Miruvor: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 15:31, 28 October 2020

"Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier
mi oromardi lisse-miruvóreva
"
Namárië
John Howe - Miruvor

Miruvor and miruvórë was, or were, a type of cordial used by the Valar and the Elves.

History

The miruvórë was the nectar of the Valar made from Yavanna's flowers, poured during their festivals in Valinor.[1] In her lament, Galadriel recalled that "The years have passed like swift draughts of the sweet mead".[2]

The name miruvor refers to a reviving cordial of the Elves in Rivendell, a liquor with the power to grant renewed vigour and strength. Miruvor was clear and colourless, with a pleasant fragrance. It was possibly a different substance, an imitation, to miruvórë, and perhaps named after it.

Elrond gave a flask of the "Cordial of Imladris" to Gandalf before the Company of the Ring departed on their southward journey. Gandalf used this drink to revitalize themselves on Caradhras.[3]

Other races, such as the Dúnedain and even the Orcs possessed drinks with similar properties, but miruvor was known to be the most potent of these cordials.

Etymology

miruvor is Sindarin, said to be a "form taken by borrowed Quenya word" miruvórë, generally held to mean "precious juice" or "thought of as precious drink (and largely of honey)" (cf. root WOR).[4] The Quenya form also appears as miruvórë, explained as "a special wine or cordial".[5] These form were derived from Valarin mirubhōze.[4][5]

Inspiration

The invented word goes back to at least 1915. In that early phase of the legendarium, Tolkien envisioned it as derived from real-life Gothic elements *midu "mead" + wopeis "sweet" > miduwopi > miduwodi > misuwosi > Q. miruvore.[6]

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Donald Swann, The Road Goes Ever On, "Namárië (Farewell)"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Farewell to Lórien"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Ring Goes South"
  4. 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), pp. 37-8
  5. 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Four. Quendi and Eldar: Appendix D. *Kwen, Quenya, and the Elvish (especially Ñoldorin) words for 'Language': Note on the 'Language of the Valar'", p. 399
  6. 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. xi