#nessa aesthetic

[cookiezitos]

𓆩★𓆪!⋆𑇓🎳****ˀ̣ˀ̣˚⁎⁺˳ ᥒᩚɘ𝘸 𝕡O𝗼ຮ𝗍 ♡. 䵳꒱☆ ࣪.⭑𐬢 𐫱 𝗹𝗶᳞𝕜𝗲ᩥ ꩜𝚁 ℝᦕᩚ𝗯ᤲ𝙻☮︎𝙶 ☄︎ぬ ☕﹏͏ (⁎˃ᴗ˂⁎)˚★ᩝᐩ. ⊹າ૮ಫ਼ᰢ፝ 𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕤 𝙼𝙴 ^^ ⋆Ჰ़ᱹ🕸️ ⩇⩇:⩇⩇´-

[thegirlwhohid]

@tolkienfamilyweek day two: siblings

Oromë and Nessa moodboard

[ainurmoodboards]

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.

[alessandrapedrotti]

Nessa, conosciuta anche come la Danzatrice, appartiene alla razza degli Ainur ed è annoverata tra le Valier, ossia le Regine dei Valar, benché sia quella di rango più basso. Patrona della Femminilità e della Danza, è la sorella del Vala Oromë e la moglie di Tulkas che ha sposato durante la Primavera di Arda.

[ainurmoodboards]

The Wedding of Tulkas and Nessa

In the published Silmarillion, Nessa is the sister of Oromë and is the last female Vala to be named, indicating that she was seen as the least powerful of the Valier. Her name is a Quenya word that means “young” and her true Valarin name is unknown. She is noted for her beautiful dancing, and for being so fast that she can outrun the deer that follow her.

Tulkas was the last Ainu to descend into Arda, having heard of the other Valar’s struggles against Melkor from far off in the heavens. Melkor might have defeated the other Valar if Tulkas hadn’t arrived, and his laughter and wrath intimidated Melkor enough that he fled, which started the Spring of Arda.

After the Valar raised the Two Lamps Tulkas married Nessa on the island of Almaren, the first dwelling of the Valar. While some of the Valar were already married, Tulkas and Nessa’s wedding was the first marriage to take place within Arda itself. After the wedding feast Tulkas, being wearing from his role in shaping Arda, rested and Melkor used that time to strike. The Spring of Arda was ruined, the Two Lamps and Almaren were destroyed, and the Valar retreated to Aman, where they made their new dwelling.

Together they are associated with celebrations, and early works by Tolkien describe the House of Tulkas as being filled with feasting and warriors engaging in atheltic games while Nessa bring goblets of wine, making it strongly reminiscent of Norse Valhalla. Nessa’s brother Oromë was a hunter and was arguably the second most warlike of the Valar after Tulkas, and together they tried to hunt down Melkor after the theft of the Silmarils. In early stages Tulkas and Nessa had a son named Telimektar, a strong warrior who was placed in the sky (the constellation Orion) to watch against Melkor. Tulkas and Nessa are also notable in that neither has any specifically named Maiar associated with them; there are just vague references to champions practicing in Tulkas’ house and Nessa dancing with her maidens.

While they are both known for their speed and festive personalities, Tulkas and Nessa also have a sort of yin-yang relationship. Tulkas is a warrior who loves battle and physical activities and always eagerly supported proposals of the Valar going to war, thus playing an important role in the ongoing struggle against Melkor-Morgoth. Meanwhile Nessa, who was given elven names that mean “The Lovely” or “The Beloved”, was a supporter of peace, most notably seen when she supported the Hiding of Valinor from the elves following the Flight of the Noldor. Their marriage is similar to relationships between a war god and a love goddess in the mythologies of multiple cultures.

In addition to Melesta (The Lovely/The Beloved) and Helinyetille (Eyes of Heartsease), one of the names given to Nessa by the elves was Dineth, which is a Noldorin translation of the Quenya name Indis, which means bride. This is in reference to the fact that her and Tulkas' wedding was the first to take place within Arda.

[ainurmoodboards]

The House of Tulkas and Nessa

The Vala Tulkas, known as The Strong, was married to Nessa the Dancer, the sister of the Vala Orome. In early versions of Tolkien's writings he mentions more details about the Vala than in the published Silmarilion, including some of their homes. In The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Tulkas is described as having a house that sprung high into the air with many stories, and had a tower of bronze and pillars of copper. The house also had a courtyard where Tulkas' Maiar would engage in athletic games and contests of strength. While these events went on, Tulkas' wife Nessa would bring goblets of fine wine and drinks to these champions and warriors. Tolkien doesn't say much else about the home of Tulkas, but the details that we do have paint it as a festive, active place.

Tulkas' house has a lot in common with Valhalla of Norse mythology. Valhalla was the god Odin's hall where half of all dead warriors would be taken, and they would feast and battle here in preparation for Ragnarok. Tulkas himself has many similarities to Thor, a Norse god associated with strength. Tulkas' house differs from Valhalla in that the individuals in the home are not the spirits of dead warriors and kings, but immortal Maiar who serve Tulkas.

[thegirlwhohid]

<...>Nessa, the sister of Oromë, and she also is lithe and fleetfooted. Deer she loves, and they follow her train whenever she goes in the wild; but she can outrun them, swift as an arrow with the wind in her hair. In dancing she delights, and she dances in Valimar on lawns of never-fading green.

Nessa moodboard

Lords and Queens of the Valar: (14/14)

The Silmarillion characters: (27/?)

Characters’ moodboards: (210/?)

[ainurmoodboards]

Nessa

The Dancer, The Swift, The Young, The Bride, The Lovely, The Beloved

In the published Silmarillion, Nessa is the sister of Orome and is the last female Vala to be named, indicating that she was seen as the least powerful of the Valier. Her name is a Quenya word that means “young” and her true Valarin name is unknown. She is noted for her beautiful dancing, and for being so fast that she can outrun the deer that follow her. She married Tulkas on Almaren, the first dwelling of the Valar, and their wedding was the first one to take place within Arda. Not much else is said about her in this book, and she doesn’t really play a significant role in the plot.

Some other names for her that don’t appear in the Silmarillion are Helinyetille (Eyes of Heartsease), Dineth (Noldorin version of Quenya Indis, meaning Bride, referring to her marriage being the first in Arda), and Melesta (meaning something like The Lovely or The Beloved, coming from the rootword “mel” which means “love”, the same root that Melian’s name comes from). 

There are some more details about her that appear in Tolkien’s earlier writings. One of these is that she and Tulkas had a son named Telimektar, who was a warrior like his father and became the constellation Orion. Tolkien eventually decided that the Valar wouldn’t have children and instead created the Maiar, and Telimektar was dropped. Tolkien is also more specific in early writings about how Nessa (and some of the other Valar) provide input at the councils of the Valar that occur at major story events. In virtually every instance her stances/decisions mirror those of Vana; both of them supported bringing the Elves to Aman, and both later supported the Hiding of Valinor following the the theft of the Silmarils and the rebellion of the Noldor. In Tolkien’s later writings, he tends to state what decision the Council came to and doesn’t mention the thoughts/stances of most of the individual Valar, although the reader can often guess what they were. Nessa and Vana are very similar in these works and are both described as maidens as well as dancers, and they both stayed behind in Valinor and wept along with Arien and other maidens while the other Valar pursued Melkor after the Slaying of the Trees. 

Tolkien also briefly mentions her bringing goblets of wine to the heroic warriors of Tulkas who are practicing, and their home is seen as one of feasting and merriment, resembling Valhalla of Norse mythology. Her association with dancing and Tulkas being described as smiling and full of laughter, combined with the significance of their wedding and the mood in their home clearly indicates that the two were associated with happiness and celebrations. This vibe is lost in the published Silmarillion, since most of these details didn’t make it in.

When the island of Numenor was established, the elves of Tol Eressea brought numerous species of fragrant trees to the island as a gift to the Numenoreans. Tolkien gave a number of these species names, and one of them is called Nessamelda, which means Beloved of Nessa. Following the Downfall of Numenor, this tree and the other species are no longer found in mortal lands.