The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor

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The Book of Lost Tales Part One chapters
The Cottage of Lost Play The Music of the Ainur The Coming of the Valar The Chaining of Melko The Coming of the Elves The Theft of Melko The Flight of the Noldoli The Tale of the Sun and Moon The Hiding of Valinor Gilfanon's Tale

The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor is the third chapter of The Book of Lost Tales Part One.

Synposis

When Rúmil finished his previous story in the garden, Eriol asked many questions. The elf agreed to answer them later, but first they had to eat breakfast. Littleheart brought food for Eriol, who spent the rest of the day walking in the garden. In the evening all gathered around the Tale-fire once again. The majority wanted to play music and sing. However, after the songs they began to yearn for the lost beauty of past years and the rekindling of the Magic Sun. Eriol asked Lindo for Rúmil to tell about Valinor. Rúmil agreed and began:

Manwë Súlimo and Varda the Beauty came to the world through Vaitya, Ilwë, and Vilna, the three layers of the air. Lesser Vali, Mánir and Súruli, accompanied them. Melko outstripped them and caused disturbance in the world, angering Manwë. After them the following Ainur came in sequence:

• Ulmo (only with Salmar later called Noldorin) and Aulë (with his wife, Palúrien later called Yavanna; and with Nermir, Tavari, Nandini, and Orossi);
• A vassal of Ulmo, Falman-Ossë, with his wife Ónen and with Oarni, Falmaríni, and Wingildi;
• Young Tulkas Poldórëa, brothers Fanturi (Lórien Olofántur and Mandos Vefántur), and twin sisters Tári (Fui Nienna (wife of Mandos) and Vána (wife of Oromë, the son of Aulë and Palúrien));
• Quarrelsome Makar and his sister Meássë, who came late;
• The last was Ómar known also as Amillo, the youngest of the great Valar.

Manwë warned that Melko would cause destruction, and after some discussion among the Valar Mandos and Tulkas were sent to capture him. Led before the face of Manwë, Melko claimed that he would cause no farther harm, and counselled the Valar to separate and live in their favourite domains. Manwë, Ulmo, Aulë and Palúrien mistrusted him, and chose to build a common residence so that Melko could not attack them one by one. Melko had already built Utumna and made north and south cold. Silver and golden light was falling like rain and flowing like rivers, but it was too dark for Aulë to work. Therefore he asked Melko to build towers for the Two Lamps he wanted to make. Melko did so, claiming that he built Ringil and Helkar from an indestructible material. In truth, they were made from ice, and they melted, causing the lamps to fall and spill their light. So began the first long night. The Valar were trapped on an island until Ossë with the Oarni took it to Eruman, where they decided to build their dwellings.

Aulë worked for seven ages building the foundations of Taniquetil whilst the Valar made Erumáni flat. Tired of the darkness, they collected golden and silver light in two cauldrons, Kulullin and Silindrin. Using some of the light from the cauldrons, gold, pearls and other ingredients - combined with the songs of Vána and Lórien - Palúrien (Kémi) caused the Two Trees, Laurelin and Silpion, to start growing. Urwen and Silmo were chosen to care for them.

Then Aulë, with the help of Tulkas and Palúrien, finally could build homes for Valar in the city of Valmar:

• Manwë had a house on Taniquetil with a roof from ilwë. His hawks and later Sorontur, the king of eagles, lived there too;
• Aulë and Palúrien had a house made from light with metal threads;
• Ossë had a house made by Ónen and Oarni from pearls;
• Ulmo did not live in Valmar. When it was necessary, he was a guest of Manwë;
• Lórien had a house called Murmuran made from mist, with a large garden in which Silmo watered Silpion from Silindrin;
• Tulkas had a house where the feasts took place. Beautiful Nessa, his wife, lived there and danced;
• Noldolin and Amillo competed in songs and music;
• Oromë had a house and broad forests. Vána, his wife, preferred to go to her garden. Urwen took there light from Kulullin for Laurelin;
• Vefántur and Fui asked Aulë to build a house for them far from the beautiful ones of the other Valar. Mandos chose a large and dark hall, Vê (from his name), for the deceased elves awaiting their rebirth and his wife another one, Fui (also from her name), for deceased men (some of them stay there, some go to Melko's Angamandi, many to Arvalin, and few to Valinor).
• Makar and Meássë built themselves their house, not far from Mandos. Makar's subjects fought there continuously.