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In that time the Valar brought order to the seas and the lands and the mountains, and Yavanna planted at last the seeds that she had long devised. And since, when the fires were subdued or buried beneath the primeval hills, there was need of light, Aulë at the prayer of Yavanna wrought two mighty lamps for the lighting of the Middle-earth which he had built amid the encircling seas. Then Varda filled the lamps and Manwë hallowed them, and the Valar set them upon high pillars, more lofty far than are any mountains of the later days. One lamp they raised near to the north of Middle-earth, and it was named Illuin; and the other was raised in the south, and it was named Ormal; and the light of the Lamps of the Valar flowed out over the Earth, so that all was lit as it were in a changeless day.

Then the seeds that Yavanna had sown began swiftly to sprout and to burgeon, and there arose a multitude of growing things great and small, mosses and grasses and great ferns, and trees whose tops were crowned with cloud as they were living mountains, but whose feet were wrapped in a green twilight. And beasts came forth and dwelt in the grassy plains, or in the rivers and the lakes, or walked in the shadows of the woods. As yet no flower had bloomed nor any bird had sung, for these things waited still their time in the bosom of Yavanna; but wealth there was of her imagining, and nowhere more rich than in the midmost parts of the Earth, where the light of both the Lamps met and blended. And there upon the Isle of Almaren in the Great Lake was the first dwelling of the Valar when all things were young, and new-made green was yet a marvel in the eyes of the makers; and they were long content.

— Quenta Silmarillion (J. R. R. Tolkien)

Vána Maiar-Green Aesthetic

Vána is the younger sister of the Vala Yavanna, and like her she was connected to the flora and fauna of Arda. She is described as having the beauty of heaven and earth in her face and all of her works. She was known as the Ever-Young, and was associated with the beauty that can be found in nature. Maiar who served her included Melian and Arien, who both played major roles in the history of Middle-earth.

The color green is strongly associated with the season of spring, because the plants that had been dead during the winter begin growing and blossoming again.

Vána was associated with spring and young plant life, and the Second Spring of Arda began when the newly made Sun rose for the first time, guided by Vána’s Maia Arien.

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The Valar 'fade' and become more impotent, precisely in proportion as the shape and constitution of things becomes more defined and settled. The longer the Past, the more nearly defined the Future, and the less room for important change (untrammelled action, on a physical plane, that is not destructive in purpose). The Past, once 'achieved', has become part of the 'Music in being'. Only Eru may or can alter the 'Music'. The last major effort, of this demiurgic kind, made by the Valar was the lifting up of the range of the Pelóri to a great height. It is possible to view this as, if not an actually bad action, at least as a mistaken one. Ulmo disapproved of it. It had one good, and legitimate, object: the preservation incorrupt of at least a part of Arda. But it seemed to have a selfish or neglectful (or despairing) motive also; for the effort to preserve the Elves incorrupt there had proved a failure if they were to be left free: many had refused to come to the Blessed Realm, many had revolted and left it. Whereas, with regard to Men, Manwe and all the Valar knew quite well that they could not come to Aman at all; and the longevity (co-extensive with the life of Arda) of Valar and Eldar was expressly not permitted to Men. Thus the 'Hiding of Valinor' came near to countering Morgoth's possessiveness by a rival possessiveness, setting up a private domain of light and bliss against one of darkness and domination: a palace and a pleasaunce (well-fenced) against a fortress and a dungeon.

Tolkien, J. R. R. The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. (London: HarperCollins, 2002.) 401 (Myths Transformed, Text VII “Notes on motives in the Silmarillion," (iii))

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Yavanna (Winter Aesthetic)

Yavanna was the Vala responsible for creating the flora and fauna of Arda, making her a Mother Earth-type figure. One of her titles was Kementári, which translates to Queen of the Earth. Her husband was Aulë, who was associated with the physical substances of the earth upon which Yavanna's creations depended on to survive. Her younger sister was Vána, who was associated with nature as well, especially with spring and the beautiful side of nature. Yavanna was one of the Aratar, the eight most powerful of the Valar, and since her creations were some of the greatest victims of Melkor's corruption she was one of the most active of the Valar in opposing him. Her greatest creations were the Two Trees of Valinor, and through them she was indirectly the creator of the Sun and the Moon.

In the earliest years of Arda, when Melkor had temporarily fled and the earth was symmetrical, the Valar raised two great "lamps" in the north and south to illuminate the earth. This is when plant and animal life flourished, and was known as the Spring of Arda. But Melkor later secretly returned and destroyed the Two Lamps, causing much destruction of the earth and ending the Spring of Arda. The Valar tried their best to preserve their creations and were afraid to change the earth again since the Children of Illuvatar had not yet awakened, and they retreated to Aman. The destruction of the Two Lamps left the earth in darkness, lit only by the light of Varda's first stars. Melkor began to spread his poison and corruption, and the Valar retreated west to the continent of Aman.

When the Valar and their helpers left Middle-earth, Yavanna protected the plants and creatures that survived the destruction of the Two Lamps by putting them into a deep sleep in which they did not age or grow, which would be lifted whenever light returned to Arda once more. This period, marked by a silence and stillness in nature, was referred to as the Sleep of Yavanna. The Sleep of Yavanna would end centuries later with the first rising of the Sun, beginning a Second Spring of Arda.

The Sleep of Yavanna is comparable to winter in that her "spell" that she casts on the plants and animals resembles the hibernation that many creatures go through during the winter season. Yavanna is often compared to Mother Nature goddesses, particularly the Greek goddess Demeter. Demeter's loss of her daughter Persephone to the underworld for a portion of each year is used to explain the winter season, a concept found in many world mythologies. Yavanna was deeply saddened when she put her creations to sleep and, like Ulmo and Oromë, refused to completely abandon Middle-earth to Melkor. She would come from Aman on occasion to heal the sickness and poison Melkor had inflicted upon her creations, all while advocating to the Valar to take up arms against Melkor again.

Despite the similarities, the Sleep of Yavanna isn't exactly winter though. There is no mention of snow or cold temperatures; Tolkien doesn't discuss the changing seasons much in the Silmarilion. The Sleep of Yavanna was also preceeded by the Spring of Arda, and was followed by a Second Spring of Arda, whereas winter usually come before spring and is preceeded by fall/autumn. And Yavanna doesn’t have any control over snow or the weather; Melkor is associated with ice, and in Tolkien’s early works Nienna is called the Queen of Winter.

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Spring of Arda

When the Valar first created Arda, it was in the shape of a circle. I can’t seem to find any good maps of this time, so try to imagine it. There was a Great Lake in the center, in which was the Island of Almaren. The Valar [whom I should clarify are basically the gods of Arda (sub-clarification; the world)] created two lamps to light Arda: Illuin in the north and Ormal in the south.

Melkor, the dark lord, then raised The Iron Mountains (Ered Engrin) in the north and built his fortress, Utumno, under them. I won’t go into too much detail on Melkor or the other Valar, as this blog is for the geography of Arda primarily. Melkor hated the rest of the Valar, and undid their work by destroying the lamps. Arda was cast into darkness and the symmetry of the world was undone.

The world was split into four continents. There was Aman, or Valinor in the west, Middle Earth in the center, the Walls of the Sun in the east, and the Dark Land in the south. The Valar settled in Aman, and set out shaping the world.

I would like to point out that most posts in the future will not be as broad as this one. Since there is not much information about the geography of this time, I thought it would be best to summarize it in one post. Later posts will focus on a specific region or people of Arda, and will likely include pictures and maps. Thanks for reading!

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Now Melkor began the delving and building of a vast fortress, deep under Earth, beneath dark mountains where the beams of Illuin were cold and dim. That stronghold was named Utumno. ... But Melkor, trusting in the strength of Utumno and the might of his servants, came forth suddenly to war, and struck the first blow, ere the Valar were prepared; and he assailed the lights of Illuin and Ormal, and cast down their pillars and broke their lamps.

Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Silmarillion. (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.) 24. (Of the Beginning of Days)

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And there upon the Isle of Almaren in the Great Lake was the first dwelling of the Valar when all things were young, and new-made green was yet a marvel in the eyes of the makers; and they were long content. Now it came to pass that while the Valar rested from their labours, and watched the growth and unfolding of the things that they had devised and begun, Manwë ordained a great feast; and the Valar and an their host came at his bidding. But Aulë and Tulkas were weary; for the craft of Aulë and the strength of Tulkas had been at the service of all without ceasing in the days of their labour. And Melkor knew of all that was done, for even then he had secret friends and spies among the Maiar whom he had converted to his cause; and far off in the darkness he was filled with hatred, being jealous of the work of his peers, whom he desired to make subject to himself. Therefore he gathered to himself spirits out of the halls of Eä that he had perverted to his service, and he deemed himself strong.

Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Silmarillion. (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.) 24. (Of the Beginning of Days)