This chapter introduces the rest of the Valar, the Maiar, and the enemies of good.

The Valar

There are a number of other Valar, in addition to Manwë and Ulmo who were already mentioned in the Ainulindalë. Note that though Melkor is indeed a Vala, he is generally not included in the lists of the Valar, instead heading lists of the Enemies.

Aulë

Father of the Dwarves, a great smith and a craftsman of all kinds. His spouse was Yavanna, and they dwelt together in Valinor. His great works include the Lamps of the Valar, the chain Angainor, and the vessels of the Sun and the Moon. Aulë was a great friend of the Noldor.

Estë

Estë was the wife to Lórien. She dealt with healing and took care of the fountains and pools of the Gardens of Lórien. She dressed always in grey, and during the day she slept on an island in the lake of Lórellin.

Lórien (Irmo)

Master of Desire. He was the younger brother of Mandos and Nienna, and his spouse of Estë. He was the master of visions and dreams, and one of the two Fëanturi.

Mandos (Námo)

Doomsman of the Valar. He was the older brother of Lórien (Irmo) and Nienna. His mate was Vairë. Together with his brother Irmo they were called the Fëanturi, or the “Masters of Spirits’. Mandos dwelt in the Halls of Mandos which contained the spirits of the dead. Mandos was the only one of the Ainur to know what the fate of Men might be.

Nessa

Sister of Oromë and spouse of Tulkas. She loved light-footed animals, especially deer which follow her when she ventured through the wild. She can outrun any of them, as swift as a speeding arrow. Nessa delighted in dancing.

Nienna

Lady of Pity and Mourning. She is the sister of Mandos and Lórien. When the Music of the Ainur was put forth to create Middle-earth, Nienna sang of grief and suffering. Because of this, the sound of mourning and sorrow entered into the design of Middle-earth. She sings often of the wounds that Arda has suffered throughout its creation. Nienna has no spouse and dwells alone on the borders of the world, coming often to the halls of Mandos, the Houses of the Dead, where all the spirits of the slain dwell.

Oromë

Huntsman of the Valar, Lord of the Forests. His sister is Nessa, his horse is Nahar, and his spouse, Vána. He was the first to discover that the elves had awoken, and he trained his folk and beasts for the pursuit of Melkor’s evil creatures.

Tulkas

The Valiant. The greatest in strength and deeds of prowess of the Valar. His spouse is Nessa. He was the last of the Valar to come to Arda, and is the most warlike. He has the ability to outrun any creature on foot and never tires, he uses no weapon to fight, but uses his hands instead and excels in contests of strength. He ever pursued Melkor, and Melkor feared his power and laughter.

Vairë

The Weaver. She was the spouse of Mandos. As the ages pass, Vairë continues to weave all things that have come to be into her webs and the Halls of Mandos continue to be blanketed by them.

Vána

The Ever-young. She was the spouse of Oromë, and younger sister of Yavanna. She is a lover of nature especially flowers and birds. All the flowers sprout and grow at her will and the birds sing at her coming. She has beautiful gardens of golden flowers in Valinor.

Varda (Elbereth)

Lady of the Stars. She is the most beautiful of the Valier, for the light of Ilúvatar shines in her face, is married to Manwë and dwells with him upon Taniquetil. She is also the Valier held in the highest reverence by the elves. She used the dew from the Two Trees to create new stars that would light the way for the coming of the First-born.

Yavanna

Queen of the Earth. She was the older sister of Vana, and the spouse of Aulë. Her gardens were found in southern Valinor where they bordered the woods of Oromë. Yavanna took many forms, but when taking the form of a woman, she was tall, and robed in green. She watched over the growth of all living things. As the mother of the harvest she planted the seeds of all plants in Arda, and made the vast forests and pastures of the world. Yavanna also created the protectors of the forests, the “tree shepherds” called Ents. Her greatest work was the creation of the Two Trees of Valinor, Telperion and Laurelin.

The Maiar

Eönwë

The herald of Manwë and one of the greatest of the Maiar. He commanded the forces of the Valar during the War of Wrath.

Ossë

A Maiar of Ulmo whose mate was Uinen. He was Master of the Seas of Middle Earth, and he loved the coastal waters and the Inner Seas. He rejoiced in the wind of Manwë, as Ossë loved storms and he laughed amid the roaring of the waves. He was highly unpredictable, and sea-farers were cautious of his capriciousness.

Other Maiar described are Uinen and Ilmarë (neither of which play a large part in the book), as well as Melian (discussed much more in a later chapter “Of Thingol and Melian”) and Olorin (Gandalf).

The Enemies

The Valaquenta also describes the “enemies” – Melkor (Morgoth), Balrogs, and Sauron.

The basics of Melkor’s personality were described in the Ainulindalë, as he appears constantly throughout the rest of the Silmarillion, little more needs to said here.

And everyone who has read “The Lord of the Rings” knows about Sauron. He is of the Maiar, and in “The Silmarillion”, still the Lieutenant of Melkor.

Balrogs

Also called Valaraukar, the Balrogs were originally Maiar corrupted by Melkor. Both Balrog and Valaraukar mean ‘Demon of Power’. They were man-shaped, but fire and smoke streamed from them, and they were shrouded in shadow. They normally carried flaming whips. The question of whether they have wings is still hotly debated.