Ortírielyanna

From Tolkien Gateway
Excerpt from the manuscript

Ortírielyanna is a translation of the Sub tuum praesidium into Quenya made by J.R.R. Tolkien in the 1950s. It was published in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 44, June 2002 in 2002, edited by Patrick H. Wynne, Arden R. Smith, and Carl F. Hostetter.

The Sub tuum praesidium is the oldest known hymn to Virgin Mary and is often used in Christian services as a prelude to the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (also known as the Litany of Loreto). In 1944, Tolkien recommended his son Christopher to learn "the Litany of Loretto (with the prayer Sub tuum praesidium)" by heart.[1] It was therefore logical that Tolkien created his own Quenya Litany of Loreto, which immediately follows in the same manuscript as the Ortírielyanna.[2]

The prayer[edit | edit source]

The final version of the prayer:

Ortírielyanna rucimme, Aina Eruontari,
alalye nattira arca·ndemmar sangiessemman
ono alye eterúna me illume ilya raxellor
alcarin Vénde ar manaquenta.
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.

External links[edit | edit source]

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 54, (dated 8 January 1944)
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, "'Words of Joy': Five Catholic Prayers in Quenya — Part Two" (edited by Patrick H. Wynne, Arden R. Smith, and Carl F. Hostetter), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 44, June 2002, p. 11