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as taken from The Simarillion by JRR TolkienBy 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 aunir 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Spirit of: weaponry
Other notes: Herald of Manwe, also the maker and user of all weapons
Elven Name: Osse
Spirit of: coastal seas, lakes, rivers
Other notes: Serves under Ulmo, spouse of Uinen
Elven Name: Arien
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
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
Spirit of: Stars and star making
Other notes: Uses lightning as a weapon and assists Varda in making stars
Elven Name: Uinen
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
Elven Name: Melian
Spirit of: Music, comfort
Other notes: Served both Irmo and Este, took the form of an Eldar (elf) and married Elu Thingol, and used her powers to help defend the elves and his kingdom. Her and Thingol had one daughter, Luthien
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