Fanuin Earlier names: Lathos, Lathweg
Fanuin (year) along with his brothers Danuin (Day) and Ranuin (month) were the three sons of Aluin, the Ainu of Time, in Tolkien’s earlier writings. They appear in The Book of Lost Tales, where they are sent by the father to help the Valar govern time. The three sons were said to have the appearance of old men, similar to the Istari, Fanuin is described as the tallest, with a long beard that swept the ground as he walked.
After appearing before the Valar and stating their mission in an ambigous way, they request a room where they can perform their work in private. The Valar were initially confused and suspicious of the three individuals (some of them even suspected this might be a trick of Melkor’s) but they were also fascinated and gave them a room in Aule’s house where the three brothers set to work. The three brothers each create an invisible “cord” that they present to the Valar to help them establish order over time in Arda.
The short passage involving the children of Aluin is interesting, but it is also confusing to readers because many major events happen before this scene. It raises questions about how the Valar could exist and do things and how could things grow and live if “time” didn’t exist until the three brothers enter Arda. Tolkien was clearly aware of these problems and, instead of resolving them, the three brothers and their story were dropped and don’t appear in the Silmarillion. It’s important to note that this story was also written before Tolkien created the character Vairë the Weaver, the Vala who is responsible for recording time.