Valar

Valar's History

The Valar were the fourteen Ainur who, after being molded of Eru's thought, entered Arda after its creation, to give order to the world and combat the new evils of Melkor. They had helped to begin the shaping of Arda through the music of Ilúvatar, and often referred to one another as "brother" or "sister". Each of the Ainur had added his or her own part to the music creating the world incarnate, save for Melkor, who at the time was counted as the strongest of them. His vision of what Arda should have been differed from Eru's, which led to his banishment and great rebellion that would cause most of the ills of the world of Arda.

Following the creation, the fourteen Valar dwelt first on Almaren, a hidden island on the Great Lake, but, after it was destroyed and the earth was reshaped, long before the Awakening of the Elves, they relocated to Aman and founded the realm of Valinor. They would become known as the 'Powers of the World', though rarely directly intervening in the world's course of events. Eru instead gave them delegation of Arda, and so at Valinor they constructed the golden city of Váli-màr, their own mansions dispersed across the plain; and Máhanaxar, the "Ring of Doom", at which they would confer and hold counsels.



Eru created for them lesser heavenly beings named the 'Maiar', who were their servants. Though subordinate to the Valar, the Maiar were powerful nonetheless, and included Melian, Sauron(named Mairon), Olórin (later named Gandalf) and the other Istari, and those who would become the Balrogs. Most Maiar were associated with particular Valar: Ossë and Uinen, the "powers of the oceans", served under Ulmo while Curumo (much later known as Saruman, served Aulë Aulë the Smith. Sauron also served Aulë before he was corrupted by Melkor.

It was originally Melkor's intention to rule Arda for himself, but Manwë, the superior of the Valar, called other spirits to help him confront Melkor. (Among these were the other Valar and the Maiar.) Melkor withdrew from Arda after the short Battle of the Powers, and the Valar continued their creation and furnishing of the World, while Melkor plotted to return and regain dominance. In time, once he returned in secret and ruined the Two Trees of Valinor with Ungoliant, Valinor lost its light, and the Valar eventually set to creating the Sun and Moon in the sky.



The War of the Jewels was prompted after Fëanor refused to forfeit his Silmarils to the Valar, for the rekindling of the Two Trees. He ended his and the Ñoldor's allegiance with the Valar, and bore a new conflict between the Elves and Melkor. The Valar soon fortified their realm, and brought about the "Hiding of Valinor", preventing Melkor and Fëanor and his followers from entering. The conflict between Melkor and the Valar was not resolved until the war's climax, during which the Valar came physically into Beleriand, helped conquer Melkor's forces at Angband, and captured him. He was taken to Aman and cast behind the Door of Night


In the Second Age, the Valar created anew the island of Elenna in the middle of the Sea, for the noble peoples of the Edain who had resisted and endured the war against Melkor. On this island was established the kingdom of Númenor, which lasted three millennia until their king Ar-Pharazôn attempted to contravene the Ban of the Valar. The Valar sank the island, and the living Númenóreans sailed eastward, and settled Middle-earth. Once Sauron had begun to regain power in Middle-earth after his defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, the Valar sent an order of five Maiar, the "Istari", unto Middle-earth, to provide a strong opposition to Sauron until his final destruction.