#ilinsor

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Willingness to serve

Pairing: Eönwë/Finarfin(Arafinwë)

Others: Eönwë & Ilinsor

Themes: Smut/NSFT

Warnings: Dom/Sub dynamics | Master/Servant | Light bondage | Sexual role play | Open marriage | Kissing | Praise kink | Oral sex

Wordcount: 2.9k words

Summary:After returning to Tirion and being anointed king, Arafinwë must spend two Valian years tending to one of the Ainur as their servant as a payment of sorts for his father’s crown.

Rating: M

AU : Servants of the Ainur AU

Minors DNI/18+

Read the full story here:

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

For @silmkinkmeme and for this prompt.

[elronds-library]

Willing to serve

by a_world_of_whimsy (@a-world-of-whimsy-5)

After returning to Tirion and being anointed king, Arafinwë must spend two Valian years tending to one of the Ainur as their servant as a payment of sorts for his father’s crown.

Mature, No Archive Warnings

Words: 2,916

[ainurmoodboards]

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. 

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The Ilmarin edition of a Great Reward, a little pick-your-gift-game I did last December, will be scheduled for the 23rd of December!

[ainurmoodboards]

Maiar of Manwë, Lord of the Breath of Arda

Manwë, the King of the Valar and of Arda and the husband of Varda, was associated with the element air. He is the ruler of the winds and clouds, and is served by the Great Eagles as well as many Maiar, including Olorin (Gandalf) and Eonwe. Manwë would send out many of these Maiar to bring him news of the happenings of Arda, and they reported to him in his halls of Ilmarin on Taniquetil, the highest mountain in Arda. Manwë himself is Tolkien's equivalent of the "Sky Father" type of deity that is found in the pantheons of many mythologies, with Greek Zeus and Roman Jupiter being good examples.

Some of Manwë's most well-known servants are the Great Eagles, chief of which is Thorondor, who played important roles in The Silmarilion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories the Eagles are powerful, long-living giant eagles who were created by Manwë and Yavanna when their thoughts mingled during The Music of the Ainur. But in early stages of Tolkien's writings, the Eagles were seen as Maiar of Manwë who took the shape of birds instead of the humanoid shapes that the Valar and some of the more famous Maiar took. It is stated that "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."

Also in early stages of Tolkien's writings, before the concept of the Maiar was created, there existed different classes of minor nature spirits that resembled the nymphs, fairies, brownies, pixies, gnomes, etc. of European mythology and folklore. The air spirits were called Sylphs and served Manwë, and were divided into two groups: the Manir (spirits of the air) and the Súruli (spirits of the winds, also called Suluthrim and Sulussin). A specific Súru named Ilinsor is mentioned as a spirit who "loved the snows and starlight and aided Varda in many of her works." Ilinsor was later chosen as the steersman of the Moon; Ilinsor doesn't appear in the published Silmarilion and is instead replaced by the Maia Tilion.

One of Manwë's Maiar who existed from some of Tolkien's earliest writings is Eonwë, the banner-bearer and herald of Manwë and Chief of the Maiar along with Varda's handmaiden Ilmarë. He is said to be the best with weapons in all of Arda, but that doesn't make him the most powerful. In the early stages of Tolkien's works, before the concept of the Maiar was developed, Eonwë was called Fionwë and was envisioned as the son of Manwë and Varda and the brother of Erinti (the early name for Ilmarë). Tolkien was a devout Catholic and the influence of his faith can be seen in many of his characters; Manwë's Maiar are very reminiscent of the angels, and Eonwë himself strongly resembles Michael the Archangel.

Another Maia who served Manwë (and Varda) was Olórin, later known as Gandalf and Mithrandir; he was also a great student of Nienna and had associations with Irmo/Lorien as well. His name in Valar comes from the root olor/olos, which means dream or vision and shows his connection to Irmo-Lorien, which isn't too obvious the first time you read the story. He was considered the wisest of the Maiar and he had associations with light and fire, much like Manwë's spouse Varda. When the Valar decided to send a group of Maiar to Middle-earth disguised as wizards (Istari) to help the free peoples fight Sauron, Manwë and Varda chose to send Olórin. Olórin did not wish to go because he feared Sauron and didn't feel capable of the task, but Manwë said that was all the more reason why he should go and Olórin submitted to his will. He later became known in Middle-earth as Gandalf and Mithrandir, among other names.

An interesting note about Manwë's Maiar is that, despite Manwë's heavy association with the air, his two named Maiar that appear in The Silmarilion are actually strongly associated with fire. Olórin already had associations with light and fire in Valinor, and we later see other examples of this when he is in Middle-earth. When he first arrives from Valinor he is given Narya, the elven Ring Of Fire, by Cirdan the shipwright. He was also known for his impressive fireworks, and enjoyed smoking pipeweed. Meanwhile, Eonwë also has associations with fire, though these are more present in Tolkien's early drafts than in the published Silmarilion. At this stage he has the additional name Urion, which means He of the Sun and comes from the same root as Urwen/Urwendi, the early name for Arien who he was in love with. Tolkien developed a scene in which Melkor attacked Urwen because he wanted to claim her as bride. She refused to be overpowered by him and abandoned her body and "died", which resulted in a great release of heat. This inflicted lasting burns on Melkor and also scorched parts of the earth, creating the deserts. It was said that at the end of days, Fionwë-Urion would fight Melkor due to his love for Urwen/Arien. This story, together with Eonwë's love for Arien and his associations with fire, doesn't appear in the published Silmarilion.

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Maiar of Varda, the Starkindler

Varda is the Vala associated with light and holiness and made the stars and constellations. She is the wife of Manwë and is counted among the Aratar, the eight most powerful Valar. She was one of the first to sense Melkor’s evil and rejected him early on, causing him to hate and fear her more than the other Valar. Her character and the elves’ reverence for her has drawn strong comparisons to the role of the Virgin Mary in Tolkien’s Catholic faith. 

In the Silmarillion, Ilmarë is called the handmaiden of Varda and one of the leaders of the Maiar. Her name comes from an elvish root for starlight that is present in other names like Ilmen and Ilmarin, and in turn comes from the a Finnish word for air. Not many details are given about her, but in early versions of Tolkien’s works she was at one point the daughter of Varda and Manwë and called Erinti. At one stage she was also instead the sister of Salmar-Amillo and Omar-Noldorin, who were both associated with music, and the three of them left Valinor to live with the elves on the island of Tol Eressea. She was associated with love, beauty, and music in these stages, and was also called Lotesse as well as Akairis, which means bride. The second half of January was called Enrintion in honor of her. 

The Maia Olorin, who later became known in Middle-earth as Gandalf and Mithrandir, was a servant of Varda and her husband. He was also a student of Nienna and spent time in the gardens of Lorien as well. When Varda and Manwë decided to send Olorin to Middle-earth as one of the Istari he was reluctant and didn’t feel ready. But they remarked that that was all the more reason for him to go, and indeed he was a key player in the downfall of Sauron and destruction of the One Ring. 

In early works by Tolkien, the Maia Arien is described as a Maia of Varda, whereas in the Silmarillion she is called a Maia of Vana. Her initial association with Varda may have been due to the fact that Arien becomes the guardian of the sun, which is placed in the sky much like Varda’s stars. It’s also worth noting that, while Tolkien doesn’t usually specify what stars are “made of” it’s implied that there is a connection to fire. Before the existence of the Sun and the Moon as well as the Two Trees, the world was lit by two “lamps” which were lit by Varda. Both Arien and Olorin, who are two Maiar who are closely associated with fire, are connected to Varda. 

In Tolkien’s early legendarium, before the Maia Tilion was created, we are introduced to Ilinsor. Ilinsor is described as a sylph, which is a type of air spirit, who loves snow and starlight and “aided Varda in many of her works.” This was at a point in Tolkien’s writings when the Maiar didn’t exist and the Valar were less angelic and more like Greco-Roman deities. In addition to the Valar having children (some of whom eventually became Maiar instead), there were many kinds of minor nature spirits such as sylphs, nymphs, mermaids, dryads, leprawns, pixies, brownies, sprites, fays, etc. Ilinsor was chosen to be the steersman of the Moon because of his familiarity of and association with the sky and starlight. 

Finally, there was one point in Tolkien’s writings where Tulkas and Nessa had a son named Telimektar, whose name means something like Sky Warrior. He was also called Taimondo/Taimordo, which means Shepherd of the Sky. He had a long sword kept at his waist by a silver belt, and he fought alongside his father against Melkor from a young age. It was said that his face and weapons gleam like silver in the dark and he has diamonds on his sword sheath, which will glow red at the Great End. He was placed in the sky to watch over Melkor (and hence is the elvish explanation for the constellation Orion) and Varda gave him stars to mark his presence. His character and story were eventually dropped, and the elvish name for the constellation Orion instead became Menelmacar. A version of his name was given to the 28th King of Gondor, Telumehtar Umbardacil. 

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Arien and Silmo Caretakers of the Two Trees

In the Silmarillion, the Maia Arien is described as being in charge of watering the golden tree Laurelin, because she was the only one who could withstand its heat. She would also collect the golden dews of Laurelin, and use it to water Vana’s flowers. Her counterpart is Tilion, a hunter from Orome’s company who loved the color silver and was in love with Arien.

But in early versions of Tolkien’s works, Tilion didn’t exist. Instead, there was Silmo, a youthful Ainu who was “loved” by the Vala Irmo-Lorien. Silmo was more like a male copy of Arien (called Urwen and Urwendi in early stages) than Tilion is, being appointed guardian of the silver tree (then called Silpion) to be “ever mindful” of the watering of the tree. This similarity between Arien and Silmo is a reflection of the Valar Irmo-Lorien and Vana, who were both more connected to Telperion/Silpion and Laurelin, respectively; Arien was associated with just as Silmo was associated with Irmo-Lorien. 

When the the Two Trees were destroyed, Arien was selected to guide the last fruit of Laurelin (the Sun) across the sky. But while Silmo begged to become the guardian of the last flower of Telperion/Silipion (the Moon), the Valar ended up choosing Ilinsor, an air spirit and assistant to Varda who was associated with snow, instead. 

Silmo’s connection to the silver tree is made clear through the rootword it shares with Silpion as well as Silindrin, a cauldron that held the collected dews of Silpion which Irmo-Lorien gazed into for divination. They all share the root “sil” or “silip” which means to shine with a white or silver light.

Whereas the conception of the character associated with Telperion changed with different stages of Tolkien’s writings (besides always being male), Arien’s character remained essentially the same from Tolkien’s early drafts all the way to The Silmarillion. Tilion replaced Silmo and Ilinsor in the published Silmarillion, leading the two of them to be included as the “Lost Valar.”

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Irmo-Lorien, Master of Dreams and Visions

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Silmo, Guardian of Silpion

Irmo was the Vala of dreams and visions, and was often called Lorien after the gardens in which he lived. Together with his brother Mandos he is one of the Feanturi, the Masters of Spirits, and their sister is Nienna. His wife is Este the Healer, who sleeps during the day on the isle of Lorellin in Lorien. In early stages of Tolkien's works, Irmo-Lorien was more closely associated with the silver tree, which at one point was known as Silpion. At this stage the dews of Silpion were collected in a cauldron called Silindrin, and Irmo would gaze into it and see strange and mystifying visions.

Silmo is a youthful Ainu in Tolkien's early works who was a servant of the Vala Irmo-Lorien. Silmo was in charge of watering the silver tree Silpion (with his name coming from the same rootword as Silpion and Silindrin) in the same way that Arien was in charge of watering Laurelin. When the moon was created Silmo wanted to be given the task of guiding it through the sky, but he was passed over in favor of Ilinsor, a servant of Varda who was associated with air, snow, and starlight. Both Silmo and Ilinsor are absent from the Silmarillion, with the Maia Tilion replacing them.

The text mentions that Lorien "loved the youthful Silmo" which is an interesting description of two male characters considering that Tolkien was strongly influenced by his Catholic faith. In the Silmarillion it’s mentioned that many Maiar served Lorien and his wife Este in their gardens, but while Melian served both Vana and Este, no Maia specifically associated with Lorien is named. Olorin (later Gandalf/Mithrandir) is mentioned as visiting the gardens of Lorien frequently and his name comes from a rootword for “dream” so there was likely a connection.