Vána
Vána | |
---|---|
Vala | |
"The Ever Young" by Elena Kukanova | |
Biographical Information | |
Other names | the Ever-young |
Location | Valinor |
Affiliation | Melian, Arien |
Family | |
Siblings | Yavanna |
Spouse | Oromë |
Physical Description | |
Gender | Female |
Hair color | Golden |
Weaponry | Powers of the Valar |
Gallery | Images of Vána |
Vána, one of the Valier, was the younger sister of the Valië Yavanna and the spouse of Vána was Oromë, the Huntsman of the Valar. Among the seven Valier, Vána was the sixth named and ranked.[1]
History
Like her sister Yavanna, Vána had influence with the flora and fauna of Middle-earth, "all flowers spring as she passes and open if she glances upon them; and all birds sing at her coming."[1] Vána robed herself in flowers and she was the "queen of flowers who had the beauty of both heaven and earth upon her face and in all her works."[2]
The Valië Nessa, the sister of Vána's spouse Oromë, wedded the Vala Tulkas on the Isle of Almaren, the Valar's first dwelling. And Vána robed Nessa with her flowers for the wedding.[3]
Vána dwelt in gardens filled with golden flowers and often came to the forests of Oromë. In the days of the Two Trees of Valinor, the Maia maiden, Arien, "tended to the golden flowers of the gardens of Vána by watering them with the bright dews from Laurelin." Melian was another Maia who initially served Vána and Estë before she departed to Middle-earth.[4]
After the Darkening of Valinor and the flight of the Noldor to Middle-earth, most of the Valar were glad to have their ancient peace back, wishing neither the rumours of Melkor and his violence nor the murmur of the restless Noldor to come upon them again. For such reasons, they sought the concealment and protection of their land Aman. It was said that particularly Vána and Nessa were of one mind in this matter, in accordance with most of the other Valar, although Ulmo pled pity and pardon for the Noldoi.[5]:218
Etymology
Vána (Q: "Beauty", pron. [ˈvaːna]) or Wána (Vanyarin, [ˈwaːna]) was the name of the Vala who was also called the Ever-young.[1]
Other versions of the legendarium
In the earliest form of the mythology, Vána and Oromë had a daughter, Nielíqui.[6] Whilst in the origins of the story of the Two Trees, Vána played a formative role in the growth of Laurelin:
Then was the pit covered with rich earths that Palúrien devised, and Vána came who loveth life and sunlight and at whose song the flowers arise and open, and the murmur of her maidens round her was like to the merry noise of the folk that stir abroad for the first time on a bright morning. There sang she the song of spring upon the mound, and danced about it, and watered it with great streams of that golden light that Ulmo had brought from the spilled lakes--yet was Kulullin almost o'erflowing at the end.[7]
In The History of Middle-earth, Tolkien wrote that even when the spells of Yavanna failed to heal the wounds of the Two Trees, Vána's love for Laurelin was so great that it caused the tree's remaining power to blossom in the form of a fruit of gold from which the Valar later fashioned the Sun.[8]
Genealogy
Aulë | Yavanna | VÁNA | Oromë | Nessa | Tulkas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Of the Valar"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, VI. Quenta Silmarillion"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Two. The Annals of Aman"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Of the Maiar"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "III. The Fall of Gondolin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Index, p. 288
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "III. The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "VIII. The Tale of the Sun and Moon"
Ainur | ||
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Valar | Lords | Manwë · Ulmo · Aulë · Oromë · Mandos · Irmo · Tulkas · |
Valier | Varda · Yavanna · Nienna · Estë · Vairë · Vána · Nessa | |
Maiar | Arien · Blue Wizards · Eönwë · Gandalf · Ilmarë · Melian · Ossë · Radagast · Salmar · Saruman · Tilion · Uinen | |
Úmaiar | Sauron · Balrogs (Gothmog · Durin's Bane) · Boldogs | |
Concepts and locations | Almaren · Aratar (indicated in italics) · Creation of the Ainur · Fana · Máhanaxar · Ainulindalë · Order of Wizards (indicated in bold) · Second Music of the Ainur · Timeless Halls · Valarin · Valinor · Valimar |