#pelori

[tolkienillustrations]

Taniquetil by Sarka Skorpikova

[eldamaranquendi]

Walls of the Sun BY SarkaSkorpikova

Walls of the Sun were the easternmost mountains in Arda. Only few Middle-earth creautres have ever seen them, but a few Numenoreans did. This crest is an anthagony of higher Pelóri in Aman. So Walls of the Sun are also curve-shaped and quite high. The Sun rises behind them in the morning. But this is the evening...The continent is supposed to be scorched. The tallest mountain's name is Kalormë.  

[ainurmoodboards]

Taniquetil

The Holy Mountain, The White Mountain

Other names: Amon Uilos, Arfanyarassë, Oiolossë, Sinsnáw, Elerrína

Taniquetil was the tallest mountain in Arda and part of the Pelóri, the chain of mountains that the Valar raised in Aman to defend their new home after Melkor destroyed their first dwelling on the isle of Almaren. The Pelóri were known as the Mountains of Aman and the Mountains of Defense in Tolkien’s later works, while they were referred to as the Mountains of Elvenhome in his story Roverandom. While Taniquetil was the highest mountain in both the Pelóri as well as all of Arda, there were other great mountains in this chain, such as Hyarmentir. In the furthest east of Arda there was a mountain called Kalormë, which corresponded to Taniquetil symmetrically and was the second tallest mountain in Arda.

Besides its immense height, Taniquetil also housed Ilmarin, the Halls of Manwë and Varda. The halls were domed and contained the thrones of Manwë and Varda, and spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles constantly brought news of the events of Arda. The name Ilmarin means “mansion of the high airs” due to the altitude in which it’s located. A high feast was held there to praise Eru Illuvatar and the Valar, Maiar, Vanyar, and Noldor all gathered to participate. The Vanyarin elves were especially close to Manwë and Varda, and many of them eventually settled on the slopes of Taniquetil. When Manwë is on Taniquetil with Varda he can see beyond all eyes through mists and darkness, and when Varda is with him she can hear all voices from every corner of the world.

The Quenya name Taniquetil means High-Snow-Peak, which was translated into Sindarin as Amon Uilos. Another name for Taniquetil was Elerrína, which means “Crowned With Stars” and references both its great height and the fact that it was the home of Varda the Starkindler. Taniquetil also had other names that referred to its snows and the white tone they created. These were Oiolossë (Ever-snow-white), Arfanyarassë (High shining white peak), and Sinsnáw (Ever-snow). 

As both the holiest and highest mountain in Arda, Taniquetil serves as Tolkien’s equivalent of Mount Olympus and other similar mythological mountains.

[tolkienillustrations]

The First Dawn of the Sun by Ted Nasmith

[tolkienillustrations]

The Silmarillion, 1999 edition

[tolkienillustrations]

Unlight by LadyElleth

A cloak of darkness she wove about them when Melkor and Ungoliant set forth; an Unlight, in which things seemed to be no more, and which eyes could not pierce, for it was void.

[tolkienillustrations]

Alqualondë by Luthien T.

[tolkienillustrations]

Even among the radiant flowers of the Tree-lit gardens of Valinor they longed still at times to see the stars; and therefore a gap was made in the great walls of the Pelóri, and there in a deep valley that ran down to the sea the Eldar raised a high green hill: Túna it was called. From the west the light of the Trees fell upon it, and its shadow lay ever eastward; and to the east it looked towards the Bay of Elvenhome, and the Lonely Isle, and the Shadowy Seas. Then through Calacirya, the Pass of Light, the radiance of the Blessed Realm streamed forth, kindling the dark waves to silver and gold, and it touched the Lonely Isle, and its western shore grew green and fair. There bloomed the first flowers that ever were east of the Mountains of Aman.

Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië