The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor
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The Book of Lost Tales Part One chapters |
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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 the 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, and the majority wanted to play music and sing, however later they began to yearn for the Magic Sun. Eriol asked Lindo for Rúmil to tell about Valinor. Rúmil agreed and started:
Manwë Súlimo and Varda the Beauty came to the world through Vaitya, Ilwë, and Vilna (three layers of the air). Lesser Vali, Mánir and Súruli, accompanied them. Melko outstripped them and caused disturbance on earth 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 (they were late);
- The last was Ómar known also as Amillo, the youngest of the great Valar.
Manwë warned about Melko and after some discussion Mandos and Tulkas were sent to catch him. Led before the face of Manwë, Melko claimed that he was not dangerous and suggested the Valar separate and live in their favourite domains. Manwë, Ulmo, Aulë and Palúrien did not trust him and so they decided to build a common residence so he would not be able to 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 claimed that he built Ringil and Helkar from an indestructible material, but in fact they were made from ice and they melted, and so the first long night started. The Valar were imprisoned on an island until Ossë with Oarni took it to the place where they decided to build their dwellings.
Aulë worked for seven centuries on the foundations of Taniquetil whilst the Valar made Erumáni flat. Tired with the darkness, they collected golden and silver light in two kettles, Kulullin and Silindrin. Using some of the light from the kettles, 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.