Ilmarë

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Ilmarë
Maia
Natalia Nikitin - Ilmare.jpg
"Ilmare" by Natalia Nikitin
Biographical Information
PronunciationQ, [ˈilmare]
PositionOne of the Chiefs of the Maiar
Handmaiden of Varda
AffiliationVarda
Physical Description
GenderFemale
GalleryImages of Ilmarë

Ilmarë was one of the chiefs of the Maiar, and the handmaiden to Queen Varda.

She is only mentioned briefly in the Valaquenta, where Ilmarë is described along with the Maia Eönwë who was the banner-bearer and herald of King Manwë.[1]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Her name may be related to one of the Quenya words for "Starlight".[2] Christopher Tolkien has noted that Ilmarë is related to such words as Ilmen and Ilmarin.[3]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

According to the early stages of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales, the character that would become Ilmarë was called Erinti. She was the daughter of Manwë and Varda, but the concept of the Valar having children was abandoned and Ilmarë became Varda's handmaiden.[4]

She appears in the Qenyaqetsa, in a rejected early entry. There she is described as:

"the Vali of love, music, beauty and purity, who is the same as Lotisse (or Veneste). She dwells in Alalminóre, and the fairies guard her tower. She and Noldorin, and his brother Amillo, alone have left Valinóre to dwell among the Inweli, Noldor, Eldar, and Teleri in Tol Eressea (Inwenóre). She is also often called Akairis, or bride. She dwells in a "korin" of elms."
The Qenya Lexicon, entry ERE- & ESE

[5]

But, as Christopher Tolkien points out, her dwelling in Tol Eressëa in a korin was eventually taken over by the character of Meril-i-Turinqi, and Erinti became the daughter of Manwë and Varda.[6]

Early etymology[edit | edit source]

The name Erinti is in Qenya, but its meaning is unclear.[7]

She was also called Lotessë (or Lotissë), being comprised of Qenya lóte ("flower") and the feminine suffix -ssë.[8] Another one of her names was Akairis (simply meaning "bride" in Qenya).[5]

Among her earlier, rejected names was Helinyetillë (glossed as "Eyes of Heartsease"[9]), a combination of Qenya helin ("pansy") and some variation of yéta- ("look at"), later used as a name for Nessa.[10] An early, likewise rejected name Venestë appears next to Lotesse in the Qenya Lexicon, but its meaning is unclear.[5]

Early genealogy[edit | edit source]

Manwë
 
Varda
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fionwë
 
ERINTI

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Of the Maiar"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", entry "GIL"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entry ilm-
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "II. The Music of the Ainur", p. 58
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 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. 36
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I, pp. 251-252
  7. Paul Strack, "Q. Ilmarë f.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 27 March 2022)
  8. Paul Strack, "ᴱQ. Lotesse f.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 27 March 2022)
  9. 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. 39
  10. Paul Strack, "ᴱQ. Helinyetille f.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 27 March 2022)
Ainur
Valar Lords Manwë · Ulmo · Aulë · Oromë · Mandos · Irmo · Tulkas · Melkor
Valier Varda · Yavanna · Nienna · Estë · Vairë · Vána · Nessa
Maiar Arien · Blue Wizards · Eönwë · Gandalf · Ilmarë · Melian · Ossë · Radagast · Salmar · Saruman · Tilion · Uinen
Úmaiar Sauron · Balrogs (Gothmog · Durin's Bane) · Boldogs
Concepts and locations Almaren · Aratar (indicated in italics) · Creation of the Ainur · Fana · Máhanaxar · Ainulindalë · Order of Wizards (indicated in bold) · Second Music of the Ainur · Timeless Halls · Valarin · Valinor · Valimar