Sylphs: Difference between revisions

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<center>{{quote|sylphine maidens of the Air<br>whose wings in [[Varda]]'s heavenly hall<br>in rythmic movement beat and fall|[[The Lay of Leithian]], 4077-9}}</center>
<center>{{quote|sylphine maidens of the Air<br>whose wings in [[Varda]]'s heavenly hall<br>in rythmic movement beat and fall|[[The Lay of Leithian]], 4077-9}}</center>
'''Sylphs''' were creatures only mentioned fleetingly in the earliest versions of the tales of [[Arda]] and nomenclature by the [[Eldar]].<ref name=LT1-66>{{LT1|III}}, p. 66</ref><ref>{{LB|C13}}, pp. 301, 306 (§4077-9)</ref>
'''Sylphs''' were creatures only mentioned fleetingly in the earliest versions of the tales of [[Arda]] and nomenclature by the [[Eldar]].<ref name=LT1-66>{{LT1|III}}, p. 66</ref><ref>{{LB|C13}}, pp. 301, 306 (§4077-9)</ref>

Revision as of 21:07, 16 May 2015

Template:Disputedcanon

"sylphine maidens of the Air
whose wings in Varda's heavenly hall
in rythmic movement beat and fall
"
The Lay of Leithian, 4077-9

Sylphs were creatures only mentioned fleetingly in the earliest versions of the tales of Arda and nomenclature by the Eldar.[1][2]

Characteristics and divisions

The sylphs were part of what apparently was a three-fold division of the lesser Ainu spirits: sylphs (spirits of the air), sprites (spirits of the earth), and water spirits.[1]

Manwë had "two clans of air-spirits",[3] a basic division of two groups of sylphs which, with their Elvish names, are given as follow:

An individual Súruli mentioned by name was Ilinsor, steersman of the Moon. Ilinsor "loved the snows and the starlight and aided Varda in many of her works".[6]

Commentary

It has been suggested that the concept "air spirits" is used "metaphorically [...] for the winds that these spirits govern".[7]

The later legendarium

As the sylphs are not mentioned in later versions of the legendarium, it might be that Tolkien envisioned these creatures as the "servants and helpers" of the Maiar (mentioned in later versions of Elven chronicles)[8] — lesser spirits that would have remained in Middle-earth (and would thus perhaps be equivalent to the Faeries). As Tolkien never cared to elaborate much on these "lesser Maiar" in the texts used by his son Christopher when preparing the published The Silmarillion, one could speculate on how much Tolkien would have retained or rejected of this earlier conception.

Inspiration

Patrick H. Wynne and Christopher Gilson have noted that Tolkien's use of sylphs (and related spirits) is likely influenced by Paracelsus's chart of four elementals: sylphs (air), pygmies or gnomes (earth), nymphs (water), and salamanders (fire).[9]

See also

External links

References

Legendary races of Arda
 Animals:  Dumbledors · Gorcrows · Hummerhorns · Pards · Swans of Gorbelgod · Turtle-fish
Dragon-kind:  Sea-serpents · Spark-dragons · Were-worms
Evil Races:  Ettens · Giants · Half-trolls · Hobgoblins · Ogres · Snow-trolls · Two-headed Trolls
Other:  Badger-folk · Great beasts · Lintips · Mewlips · Nameless things · Spectres
Individuals:  Talking Gurthang · Talking purse · The Hunter · Lady of the Sun · Lonely Troll · Man in the Moon · The Rider · River-woman · Tarlang · Tim · Tom · White cow