiar who had taken an animal instead of humanoid or elvish appearance. An example of this is a quote regarding the eagles from an early version of The Silmarilion that states:  “Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world.”

Similarly, a quote relating to the hound Huan says:

“As the Valar would robe themselves like the Children, many of the Maiar robed themselves like other lesser living things, as trees, flowers, beasts.”

The problem with the concept was that Thorondor of the eagles and the steed Nahar had descendants, and Tolkien had already decided that the Ainur (with the exception of Melian) wouldn’t have children. So it was decided that while these special creatures were empowered by the Valar with special gifts, they were still creatures, and didn’t have souls/spirits like the Ainur and the Children of Illuvatar. 

Characters in this post are:

Huan, the Hound of the Valar

Thorondor (also called Sorontar), the King of the Eagles

Nahar, the Steed of Oromë

Uin, the Oldest of Whales

Gorgumoth, the Hound of Mandos

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Thuringwethil

Woman of Secret Shadow, She of Hidden Shadow

Thuringwethil was a vampire servant of Sauron during the First Age. She was Sauron’s herald or messenger, but was caught in the battle between her master, Lúthien and Huan at Tol-in-Gaurhoth (“Isle of Werewolves”, the former Tol Sirion). She was slain or died during the fight between Sauron and Huan in the fortress. Her origins were not mentioned, but her ability to take forms suggest that she could be a Maia. She was described to have fingered-wings and iron claws. Lúthien later used her cloak to disguise herself as Thuringwethil and introduced herself as such upon infiltrating Angband during the Quest for the Silmaril.

If she is a fallen Maia, Thuringwethil may have been one of the spirits who joined Melkor’s discord during the Music of the Ainur and was alligned with him from the beginning. As a servant of Sauron, she may have been with him when he was commander of Morgoth’s stronghold Angband. She may have been one of the “spirits” who survived in the deep, hidden caverns of Angband or Utumno during their siege and destruction in the War For the Sake of the Elves. Alternatively, she may have been a Maia who entered Arda and was corrupted by Melkor/Morgoth later on, similar to how Sauron was originally a Maia of Aulë who later became a follower of Melkor. If this is the case, then she may have started off as a Maia of Manwë due to her ability to take the form of a flying creature (bat) and the fact that many of Manwë’s servants took the form of birds due to his association with the air, sky, and winds. She also could have been associated with Mandos, the judge of the spirits of dead elves, since bats and vampires are associated with darkness and death. Notably, in early works by Tolkien, the Vala Nienna was a much darker character associated with death and was the wife of Mandos and the sister of Manwë and Melkor. While Mandos judged the spirits of the elves, Nienna judged those of humans in her own seperate hall, which is described as having a roof made of bat wings.

Her name means “Woman of Secret Shadow” or “she of hidden shadow”. The fact that her name contains the word hidden/shadow, and that she was a messenger, could indicate that she also served as some sort of spy. Meanwhile, her strong association with shadow and the fact that she could fly means she could have possibly been one of the “spirits of shadow” that Melkor sent to attack the Maia Tilion when the Moon first arose, which resulted in a great battle in the sky which Tilion won.

Thuringwethil is unique in that she is the only female spirit referred to as a servant of Morgoth as well as Sauron to be mentioned in Tolkien’s writings. Ungoliant briefly allied herself with Melkor during the theft of the Silmarils, but was clearly not subordinate to him and almost overpowered him. At a time in Tolkien’s writings when the Maiar didn’t exist and the Valar had children, Melkor is described as having son named Kalimbo/Kosmoko with an ogress whose name was Ulbandi at first, and Tolkien later changed her name to Fluithin. No other details about the ogress are given and the idea of the Valar having children (known as the Valarindi) was dropped; Kalimbo/Kosmoko was renamed Gothmog and reinvisioned as a fallen Maia of Melkor and the Lord of the Balrogs.

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Vána Maiar (Pink Aesthetic)

The color pink is one of the most common colors of flowers, and is associated with charm, femininity, beauty, tenderness, and spring. These are traits associated with Vána, whose name means “Beauty” and who robed herself with flowers and was associated with spring time. 

The color pink is also strongly associated with love and romance. In early versions of Tolkien’s works, Vána’s love for Laurelin is so strong that it is what causes the tree to produce one last fruit that becomes the Sun. Vána later also cuts her long, golden hair short so that it can be used to weave the sails for the vessel of the Sun.

Vána’s Maia Melian is notable for being the only Ainu to fall in love with and marry one of the Children of Illuvatar. Through her granddaughter Elwing, Melian is also the ancestress of most of the major heroes and lovers of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Elwing’s son Elrond, who chose to live as an elf, was the father of Arwen Undomiel. Elwing’s other son, Elros, chose to live as a human and became the founder of the royal dynasty of Numenor, from which Aragorn, Eomer, Eowyn, Boromir, Faramir, and Lothiriel of Dol Amroth are descended.

Melian was seen as the most beautiful of the Maiar, and her voice was so enchanting that even the Valar themselves would pause what they were doing to listen to her sing. Her daughter Luthien was described as the most beautiful woman to have ever lived, a description that was also eventually given to her descendant Arwen. 

Melian’s descendant Lothiriel was daughter of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth and a cousin of Boromir and Faramir, and after the War of the Ring she married Eomer and became queen of Rohan. Her name, which is Sindarin, translates as Flower Garlanded Maiden. In addition to Melian her family was said to be descended from Galador, the first Prince of Dol Amroth and the son of Imrazor the Numenorean and Mithrellas the elf. This line of half-elven was viewed as more a myth/legend than the ones stemming from Luthien and Beren and Idril and Tuor, but over 900 years after Galador was born it’s noted that Legolas immediately noticed elven features when he first met Lothiriel’s father Imrahil. Eomer and Lothiriel’s son was named Aelfwine the Fair due to his beauty and elvish appearance.

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Maiar of Tulkas the Valiant

Among the Valar, Tulkas is the Hercules type of character. He loves combat, entering battle without any weapons or armor and riding no steed. He entered into Arda later than the other Valar, and his presence helped turn the tide of their early struggles against Melkor, who feared him. 

There aren’t any Maiar of Tulkas named or described in detail in The Silmarilion, but there are references in Tolkien’s early works and drafts that can give us an idea of them.

Some of Tolkien’s early writings go into more detail about the Valar, including their dwelling places. Tulkas’ dwelling place is described as having a large courtyard where warriors would engage in combat and feats of strength. It also says that Tulkas’ wife Nessa would bring goblets of wine and drinks to the competitors. This suggests a clear connection to Valhalla of Norse mythology, where the spirits of those who died in combat would feast and practice until Ragnarok. 

Tolkien’s earliest works included a pair of Valar named Makar and Meássë. Makar and his sister Meássë were violent warrior Valar who had joined Melkor during the Music of the Ainur. Even though they had initially supported Melkor, when they entered Arda the siblings sided with the Valar, though they often disagreed with the others on major decisions. They had their own hall where warriors practiced and Tulkas himself would occasionally come there to spar with them in order to keep his strength up. He usually won and he didn’t take battle seriously, so Makar and Meássë weren’t fond of him. As Tolkien’s writings progressed and the Valar became less like Greco-Roman deities and more angelic, Makar and Meássë no longer fit the picture and were dropped. But the concept of the Maiar hadn’t quite been developed, and some characters such as Ossë and Uinen who were originally Valar became Maiar. Thus, some the two siblings could perhaps be reimagined as Valar of Tulkas. 

The precursor to the concept of the Maiar was the Valarindi, who were the children of the Valar. One member of this group was Telimektar, who was the son of Tulkas and Nessa. He was a young warrior who had a long sword connected to a silver girdle, and his weapons and face shown like silver. He was placed in the sky to keep watch against Melkor and was given stars by Varda to mark his presence, making him the Tolkien version of the constellation Orion. He is also described as having diamonds on his sword sheath that will glow red when he draws it at the last battle. When Tolkien dropped the concept of the Valarindi, Telimektar was removed from the story and the only trace is a version of his name (Telumehtar) being used for one of the kings of Gondor. Orion is instead called Menelmacar and is described as being made by Varda.

Makar, Meássë,and Telimektar are all part of a group of early characters referred to as the “Lost Valar” who didn’t make it into the published version of The Silmarilion.

There is a spot on Tolkien’s early writings that mentions “Fionwë son of Tulcas” but Fionwë was usually referred to as the son of Manwë , and this is thought to have been an error. Fionwë later became the Maia Eonwë. 

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Lorien, Uinen, and the Silver Tree

Telperion was the White Tree of Valinor and was also known by the name of Silpion, particularly in the early stages of Tolkien’s works. Tolkien’s earlier writings provide connections between the White Tree and some of the Ainur. 

Irmo, more commonly known as Lorien after his dwelling place, was the master of dreams and visions and the brother of Namo/Mandos and Nienna. Their isn’t a lot of detail about Lorien in The Silmarilion, but in earlier works he has a strong connection to Telperion/Silpion. A youthful Ainu named Silmo was a servant of Lorien (the concept of the Maiar wasn’t quite developed yet). Silmo was in charge of keeping the tree Silpion (Telperion) watered, just like how Arien watered Laurelin. The dews of Silpion were collected into a cauldron called Silindrin which was located in the gardens of Lorien. Here, Irmo/Lorien would gaze into the cauldron and see many mysterious visions. Silpion, Silmo, and Silindrin all come from a root word associated with shining, silver light. 

Since the last flower of Telperion later became the Moon, Lorien’s connection to the tree as the Master of Dreams and Visions may be due to the Moon’s association with the occult, the supernatural, and of course sleep. 

Uinen has an interesting connection to Telperion as well. After the deaths of the two trees, Vana cut her golden hair short to weave for the sails of the ship of the Sun. Meanwhile, Uinen is described as weaving the sails of the ship of the Moon out of foam and mists, with some glittering like fish scales and others shining with tiny points of star-like lights. 

Since Uinen and her husband were the Lord and Lady of the Seas and friends of the seashore-dwelling elves, Uinen’s association with the Moon may symbolize the Moon’s connection to the tides. 

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I’ve been on hiatus, but I’m trying to get back into doing these! :)

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Lorien, Uinen, and the Silver Tree

Telperion was the White Tree of Valinor and was also known by the name of Silpion, particularly in the early stages of Tolkien’s works. Tolkien’s earlier writings provide connections between the White Tree and some of the Ainur. 

Irmo, more commonly known as Lorien after his dwelling place, was the master of dreams and visions and the brother of Namo/Mandos and Nienna. Their isn’t a lot of detail about Lorien in The Silmarilion, but in earlier works he has a strong connection to Telperion/Silpion. A youthful Ainu named Silmo was a servant of Lorien (the concept of the Maiar wasn’t quite developed yet). Silmo was in charge of keeping the tree Silpion (Telperion) watered, just like how Arien watered Laurelin. The dews of Silpion were collected into a cauldron called Silindrin which was located in the gardens of Lorien. Here, Irmo/Lorien would gaze into the cauldron and see many mysterious visions. Silpion, Silmo, and Silindrin all come from a root word associated with shining, silver light. 

Since the last flower of Telperion later became the Moon, Lorien’s connection to the tree as the Master of Dreams and Visions may be due to the Moon’s association with the occult, the supernatural, and of course sleep. 

Uinen has an interesting connection to Telperion as well. After the deaths of the two trees, Vana cut her golden hair short to weave for the sails of the ship of the Sun. Meanwhile, Uinen is described as weaving the sails of the ship of the Moon out of foam and mists, with some glittering like fish scales and others shining with tiny points of star-like lights. 

Since Uinen and her husband were the Lord and Lady of the Seas and friends of the seashore-dwelling elves, Uinen’s association with the Moon may symbolize the Moon’s connection to the tides. 

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Yavanna 

Yavanna Kementári was a Valië, responsible for all growing things (the olvar and the kelvar) in the earth, from the towering trees to the moss on the rocks.

Yavanna was one of the Aratar and was next to Varda in reverence. She was the elder sister of Vána and the consort of Aulë, and Melian of the Maiar was of her kin. Her usual form was that of a tall woman robed in green. She has also been seen in the form of a tall tree growing from the waters of Ulmo to the winds of Manwë spilling golden dew from her branches, which made the barren earth green with corn.

In the beginning of days, Yavanna planted the first seeds of Arda and tended to the growing plants and creatures. Since Melkor wanted to create his own things, but only had the power to corrupt and distort the creations of others, Yavanna’s plants and animals were his main targets prior to the arrival of the Children of Illuvatar. Because of this, Yavanna was one of the most active of the Valar in opposing Melkor, supporting all plans against him. 

After Melkor was temporarily expelled from Arda the Two Lamps were raised, initiating the Spring of Arda, when the seeds Yavanna had planted grew and life came to Middle-earth. After the destruction of the Two Lamps and the isle of Almaren, she put many of the creatures and plants in Middle-earth under a hibernation-like spell called the Sleep of Yavanna.

After the destruction of the Two Lamps, the Valar retreated to the continent of Aman, which they fortified and where they founded Valinor. On the green mound Ezellohar Yavanna sang and, with help from Nienna, created the Two Trees of Valinor. They brought light to Valinor at a time when the only other source of light was the stars, and they were considered Yavanna’s greatest creations. Despite this, Yavanna didn’t ignore Middle-earth, and would come there from time to time to heal the hurts of Melkor. Later, when the elves built the city of Tirion, Yavanna made a tree called Galathilion that was similar to Telperion except that it didn’t produce any light. The elven woman Galadriel’s hair was described as a mesh that had caught the light of the Two Trees, and was said to be the inspiration for the creation of the Silmarils.

During the Music of the Ainur, Yavanna’s mind joined with that of Manwë to concieve the Great Eagles. During this time she also sang of great trees reaching up to recieve the rains of Manwë and Ulmo, and some off the trees sang to Illuvatar. Later, after Illuvatar allowed Aulë’s creations, the Dwarves, to survive, this was revealed to be the conception of The Shepherds of the Trees, othewise known as the Ents. After Aulë pointed out to her that even the elves and men would also need to use her trees, Yavanna lamented and questioned if anything she had made would ever be free from the dominion of others. Manwë brought her concerns before Eru Illuvatar, who took pity on Yavanna and created the Ents to protect the trees.

After the destruction of the Two Trees Yavanna examined their remains and told the other Valar that if she could use the light of the Silmarils she could heal them. Fëanor refused to give up the Silmarils, which he considered to be his greatest creation; unknown to him Melkor had already stolen them. Yavanna sang and Nienna washed the filth of Ungoliant away with her tears, and the two were able to bring forth one last flower of Telperion and one last fruit of Laurelin. These were put in vessels made by Aulë and set in the sky by Varda, becoming the Moon and the Sun. The raising of the Sun and Moon ended the Sleep of Yavanna, and was the signal for the awakening of the first humans.

As a reward for the humans (Edain) who had aided the Valar in the War of Wrath, the land of Andor was raised from the sea by by Ossë, established by Aulë, and enriched by Yavanna. The Edain who came to this island created the kingdom of Numenor, which became an important realm in the following ages. Many plants were brought from Valinor as gifts by elves who visited Numenor, so that it had a diverse ecosystem that included vegetation not found anywhere else in Middle-earth. When Numenor fell under the influence of Sauron it was eventually destroyed in a flood, with the surving good Numenorians establishing the realms of Gondor and Arnor in Middle-earth.

Aiwendil (Lover of Birds), a Maia who was fond of animals and especially birds, was a servant of Yavanna who later went to Middle-earth as one of the Istari, taking the name Radagast (Tender of Beasts) the Brown. 

Her epithet Kementári means “Queen of the Earth”, and at an ealier stage of Tolkien’s writings it was Palúrien (“bosom of earth”) instead.

In early stages of Tolkien’s writings, Yavanna and Aulë were the parents of Nessa and Oromë, and the grandparents of Nieliqui and Telimektar.

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Maiar of Vairë, The Weaver and Recorder of Time

Vairë was the wife of Mandos who recorded all of history by weaving it into her tapestries. The Halls of Mandos grow bigger as time goes by, and they are draped with Vairë’s tapestries that tell the stories of the world. 

None of Vairë’s Maiar are named or mentioned in Tolkien’s published works, and Vairë did not become a character until Tolkien’s later phases. Míriel, the mother of Fëanor and first wife of Finwë was will known for her needlework and was called The Broideress. Her spirit departed to the Halls of Mandos not long after she gave birth to her son. After Finwë’s death she was given permission to return to life, and she entered into the service of Vairë with the task of recording all the deeds of the House of Finwë. Thus, she is the closest thing to a Maia of Vairë that we can find in Tolkien’s writings. Her “task” might imply that Vairë’s Maiar may each have been in charge of recording the deeds of a specific family and their descendants. Míriel’s job would have been particularly complex due to the large House of Finwë’s involvement in most of the major events that shaped the history of Middle-earth. 

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Maiar of Lorien, the Master of Dreams and Visions

Irmo, more commonly known as Lorien which is the name of his gardens, was the Vala responsible for dreams and visions. Tolkien’s writings state that many Maiar served Lorien and his wife Este, but doesn’t really get any more specific than that. 

In early works, Lorien has a Maiar named Silmo who was in charge of watering the silver tree Telperion, just like how Arien is in charge of watering Laurelin. Later, when the Sun and Moon are created, Arien is chosen to steer the Sun and Silmo begs the Valar to let him be the steersman of the Moon. But they instead choose Ilinsor, an air spirit who served Manwe and Varda who loved the snows and starlight. Neither Silmo nor Ilinsor appear in the published Silmarillion, which instead features Tilion as steersman of the Moon. Silmo’s association with Telperion and the Moon is probably a reflection of the fact that most dreams occur while people are sleeping at night. Thus it makes sense that the Vala responsible for dreams and visions would have a Maia associated with the Moon. Lorien himself also had a much stronger association with the Moon in Tolkien’s earlier drafts which isn’t present in the published Silmarillion. While the other Valar are chasing after Melkor following the destruction of the Two Trees, Lorien and Vana (who, similarly to Lorien, has a strong association with Laurelin that isn’t in The Silmarillion) attempt in vain (and without permission) to revive the Two Trees using the dews that had been stored in vats by Varda. 

The only other named Maiar who is mentioned as having any affiliation with Lorien himself is Olorin, who was later known in Middle-earth as Gandalf and Mithrandir. He is mentioned spending time in the gardens of Lorien, and his Valarin name comes from the root olor/olos, which means dream or vision. Before he goes to Middle-earth, he is described as often walking unseen among the elves or in a body that resembles them, and it’s said that he sent them dreams to make them wiser. Some of his association with Lorien can still be seen when he becomes Gandalf. He originally is associated with the color grey, and while this is generally interpreted as referencing Olorin/Gandalf’s close association with Nienna (who is mentioned as having “cast back her grey hood”), it’s worth noting the Lorien and Silmo were both heavily associated with the silver tree, and Lorien’s wife Este is, like Nienna, described as wearing grey clothing (”grey is her raiment, and rest is her gift”). Gandalf also enjoys smoking pipeweed when he is in Middle-earth, and in our own world people have historically smoked plants that appeared to induce dreams/visions for both religious/spiritual and recreational uses. One of these types of plants is poppies, which are mentioned in early Tolkien works (they are called fumellar by the “gods”) as being used “in enchantments” by Irmo/Lorien. Some readers have also speculated that part of the reason that Gandalf enjoys visiting the heavily agragrian Shire is that it reminds him of the gardens of Valinor, including Lorien’s gardens. 

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Yavanna 

Yavanna Kementári was a Valië, responsible for all growing things (the olvar and the kelvar) in the earth, from the towering trees to the moss on the rocks.

Yavanna was one of the Aratar and was next to Varda in reverence. She was the elder sister of Vána and the consort of Aulë, and Melian of the Maiar was of her kin. Her usual form was that of a tall woman robed in green. She has also been seen in the form of a tall tree growing from the waters of Ulmo to the winds of Manwë spilling golden dew from her branches, which made the barren earth green with corn.

In the beginning of days, Yavanna planted the first seeds of Arda and tended to the growing plants and creatures. Since Melkor wanted to create his own things, but only had the power to corrupt and distort the creations of others, Yavanna’s plants and animals were his main targets prior to the arrival of the Children of Illuvatar. Because of this, Yavanna was one of the most active of the Valar in opposing Melkor, supporting all plans against him. 

After Melkor was temporarily expelled from Arda the Two Lamps were raised, initiating the Spring of Arda, when the seeds Yavanna had planted grew and life came to Middle-earth. After the destruction of the Two Lamps and the isle of Almaren, she put many of the creatures and plants in Middle-earth under a hibernation-like spell called the Sleep of Yavanna.

After the destruction of the Two Lamps, the Valar retreated to the continent of Aman, which they fortified and where they founded Valinor. On the green mound Ezellohar Yavanna sang and, with help from Nienna, created the Two Trees of Valinor. They brought light to Valinor at a time when the only other source of light was the stars, and they were considered Yavanna’s greatest creations. Despite this, Yavanna didn’t ignore Middle-earth, and would come there from time to time to heal the hurts of Melkor. Later, when the elves built the city of Tirion, Yavanna made a tree called Galathilion that was similar to Telperion except that it didn’t produce any light. The elven woman Galadriel’s hair was described as a mesh that had caught the light of the Two Trees, and was said to be the inspiration for the creation of the Silmarils.

During the Music of the Ainur, Yavanna’s mind joined with that of Manwë to concieve the Great Eagles. During this time she also sang of great trees reaching up to recieve the rains of Manwë and Ulmo, and some off the trees sang to Illuvatar. Later, after Illuvatar allowed Aulë’s creations, the Dwarves, to survive, this was revealed to be the conception of The Shepherds of the Trees, othewise known as the Ents. After Aulë pointed out to her that even the elves and men would also need to use her trees, Yavanna lamented and questioned if anything she had made would ever be free from the dominion of others. Manwë brought her concerns before Eru Illuvatar, who took pity on Yavanna and created the Ents to protect the trees.

After the destruction of the Two Trees Yavanna examined their remains and told the other Valar that if she could use the light of the Silmarils she could heal them. Fëanor refused to give up the Silmarils, which he considered to be his greatest creation; unknown to him Melkor had already stolen them. Yavanna sang and Nienna washed the filth of Ungoliant away with her tears, and the two were able to bring forth one last flower of Telperion and one last fruit of Laurelin. These were put in vessels made by Aulë and set in the sky by Varda, becoming the Moon and the Sun. The raising of the Sun and Moon ended the Sleep of Yavanna, and was the signal for the awakening of the first humans.

As a reward for the humans (Edain) who had aided the Valar in the War of Wrath, the land of Andor was raised from the sea by by Ossë, established by Aulë, and enriched by Yavanna. The Edain who came to this island created the kingdom of Numenor, which became an important realm in the following ages. Many plants were brought from Valinor as gifts by elves who visited Numenor, so that it had a diverse ecosystem that included vegetation not found anywhere else in Middle-earth. When Numenor fell under the influence of Sauron it was eventually destroyed in a flood, with the surving good Numenorians establishing the realms of Gondor and Arnor in Middle-earth.

Aiwendil (Lover of Birds), a Maia who was fond of animals and especially birds, was a servant of Yavanna who later went to Middle-earth as one of the Istari, taking the name Radagast (Tender of Beasts) the Brown. 

Her epithet Kementári means “Queen of the Earth”, and at an ealier stage of Tolkien’s writings it was Palúrien (“bosom of earth”) instead.

In early stages of Tolkien’s writings, Yavanna and Aulë were the parents of Nessa and Oromë, and the grandparents of Nieliqui and Telimektar.

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The Valarindi (The Children of the Valar)

In the earlier stages of Tolkien’s writings, the Valar were less angelic and more like pagan (especially Greco-Roman) deities. One of the most notable features at this point was that some of the married couples among the Valar had children. The term for these beings was Valarindi, and it was used to refer to any child (or in a couple of cases, grandchild) of one of the Valar. This group of beings included:

Nessa, the Dancer, The Swift

Nessa was the daughter of Aulë and Yavanna, the sister of Oromë, and was associated with dancing, deer, and speed. Her wedding to the Vala Tulkas was the first and only marriage between two Valar to take place within Arda itself. The fact that she is strongly associated with deer and nature and that her brother is connected to hunting makes her vaguely reminiscent of the Greek goddess Artemis. Meanwhile, her connections to love, dancing, and beauty and her marriage to the warrior Vala Tulkas are comparable to Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus. Nessa and Tulkas had a son named Telimektar in the earliest stages.

Oromë, The Huntsman of the Valar

Oromë was the son of Aulë and Yavanna, the brother of Nessa, and the Lord of the Forests and the Huntsman of the Valar. After the Valar retreated to the continent of Aman, Oromë would still occassionally return to Middle-earth to hunt the creatures of Melkor, and it was during one of these trips that he came upon the first elves. He was also strongly associated with horses and was especially loved by the people of Rohan, who believed that their horses were descended from ones he brought from the West. Oromë is like a mix of the Greek god Apollo with the many horse and forest gods of the different Celtic tribes, who the Romans often adopted as aspects of Apollo. Oromë was married to Vána, who was technically his aunt, and they had a daughter named Nieliqui; this relationship is very reminiscent of those of many Greek gods and goddesses.

Fionwë-Urion,

Fionwë-Urion was the son of Manwë and Varda, the brother of Erinti, and a warrior associated with light and fire. His connection to fire can be seen in his love for Arien, who at this point was called Urwen/Urwendi, with the names Urwen and Urion both coming from a rootword meaning fire or flame. At one point Tolkien developed a story where Melkor tried to claim Arien/Urwen as a wife, attacking her while she was guiding the Sun through the sky. She released herself from her body in an explosion of fire and “died”, permanently scarring Melkor and causing the Sun to go out of control and burn parts of Arda, creating the deserts. It was said that Fionwë-Urion would kill Melkor/Morgoth in the last battle at the end of days due to his love for Arien/Urwen. This story was eventually dropped before The Silmarilion was published; Melkor fears Arien too much to attack her, while the Ainu who is in love with Arien is Tilion, the guide of the Moon. Fionwë-Urion eventually evolved into the Maia Eonwë, in the process also absorbing the character Nornorë, the Herald of the Valar, who became one of the “Lost Valar”.

Erinti,

Erinti was the daughter of Manwë and Varda and the sister of Fionwë-Urion. At one point, she was written as the sister of Salmar/Noldorin and Ómar/Amillo instead of being the sister of Fionwë-Urion, though their parents aren’t specified. At that stage, the three siblings were the only Ainur who left Aman to live with the elves of Tol Eressea. Erinti is associated with love, beauty, and music, which is fitting since Ómar and Salmar are both associated with music as well. She was eventually rewritten as Manwë and Varda’s daughter, but despite this important parentage not much was said about her. Though the concept of the Valarindi was eventually dropped and the Valar became more like angels, Erinti survived as Ilmarë, the handmaiden of Varda. Together with Eonwë, who was once her brother Fionwë-Urion, she was a chief of the Maiar.

Nieliqui, The Little Maiden of the Valar

Nieliqui was the daughter of Oromë and Vána, and references to her as “the little maiden” suggest she may have been the youngest and most childlike of the Valar. Not much is said about Nieliqui besides the fact that she was a small maiden who liked to dance in her father’s woods. This often took place while Ómar-Amillo (a Lost Vala), who was the Vala of song and music, would sing in the woods. Both of Nieliqui’s parents had strong connections to nature, especially trees, and some fans have imagined her as a dryad-like character. Her love of dancing suggests that, she also takes after her aunt Nessa, the Vala of dancing. Nieliqui disappeared from Tolkien’s writings once he abandoned the concept of the Valarindi and created the Maiar, and she doesn’t appear in The Silmarilion.

Telimektar, The Warrior of the Sky

Telimektar was the son of Tulkas and Nessa, and a mighty warrior who fought hard in the struggles against Melkor/Morgoth. He is described as having a long sword kept at his waist by a silver girdle. His face and weapons are also described as heaving a silver gleam. In early writings, the constellation Orion (which contains many stars classified as blue giants) is Telimektar, with the star Nielluin/Helluin (Sirius) being described as his toe. He is in the sky as a guard against Morgoth, and he was given stars by Varda to mark his shape so the Valar would know he was there. He is also said to have diamonds on his sword’s sheath that will glow red when the last battle occurs at the end of the world. Telimektar was eventually dropped, but one of the many variations of his name, Telumehtar, appears as a name for the constellation Orion in the appendices of Lord of the Rings, and as the name of the 28th King of Gondor.

Once Tolkien dropped the concept of the Valarindi and created the angelic Maiar instead, the fates of these characters changed. Oromë and Nessa became Valar in their own right, Fionwë-Urion and Erinti morphed into Maiar, and Nieliqui and Telimektar were dropped. Even Melkor once was envisioned to have a son named Kalimbo/Kosomot with an ogress named Fluithuin or Ulbandi, but this character changed into Gothmog, Lord of the Balrogs.

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Vána Maiar-Green Aesthetic

Vána is the younger sister of the Vala Yavanna, and like her she was connected to the flora and fauna of Arda. She is described as having the beauty of heaven and earth in her face and all of her works. She was known as the Ever-Young, and was associated with the beauty that can be found in nature. Maiar who served her included Melian and Arien, who both played major roles in the history of Middle-earth. 

The color green is strongly associated with the season of spring, because the plants that had been dead during the winter begin growing and blossoming again. 

Vána was associated with spring and young plant life, and the Second Spring of Arda began when the newly made Sun rose for the first time, guided by Vána’s Maia Arien. 

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Vána Maiar-Green Aesthetic

Vána is the younger sister of the Vala Yavanna, and like her she was connected to the flora and fauna of Arda. She is described as having the beauty of heaven and earth in her face and all of her works. She was known as the Ever-Young, and was associated with the beauty that can be found in nature. Maiar who served her included Melian and Arien, who both played major roles in the history of Middle-earth. 

The color green is strongly associated with the season of spring, because the plants that had been dead during the winter begin growing and blossoming again. 

Vána was associated with spring and young plant life, and the Second Spring of Arda began when the newly made Sun rose for the first time, guided by Vána’s Maia Arien. 

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Maiar of Ulmo, The Lord of Waters

Ulmo is the Vala responsible for water and was a close friend of Manwë. He was one of the Aratar, the eight most powerful Valar, and it was said that Melkor feared him almost as much as he feared Varda because the sea could not be tamed. Ulmo had dominion over all water on Arda, including the waters that flowed beneath the earth. His palace called Ulmonan was located in the bottom of the ocean, and he maintained contact with Middle-earth through rivers and streams.

Ulmo was served by multiple Maiar including Ossë and his wife Uinen, who were friends with the elves that dwelled along the coasts. Another Maia who served Ulmo was Salmar, who was in charge of Ulmo’s great musical shell-made horns, the Ulumuri. Additionally, a primeval whale named Uin is mentioned as a servant of Ulmo in Tolkien’s early works, though it’s status as an Ainu is unclear. The "River-Woman", the mother of Tom Bombadil's wife Goldberry, is also speculated to be a servant of Ulmo based on the fact that she is a watery entity, though her exact nature is unclear.

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Happy International Women's Day!

The Female Ainur:

First picture, (left to right)

top row: Arien, Estë, Estë's Maidens

middle row: Goldberry, Ilmarë, Meássë

bottom row: Melian, Nessa, Nieliqui

Second picture,

top row: Nienna, Riverwoman, Thuringwethil

Middle row: Uinen, Ungoliant, Vairë

bottom row: Vána, Varda, Yavanna

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Maiar of Oromë, The Huntsman of the Valar

Oromë was the husband of Vana and the brother of Nessa, and was known as The Lord of Forests, The Huntsman of the Valar, and The Great Rider. He was known for his love of hunting and when the Valar retreated from Middle-earth to Aman following the destruction of the two lamps, he would occasionally return to hunt the creatures of Melkor. It was during one of these hunts that he discovered the first elves wandering in the starlight, and he named them the Eldar, The People of the Stars. After dwelling with them for a while he returned to Aman to inform the rest of the Valar that the first Children of Illuvatar had awakened, and were already being plagued by Melkor’s creatures. It was eventually decided to invite the Eldar to join the Valar in Aman, setting in motion the beginning of the major events that lead to The Silmarilion.

Oromë loved horses and hounds and rode on a great horse named Nahar. It was for this reason that he was known of and loved by the people of Rohan, who claimed that their great horses known as the Mearas were descended from steeds Oromë brought from the West. It was also believed that the wild oxen the lived near the sea of Rhun were descended from Oromë’s oxen as well. Huan, The Hound of the Valar, was one of Oromë’s hunting dogs who had been granted special powers by the Valar.

Oromë was one of the Aratar and had a great horn called the Valaroma that he blew, which sounded like thunder and frightened even Melkor himself. It was for this reason that the people of Rohan named him Bema, a name that comes from a rootword for trumpet.

Pallando was a Maia of Oromë, a member of the Istari, and one of the Blue Wizards along with his friend Alatar. In Tolkien’s early drafts, he associated Pallando with Mandos and Nienna, but eventually changed this to make Pallando a Maia of Oromë, the Vala who had traveled and hunted with his retinue throughout Arda prior to the Awakening of the Elves. Because of this, Oromë had the most knowledge of the lands of Arda, including those to the east of the lands where The Lord of the Rings takes place.

Alatar was a Maia of Oromë and one of the two Ithryn Luin (Blue Wizards) along with Pallando. Alatar was the second Maia after Curumo/Curunir (Saruman) chosen to be one of the Istari and he chose to bring his friend Pallando, also a Maia of Orome, along with him. When they arrived in Middle-earth, they were sent into the east, beyond the borders of the maps that appear in Lord of the Rings, to combat the power of Sauron. It is generally believed that they were chosen because of their association with Orome, who would travel throughout Arda to hunt and was familiar with the even farthest places.

Tolkien’s perception of how successful Alatar and Pallando were changed throughout his stages of writing. In earlier drafts he envisioned them as failing, somewhat like Saruman, and instead either intentionally or unintentionally founding secret/magic cults. But later he changed this so that they were instead successful in leading some of the peoples in the east who didn’t worship Sauron to rise up against him. This is depicted as forcing Sauron to divert some of his attention and resources into the east, which helped make sure that the good peoples of the west weren’t overwhelmed by his forces. In these later drafts Tolkien gave the Blue Wizards new names, Morinhetar (Darkness Slayer) and Romestamo (East-Helper), though he doesn’t specify which name goes with which wizard.

Another Maia of Oromë was Tilion, the steersman of the moon. He often laid in the shade of the tree Telperion, and was strongly associated with the color silver. He was in love with Arien, though it isn't clear if that love was reciprocated. His love for her is used to explain why the moon is sometimes in the sky at the same time as the sun, and the moon's darks spots were said to come from when Tilion got too close to Arien's heat. When he left Arda to guide the moon in the sky, he forsook his humanoid/elvish "body" and took the form of a brilliant flash of light. Melkor sent many dark creatures and spirits into the sky to attack Tilion when he first appeared, but he managed to vanquish all of them. Tilion doesn't appear in Tolkien's early works; Ilinsor, a sylph (air spirit) who loved snow and starlight and assisted Varda, becomes the steersman of the Moon, while Irmo-Lorien's youthful servant Silmo was in charge of watering the tree Silpion/Telperion. At one stage of Tolkien’s writings, he invisioned animal characters such as the Eagles and Huan as being Maiar who took animal bodies instead of humanoid/elvish ones. This concept was eventually changed, but if it had been kept then Huan the Hound of the Valar would probably have been associated with Oromë as well.