Maiar and Valar

this is a mirror post of a notecard in Second Life, used with permission


Elven Pantheon –
as taken from The Simarillion by JRR Tolkien
by Dominique Darkwatch


This is just a quick reference guide to the pantheon of elven divine spirits as described by JRR Tolkien. As a cleric of Eru Iluvatar, I worship the One true Creator God, but venerate all of the ainur as divine beings, much as Tolkien himself as a Catholic would have venerated the saints, angels and apostles.


Elven Name: Iluvatar
Other names: Eru, The One
Deity of: All Creation
Other Notes: Created the Ainur – the Holy Ones – from his thoughts and engaged them in song and music from which all other creations were made. Some of the mightiest of the Ainur came to live on the Arda (Earth), and they became the Valar. Iluvatar is the one true god of the elven pantheon.

THE VALAR – Not gods, per se, but often treated and regarded as such by elves and men. They could be treated as gods by a cleric, in adopting specific practices that venerate and establish a personal relationship with that Vala. The following are just basic facts about each as contained in the Silmarillion. While they were divine, they were not gods. Their spirits had specific interests, hence the description names them as “spirits of” rather than “diety of.”

Elven Name: Morgoth
Other names: Melkor
Spirit of: Darkness, evil and all malice
Other notes: Was once the mightiest of the Valar, but strove against the will of Iluvatar and the other Valar. He claimed lordship over all of the Arda and sought to gain it for himself


Elven Name: Manwë
Other names: Súlimo, King of Arda
Spirit of: Of the wind and all of the air, including the wind and the clouds.
Other notes: King of the Valar, bretheren of Melkor and dwells with Varda, queen of the Valar. Can see all things when he is with Varda.


Elven Name:Varda
Other names:Lady of the Stars, Elbereth
Spirit of: All manner of light
Other notes: Can hear all things when she is with Manwe.

Elven Name: Ulmo
Other names: King of the Sea
Spirit of: The seas, rivers, springs, lakes and all flowing water
Other notes: Always allied with Manwe, and loves men and elves. Speaks to them through the music of the water.

Elven Name:Aulë
Other names: the Smith, Talka Marda
Spirit of: Of all substances of the earth; gems, rocks, soil and iron
Other notes: Master creator and master of all crafts wrought from any material brought from the earth. He is responsible for the creation of the dwarves. Spouse to Yavanna

Elven Name:Yavanna
Other names:Kementari, Queen of the Earth, Giver of Fruits
Spirit of: All things that grow on the earth. Spouse of Aulë. Creator of tree shepherds, to guard the trees


Elven Name: Mandos
Other names:Namo, Doomsman of the Valar
Spirit of: Death, keeper of the House of the Dead and Slain.
Other notes: Spouse of Vaire, the weaver of time, brother of Lorien and Nienna


Elven Name: Vaire
Other names:The Weaver
Spirit of: Time and fate, weaving a tapestry of each person's life in the hall of Mandos
Other notes: spouse of Mandos

Elven Name: Lorien
Other names:Irmo
Spirit of: Dreams and visions
Other notes: spouse of Este, brother to Mandos and Nienna

Elven Name: Este
Other names:
Spirit of: gentleness, healer of hurts and weariness
Other notes: Spouse of Lorien, and together provide refreshment even to the weary Valar


Elven Name: Nienna
Other names:
Spirit of: Grief, sorrow, pity, turns endurance into hope and sorrow into wisdom
Other notes: Sister to Lorien and Mandos

Elven Name: Tulkas
Other names:Astaldo, The Valiant
Spirit of: Sport
Other notes: Spouse of Nesse. Sometime called a laughing warrior, he is tireless and can outrun anything with legs

Elven Name: Nessa
Other names:
Spirit of: Dance
Other notes: Loves deer but can outrun them, spouse of Tulkas and sister to Orome

Elven Name: Orome
Other names:Aldaron, Tauron, Lord of forests
Spirit of: Forests and hunting
Other notes: Hunts the fell beasts of Melkor. Spouse to Vana

Elven Name: Vana
Other names: The ever-Young
Spirit of: Spring and flowers
Other notes: Spouse of Orome and younger sister to Yavanna

THE MAIAR – lesser ainur who came and served under specific Valar. These are the ones who appear in the writings of Tolkien but there were also many more than those named, hence there may be RP players of Maiar beyond those listed here

Elven Name: Sauron
Other names:Gorthauer
Spirit of: Darkness, evil and Malice
Other notes: Follower and servant of Melkor and later arose to take the place of Morgoth

Elven Name: Eonwe
Other names:
Spirit of: weaponry
Other notes: Herald of Manwe, also the maker and user of all weapons

Elven Name: Osse
Other names:
Spirit of: coastal seas, lakes, rivers
Other notes: Serves under Ulmo, spouse of Uinen

Elven Name: Arien
Other names:
Spirit of: The sun
Other notes: She helped care for the golden tree and later was chosen to guide the sun. serves under Varda

Elven Name: Tilion
Other names:
Spirit of: The moon
Other notes: He cared for the silver tree before it was destroyed, and then was chosen to guide the moon. Serves under the Vala Varda.

Elven Name: Ilmare
Other names:
Spirit of: Stars and star making
Other notes: Uses lightning as a weapon and assists Varda in making stars

Elven Name: Uinen
Other names:
Spirit of: coastal seas, lakes and rivers
Other notes: Spouse of Osse, helps to calm Osse's temper and calm storms also serving under Ulmo