Telimektar

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Telimektar
Vala
Biographical Information
Other namesTelumaithor/Telumaithar, Daimort/Daimord (G)
Mordo/Taimordo/Taimondo, Telmaithron, Taimavar (Q)
LocationValinor
Tol Eressëa
Ilwë
Notable forGuarding the world from Melko's return
Family
ParentageTulkas & Nessa
ChildrenLúthienNB
Physical Description
GenderMale
WeaponrySilver sword

Telimektar was a Vala, the son of Tulkas, according to the early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

Early history[edit | edit source]

Telimektar is first mentioned in the Lost Tales in the story of the Chaining of Melko. There, he was "but just war-high" when he fought at his father's side against Melko in the war which ended with the captivity of the Enemy. In that story Telimektar had "a long sword girt about his waist by a silver girdle."[1]

His next mention is during the Darkening of Valinor, where he was pursuing Melko along with the other Valar.[2]

Later history[edit | edit source]

According to one text, when Melko broke free of his second imprisonment (after the March of Liberation), he went to Tol Eressëa in order to sow dissension between the Gnomes and the Solosimpi, who sent for help to Valinor. However, the only aid that came from the Valar was that of Tulkas, who in secret sent his son Telimektar to Tol Eressëa to aid them.

There, Telimektar, with the help of Ingil[note 1] son of Inwë, surprised Melko and wounded him, and chased him up the Pine of Tavrobel all the way to Ilwë. However, Melko kept attacking the Sun and the stars, and in the end caused the death of Urwendi the steerer of the Sun-vessel.

Finally, the Valar decided to cut down the great Pine, which left Melko stranded out of the world.

However, Telimektar and Ingil had to remain in the sky, guarding ceaselessly until Melko's return in the Great End. There, Varda periodically gives him stars to replace the ones Melko destroys and to remind the world of the Valar's watch - and the constellation of Orion is afterwards seen as his image in the sky.[3]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The name Telimektar[note 2] is in Qenya.[4] It is glossed as "Orion, literally Swordsman of Heaven" in the Qenya Lexicon, under the root TELE ("cover in").[5][note 3] The name is comprised of telimbo ("canopy, sky") + ektar ("swordsman").[4]

Other names[edit | edit source]

The Gnomish cognate of Telimektar is Telumaithor[note 4], with the earlier forms of the name being Telumaithron and Telumaithweg.[6]

One of his names was Mordo. It is a Gnomish word adopted into Qenya, being derived from mavar ("shepherd") through Gnomish mord - its meaning being a poetic one for "man, warrior" or otherwise possibly derived from the "warlike qualities of the shepherds". A similar name was Taimordo (Taimondo being a corrupt form of the name), with Daimort (changed from Daimord[7]) being its Gnomish cognate.[8][note 5][9]

Another late name for the character was Telmaithron.[10]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

 
 
 
 
Aulë
 
Yavanna
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vána
 
Oromë
 
Nessa
 
Tulkas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nielíqui
 
 
 
 
 
TELIMEKTAR
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LúthienNB
 
 

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In one of the later outlines, which might have formed the basis for The Book of Lost Tales, Telimektar was said to have a son called Lúthien.[11]

The idea of Telimektar and Ingil (known to Men in later ages as Orion and Sirius respectively) guarding against Melko's eventual return was ultimately abandoned. In its place, the idea of Eärendel keeping the watch on the Door of Night through which Melko/Morgoth was thrust at the end of the War of Wrath, was adopted instead.[12]

Of the name Telimektar remained only the mention of Telumehtar as a name of Orion in the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings.[13]

Notes

  1. In The Cottage of Lost Play, it is said that Ingil eventually returned to Valinor, which seems to represent a different, distinct idea from the one mentioned above.
  2. In the later outlines of the Lost Tales, his name is given as Telumektar instead.
  3. The name Telimbektar is given as an alternative to Telimektar in the Lexicon.
  4. In The Book of Lost Tales Part One, this name is given as Telumaithar.
  5. The true Qenya cognate of Daimord was Taimavar, with the other forms given above being corruptions of the name.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "IV. The Chaining of Melko", p. 101
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "VI. The Theft of Melko and the Darkening of Valinor", p. 154
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outline 4, pp. 281-2
  4. 4.0 4.1 Paul Strack, "ᴱQ. Telimektar pn.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 5 April 2022)
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Qenyaqetsa: The Qenya Phonology and Lexicon", in Parma Eldalamberon XII (edited by Carl F. Hostetter, Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne), p. 90
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, "I-Lam na-Ngoldathon: The Grammar and Lexicon of the Gnomish Tongue", in Parma Eldalamberon XI (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne), p. 70
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, "I-Lam na-Ngoldathon: The Grammar and Lexicon of the Gnomish Tongue", in Parma Eldalamberon XI (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne), p. 29
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Qenyaqetsa: The Qenya Phonology and Lexicon", in Parma Eldalamberon XII (edited by Carl F. Hostetter, Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne), p. 62
  9. Paul Strack, "G. Daimord m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 5 April 2022)
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Early Qenya and The Valmaric Script", in Parma Eldalamberon XIV (edited by Carl F. Hostetter, Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, and Bill Welden), "The Names of the Valar", p. 13
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outline 16, pp. 301-2
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "II. The Earliest 'Silmarillion': Commentary on the 'Sketch of the Mythology'", p. 75
  13. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E, "Pronunciation of Words and Names", "Consonants" (entry concerning the pronunciation of "H" in the Elvish languages)