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Nornorë

Herald of the Valar, The Runner

Other names: Drondor and Dronúrin, Kapalimor and Cablin, Vastor

Nornorë is an individual that belongs to the “Lost Valar” category of characters, only appearing in some of Tolkien’s earliest works. He was the Vala who was the messenger and herald of the Valar, and also had an important role in the afterlife of humans.

Nornorë was the Vala who was sent to invite the elves to come to Aman and reside with the Valar there. He brought the three elven ambassadors to Aman, and upon their return they convinced most of their brethren to make the journey. Prior to this, he assisted the Valar in capturing and chaining Melkor by taking advantage of Melkor’s pride. When the Valar marched out to Utumno to confront Melkor, Nornorë was granted entrance to deliver a message to Melkor. Nornorë told him that the Valar had realized he was more powerful than them and had come to bow down before him, and Melkor believed him and allowed them to enter his halls. Once inside, the Valar were able to capture Melkor and take him back to Aman.

Nornorë’s name comes from a Qenya (early version of Quenya) root meaning “to run smoothly”, and Gnomish (early term for Noldorin) versions of this name were Drondor and Dronúrin. He was also given the Qenya names Kapalimor (from root for leaping or bounding; Gnomish Cablin) and Vastor (from root for rush of noise or speed).

In Tolkien’s early stages, the Vala Fui-Nienna was much more dark and grim and had a role of a death goddess, being the one who judged the souls of humans while Mandos (her husband in this version instead of her brother) judged the souls of elves. Some she would send to the Halls of Mandos, while others would be taken by a black ship called Mornië (darkness, blackness) to a place called Arvalin (the Shadows) in the southeast of Aman. This was a dark, gloomy strip of land at the feet of the Pelori Mountains and was said to have been where Ungoliant lived before the theft of the Silmarils and the Darkening of Valinor. But Nornorë would select some of these souls and instead bring them to live in Valimar in eternal peace and happiness.

These characteristics make Nornorë Tolkien’s version of the messenger gods that appear in many world mythologies, such as Hermes, Iris, Mercury, Hermodr, and Ninshubur. Many of these messenger gods and goddesses are also psychopomps, meaning that they guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Nornorë also has similarities with the angels of the Abrahamic religions; one of the words for angels is mal’akh (messenger) and they are strongly connected to the afterlife.

For unknown reasons Nornorë didn’t make it into Tolkien’s final works. His role as herald of the Valar is given to the Maia Eönwë, and Oromë is the one who brings first the elven ambassadors and later the elven hosts to Aman. Tolkien also changed his description of what happens to human souls after they die to make it known only to Eru Illuvatar. Thus, the souls don’t go to any place in Aman and there is no need to sort them out, so there is no need for any psychopomp figure.