← “The Silmarillion”: Chapter by Chapter
Lesson
Lesson 1. Breakdown: what matters and what's interesting
Get to know the pantheon of the Valar and Maiar: who is responsible for what, and who is hostile to whom.
Guide: what this text is about
Summary
“Valaquenta” (“the Account of the Valar”) is in essence a reference catalog of the powers of the world. It lists the Valar, the greatest of the Ainur who entered Eä, and the Maiar, lesser spirits who serve them.
The Valar are sometimes called “gods,” but they are not creator gods: they are rather angelic stewards of the elements and regions of the world, acting by Eru's will. There are seven Lords and seven Queens; among them are Manwë, Varda, Ulmo, Aulë, Yavanna, Oromë, Mandos, Lórien, Tulkas, Nienna, and others.
Melkor stands apart: at first the mightiest of all, he fell away and is no longer counted among the Valar. At the end of the “Valaquenta” the dark servants are named too: Sauron, once a Maia of Aulë, and the Balrogs, Maiar corrupted by Melkor.
Lesson notes
Summary
“Valaquenta” (“the Account of the Valar”) is in essence a reference catalog of the powers of the world. It lists the Valar, the greatest of the Ainur who entered Eä, and the Maiar, lesser spirits who serve them.
The Valar are sometimes called “gods,” but they are not creator gods: they are rather angelic stewards of the elements and regions of the world, acting by Eru's will. There are seven Lords and seven Queens; among them are Manwë, Varda, Ulmo, Aulë, Yavanna, Oromë, Mandos, Lórien, Tulkas, Nienna, and others.
Melkor stands apart: at first the mightiest of all, he fell away and is no longer counted among the Valar. At the end of the “Valaquenta” the dark servants are named too: Sauron, once a Maia of Aulë, and the Balrogs, Maiar corrupted by Melkor.
The Valar and their domains
— Manwë, the chief Vala, lord of the air and winds, Eru's vicegerent in Arda; Ilúvatar's design is closest to him.
— Varda, Manwë's wife, queen of light, maker of the stars; the Elves call her Elbereth and revere her above all.
— Ulmo, lord of waters, roams the seas and rivers and dwells in Aman least of all.
— Aulë, smith and craftsman, lord of the substances of the earth and of crafts.
— Yavanna, Aulë's wife, “Giver of Fruits,” queen of all that grows.
— Oromë, the great hunter, was the first to find the awakened Elves.
— Mandos (Námo), judge and keeper of the Halls of the Dead, where souls wait.
— Nienna, lady of sorrow and compassion, teaches wisdom through grief.
— Tulkas, the strongest in battle, came into the world last, to fight Melkor.
Why this matters later
— The name Elbereth/Gilthoniel in “The Lord of the Rings” is this very Varda: Sam and Frodo call on her in their darkest moments, and Galadriel sings of her. Here, in the “Valaquenta,” lies the source of this cult of light.
— Sauron, the chief enemy of the Third Age, appears here as a fallen Maia of Aulë, that is, originally a spirit of craft and order; his urge to rule the world “for its own good” grows out of exactly this.
— The Balrogs, one of whom Gandalf will fight in Moria, are Maiar too, corrupted by Melkor; by nature they are spirits of fire.
— Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast (the Istari) are Maiar too, sent later. So the “Valaquenta” sets up a “table of ranks” of spirits that the whole legendarium will refer to: Ainu → Vala/Maia → the fallen among them.