Origins of the Ainur

Eru Ilúvatar is the supreme being of the universe, creator of all existence within the legendarium. He has been existing eternally in the Timeless Halls and possesses the Flame Imperishable in his spirit which kindles existence from nothingness.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐫

However, there was one amongst the Ainur who thought strangely. He was the only exception who had a part of the gifts of all the others. The mightiest of them, Melkor had often gone alone into the void places seeking the Flame Imperishable; for the desire grew within him to create things of his own. He became impatient searching in the emptiness of the void, and found no Fire, for it was with Eru Ilúvatar. Being alone, Melkor had begun to conceive thoughts of his own unlike those of his brethren.

And so Melkor sung his own tune and created discord in the harmony of the Music of the other Ainur. The dissonance in his music dismayed those Ainur around him, and many faltered in their singing. Some even attuned their song to his, and joined him in his future plans. Eru Ilúvatar tolerated this, knowing that what ever Melkor did would have no lasting effect on the symphony, and that ultimately the beauty of the music would endure.

Out of this great music, Eru showed them the Vision of vast halls of spaces and stories unfolded in the deeps of Time. Those of the Ainur who felt concern for the creation entered it, and became the Valar and the Maiar, the guardians of creation. It is from this Vision which Eru composed that the universe (Eä) and a premature Arda (Earth) were created.

Morgoth, the Dark Foe

The mightiest of the Ainur, who received a part of each gift and skill as every single one of the Ainur was Melkor. After failing to find the Flame Imperishable during the creation of the universe, Melkor's jealousy and hunger for power grew. He sought to unmake the world which the other Ainur helped to create.

During the Music of the Ainur, there were some of those who harmonised with Melkor's discord. They followed him (these were some of the Maiar) and became corrupted to later serve as the Balrogs. Sauron was a Maiar of Aulë, and later (when the world was being shaped) changed his allegiance and became Melkor's lieutenant. However, Melkor's darkest perversion, was that of the first Children of Ilúvatar, the first Elves to have awoke in to the world. He captured and corrupted their minds and bodies through torture. This was the catalyst which resulted in the War for the Sake of the Elves, where the Valar made war with Melkor which lasted many decades. Melkor lost and was imprisoned in the Halls of Mandos for many ages.

After this time, Melkor was released out of mercy by the Valar, as they thought that he had been changed. However, Melkor went back to Middle-earth and continued his evil ways under the name Morgoth.

Now in possession of the three Silmarils, which he wore upon his crown, Morgoth (as he was now known) spent many years corrupting the lands of Middle-earth, bending it to his will and nearly conquered all who inhabited it. When there were only a few of the free people remaining, there was one amongst them, Eärendil, half-elf, father of Elrond. Eärendil sailed to Valinor, and sought aid for Men and Elves in Middle-earth, to fight against Morgoth; and the Valar accepted his plea. This lead to the War of Wrath, the battle that ended the First Age. A great host of Elves, Men, Dwarves, and Valar fought in a great battle against Morgoth's army of Balrogs, Dragons, Werewolves and other evil creatures that succumbed to his corruption.

After his defeat in the War of Wrath, Morgoth attempted to negotiate for pardon, but was again bound by the great chain of Angainor. Disgusted with Morgoth, this time the Valar thrust him beyond the Walls of the World, into the Timeless Void. There he was meant to remain, imprisoned, until the Dagor Dagorath, the final judgment of the world.

King of the Valar

Leader of the Ainur, Elder King of Arda, Manwë had the most closest vision of Eru's great plan.

Manwë commands the winds and air, and the Great Eagles are his servants. While he is the greatest of the Ainur in authority, his power was second, only surpassed by his brother, the Dark Lord Melkor.

Along with Aulë and Ulmo, Manwë was one of the chief architects of Arda (Earth), and when it was formed, he denied to surrender it to Melkor.

Manwë headed many councils throughout the history of Arda. One of the most noteable councils occured before the Third Age, resulting in the expedition of five emissaries to Middle-earth, the Istari (Wizards).

Kindler of the Stars

After the destruction of the Two Lamps at the hands of Melkor, Varda used the dews from the Two Trees of Valinor to create the stars of the sky to light the way for the Awakening of the Elves, the first Children of Ilúvatar.

When Melkor and Ungoliant attacked the Two Trees and fled with the Silmarils, Yavanna and Nienna attempted a healing. The wounds were too deep and the Two Trees withered but they succeeded in reviving one single last fruit and flower, which was given to Aulë who fashioned great vessels to contain them in. These vessels the Valar gave to Varda, so that they might become lamps of heaven to outshine the ancient stars. Varda bequeathed to them such light and power so that they would traverse the skies. In doing so, she established the courses of the Sun and Moon, which lead to the Awakening of the first Men.

King of the Sea

The sea was the only area of Arda which Melkor did not dare use to his purpose because the sea could not be tamed save for Ulmo, Lord of Waters.

Manwë is his closest friend and ally and they come together when the vapors of the water become clouds high in the air, or mists and dew. Rarely appearing in his physical form, he came to the shores unseen and his spirit was in the very veins of the world.

When the first Elves awakened, he tore a great piece of land off the eastern shores of Middle-earth and used it to transport the Eldar Elves to the blessed coasts of Aman in the West.

Ulmo was the greatest friend of the Children of Ilúvatar. He assisted them through interventions of the great acts which Elves and Men would achieve through the ages. As a result many of Melkor's designs were thwarted, which ultimately lead to his downfall.

The Just

Keeper of the Halls of the Dead where he summons the spirits of the slain. Mandos serves as the Doomsman of the Valar and pronounces his Judgements and Dooms upon the spirits of Elves and Men at the bidding of Manwë. He possesses extraordinary foresight and knows and remembers nearly all things that were and shall be and for this reason played a chief role in Manwë's council.

The Halls of Mandos were said to grow in size as the world aged. After a time, the spirits of the immortal Elves who awaited there could be healed from their mortal wounds in preparation for re-embodiment and return to the living. The spirits of Men also awaited within the Halls, but they had a different fate, of which only Eru Ilúvatar knew. No one, however, not even Melkor, could escape the Halls without Mandos's permission. As was the case during the War for Sake of the Elves, when Melkor's forces were defeated, Tulkas captured Melkor and bound him with the great chain Angainor. He was then sentenced to his long term of imprisonment in the Halls of Mandos where he remained for many ages.

Weaver of Time

With the passage of time and its many ages, her woven tapestries expanded and clothed the walls of the Halls of the Dead, where she resided with Mandos. As the halls ever swelled with time Vairë kept pace with her storied webs.

Lady of Mercy

Nienna is acquainted with grief and sorrow but also pity and courage. She is ever mourning for the wounds of the world by evil. Those who listen to her learn wisdom and endurance in grief.

Gandalf was Nienna's greatest pupil, and as such he became the wisest of the Maiar, inspiring many he came by in the later ages. Frodo had pity of Gollum thanks to Gandalf's teachings, consquentially leading to events which made the destruction of the One Ring possible.

Master of Dreams

Irmo did not work in the open, his power was unseen and his influence was subtle even to the wise. He used dreams to send hope to the Elves and Men when the darkness of Melkor covered Middle-earth the most.

His nature wasn't in conflict or strife, he was sought in inspiration, in desire, in hope, and in the dreams and hearts of those that opposed evil.

The Gentle

After the destruction of the Two Trees the world was plunged into darkness. Varda proposed to create the Sun and Moon from their last fruit and flower. It was the counsel from Estë and Irmo which set the courses of the Sun so that it should spend a certain time hidden, allowing for the stars to be seen again and for sleep and rest to return to the world.

Champion of the Valar

Of all the Valar Melkor feared Tulkas most, for his physical strength surpassed that of any of the Valar. He wields no weapon, and rides no steed, and the bellow of his laughter could be heard in battle.

After the Two Lamps were first erected and the Valar had completed creating Arda, Tulkas wedded Nessa in a great feast. Being weary and content he slept, and in the brief absence of Tulkas's guard, Melkor decided his hour of onslaught had come. He laid destruction to the Two Lamps and plunged the world into darkness.

When the first Children of Ilúvatar awoke (Elves), there was a council among the Valar regarding Melkor. When they heard of the capture of some of the Elves and their corruption into evil, it was decided that Melkor should be removed, much to Tulkas's delight.

And so during the War for Sake of the Elves, it was Tulkas who wrestled with Melkor and bound him with the great chain Angainor, which was forged by Aulë. He then carried Melkor to the Halls of Mandos where the Dark Lord was imprisoned for many ages.

The Dancer

Nessa was noted for her speed, her pace far greater than any other on foot. She danced on the ever-green lawns and outran the deer who she befriended in the wild.

When the Valar had finished with their labours in the creation of Arda, King Manwë ordained a great feast in celebration. It was then Nessa wed Tulkas, where the Valar could embrace in festivities.

The Huntsman of the Valar

The Great Rider, delights in hunting monsters and evil creatures, he would train his folk and his beasts for the pursuit of the evil servants of Melkor

When the first Elves awoke in the Eastern reaches of Middle Earth, Melkor quickly learned of them through his spies. Soon, Elves who wandered too far from their lands were captured and taken to the fortresses of Angband, where Melkor presided. There they were corrupted by torture into servants bred solely for war — Orcs.

Riding on his steed Nahar and blowing his great horn Valaróma, Oromë would often hunt the forests of Middle Earth. Thus, it was he who discovered the first Children of Ilúvatar, of those who remained, and he named them the Eldar.

When Oromë returned with the elves willing to leave with him, the Valar were made aware of the Orcs. It was then that Manwë and the other Valar decided to rid the world of Melkor's tyranny and so began the War for the Sake of the Elves.

The Ever-young

The Maiar Melian and Arien were servants of Vána, both of whom played defining roles in the history of Arda.

Queen of Earth

After the destruction of the Two Lamps the Valar withdrew to the continent in the West, Aman and created their new settlement, Valinor. It was here, upon a great mound, Yavanna sat and sang while the other Valar listened. Her song, with the aid of the nourishing tears of Nienna brought forth the Two Trees of Valinor, her greatest creation, which gave light to the land once again.

In later years, during his theft of the Silmarils, Melkor destroyed the Two Trees. Amongst the remnants, again Yavanna sang and Nienna wept, but they succeeded only in reviving Telperion's last flower and Laurelin's last fruit. She gave these to her husband Aulë, who fashioned vessels to contain them, thus creating the Moon and the Sun.

The Great Smith

His greatest works were the Two Lamps of Valinor, great towers containing the divine light of Varda which illuminated the world for the first time. In later years he would also fashion the vessels of the Sun and Moon. During the wars with the Dark Lord, he wrought Angainor, the only chain able to bind Melkor.

Aulë also created his own race of beings, the Dwarves, because he was unwilling to wait for the Children of Ilúvatar to appear. Eru Ilúvatar knew of this and even as Aulë was instructing them He chastened Aulë. Aulë humbly repented, offering his children to the will of Ilúvatar, whom He accepted as His adopted children. Since Eru Ilúvatar had decided that the Elves were to be the first-born race, He made the Dwarves sleep until the Elves woke on Arda.

The Lord of the Rings

Originally a Maiar of pure intent, he was a gifted student of the Valar Aulë, The Great Smith. His teachings and his love for order and coordination, allowed Sauron to become a master craftsman. It was this quality and Melkor's apparent will and power to affect his designs masterfully that had first attracted Sauron to his ways. Eventually he fell to the darkness and became the lieutenant of Melkor.

After his master's defeat by the Valar at the end of the First Age, Sauron became the second Dark Lord. Unlike Melkor, Sauron did not object to the existence of the world, he did not seek to destroy everything that Eru designed. Instead his obsession for order and coordination became his downfall once again and he envisioned fashioning the world to his “perfect” ideal, at the cost of Middle-earth’s freedom.

However, In secret, Sauron forged the One Ring, a master ring that would rule and dominate all the Rings of Power and those who bore them. The Elven lords became aware of this and removed their rings and hid them, for Sauron's true identity and intentions were now exposed. Foiled in his plan to dominate the Elves, Sauron invaded and sacked the Elven City. He captured Celebrimbor and forced him, through torture, to reveal the locations of all the rings. However, he refused to reveal the whereabouts of the three greatest of them which he had forged. These were free of Sauron's influence, as he had no hand in their making, but they were still forged by Celebrimbor using the arts taught to him by Sauron and thus were still bound to the One Ring. Celebrimbor died from his torment; his body was shot with arrows and hung upon a pole, and was later paraded as a banner as Sauron attacked the Elves.

The Rings of Power that could be recovered, Sauron later gave to Dwarves and Men of his choosing. The great lords and warriors of men were easiest to corrupt. Initially using the rings to achieve great power, wealth, and prestige in life, but as time passed the rings eventually rendered their bearers into wraiths and enslaved them to the will of the Lord of the Rings.

The White Wizard

Saruman was true to his mission in the beginning, but his pride and later arrogance eventually gave in to the corruption of Sauron.

The Brown

Originally, only four Istari were planned to be sent to Middle-earth. However, Saruman was obliged to take Radagast to please the wishes of the Valar Yavanna wife of his master, Aulë.

The Blue Wizards

However their fate is uncertain for all tidings of them ceased after a while. It was suspected by some that they eventually were founders or beginners of secret cults and 'magic' traditions that even outlasted the fall of Sauron.

Queen of Doriath

It is their blood line which lead to some of the greatest figures in Middle-Earth's history: Lúthien (of Beren and Lúthien), Elrond, and even Aragorn.

I tried to include and write the key events of each character. Keep in mind, these Valar and Maiar take part in many events throughout the course of the First Age (and beyond). I had to miss out on some events purely to keep character descriptions as brief as possible.

There are also many other Maiar which I have not included, powerful Maiar who played key roles in the creation of the world. Such as the Maiar Arien and Tilion, who were chosen by the Valar to sail the vessels which contained the Sun and Moon until the end of time.

Another choice, was the inclusion of the Maiar Melian who played a vital role in the early ages of the Elves and who's descendants were some of the most iconic figures in Middle-earths history. However including that family tree and their history would have taken up a whole guide within itself.

Eru Iluvatar timeless palace by enanoakd

Ascension by John Pitre

Forging of the Silmaris by oGuttermoutho

"Morgoth and the Silmarils" by Justin Gerard

Dark Lore of LOTR - Into the Storm by TSRodriguez

Manwe Sulimo by GustavoMalek

Varda by DymondStarr

Mandos by Marcela Medeiros

Vairë by Ossian94

Nienna "The Mourning Vala" by moon_blossom

Irmo, Master of Dreams and Desires by Alvyne Sebalj

Tulkas "The Valiant incoming" by Antonio Vinci

Nessa, by Kahirie

Oromë, Nahar and Huan, Félix Donadio

Vána, the Ever-young, by Steamey

Yavanna by marcelamedeiros-arts

"Aulë the Destroyer" by Ted Nasmith

Sauron by Jean Pascal Leclerc Kegle

Annatar by Aleksandra Skiba

Saruman by mental lighton

Gandalf by Jerry Vanderstelt

Radagast by Dan Pilla

Melian by Andrew Ryan