Valinor: Difference between revisions

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{{kingdom
| image = [[Image:Ted Nasmith - The Shores of Valinor.jpg|250px]]
| name = Valinor
| meaning = Land of the [[Valar]]
| type = Monarchy, Theocracy
| hidep=yes
| headofstate = [[Manwë]]
| executive =
| legislative =
| judicial = [[Máhanaxar]]
| capital = [[Valimar]]
| language = [[Valarin]], [[Quenya]] (including [[Telerin]])
| location = West of the [[Pelóri]]
| populace= Valar, [[Maiar]], and [[Vanyar]]
| currency =
| religious = Belief in [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]]
| holiday =
| anthem =
| formed = The departure of the Valar from [[Middle-earth]]
| established = c. [[Years of the Lamps 3450|Y.L. 3450]]
| reorganized =
| fragmented =
| dissolved =
| restored =
}}
'''Valinor''' ([[Exilic Quenya|EQ]], pron. {{IPA|[ˈvalinor]}}) or '''Valinórë''' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. [[Noldorin|N]] {{IPA|[valiˈnoːre]}}, [[Vanyarin|V]] {{IPA|[βaliˈnoːre]}}) was the realm of the [[Valar]] in central [[Aman]]. Aman refers to the whole continent, while Valinor properly refers to the inhabited lands by Valar and the Elves, and [[Valmar]] is its central city.


Valinor was the place to which the Valar moved after [[Almaren]] was destroyed by [[Morgoth|Melkor]]. 
==Description==
Valinor was west of the [[Pelóri]] mountains and encircled by them, which were raised by the Valar as a defense against Melkor. Everything in the realm, from the stones and the waters were hallowed and stainless and there was no sickness, corruption or withering. In Valinor the Valar brought what beauty and light they salvaged from the [[Spring of Arda]] before the [[Arda Marred|marring]], and they created new things, making Valinor even fairer than Almaren.<ref name=s1>{{s|1}}</ref>
Its major city was [[Valmar]] of many bells, built in the midst of the plain,<ref name=s1/> where the [[Vanyar]] and the [[Valar]] reside. Two other cities are [[Alqualondë]] and [[Tirion]], the respective homes of the [[Teleri]] and the [[Noldor]]. It also had an island, [[Tol Eressëa]], just off its east coast. The sea to the west of the island was called [[Ekkaia]], the encircling sea which surrounded both Valinor and [[Middle-earth]].
Each of the Valar had their own region of the land where they resided and altered things to their desire.
*[[Yavanna]], the Vala of nature, growth, and harvest, resided in the [[Pastures of Yavanna]] in the south of the island.
*[[Oromë]], the Vala of the hunt, lived in the [[Woods of Oromë]] to the north-east of the pastures. The forest was home to many creatures which Oromë could track and hunt.
*[[Nienna]], the lonely Vala of sorrow and endurance, lived cut off in the far west of the island in the [[Halls of Nienna]] where she spent her days crying, looking out to sea. Just south of the Halls of Nienna and to the north of the pastures there were the [[Halls of Mandos]].
*[[Mandos]], the brother of Nienna, was the Vala of the afterlife. All inhabitants of [[Arda]] went to the Halls of Mandos should they happen to die, mortals and immortals alike although it was said that in death as in life, they were separated. Also living in the Halls of Mandos was his spouse [[Vairë]] the weaver, who wove the threads of time.
*To the south were situated the [[Lórien (Valinor)|Gardens of Lórien]], where dwelt [[Irmo]], the Vala of dreams. And on an isle situated in the middle of the lake of [[Lórellin]] in Lórien, dwelt Irmo's wife [[Estë]].
*To the north of this were the Mansions of [[Aulë]] the smith Vala who was spouse to Yavanna.
*In the north-east lay the Mansions of [[Manwë]] and [[Varda]], the two most powerful Valar.
To the west of them stood the [[Ring of Doom]], and nearby the mound [[Ezellohar]] with the [[Two Trees of Valinor]], [[Telperion]] and [[Laurelin]].<ref name=s1>
After the destruction of [[Númenor]], the [[Undying Lands]] were removed from [[Arda]] so that [[Men]] could not reach them and only the Elves could go there by the [[Straight Road]] and in ships capable of passing out of the Spheres of the earth. By special permission of the Valar, the [[Hobbits]] [[Frodo Baggins]] and [[Bilbo Baggins]] were permitted to go to Valinor, being ring-bearers. They were followed by [[Samwise Gamgee]] and [[Gimli]] the [[Dwarves|Dwarf]] who were perhaps also permitted.
==Etymology==
''Valinor'' (archaic ''Valinórë'') is [[Quenya]] meaning "Land of Valar". There is also the name ''Valandor'' of roughly the same meaning.
The terms ''Ever-eve'' or ''Evereven'' also referred to Valinor.
In [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] lore, the mythical West was known as ''[[Faery]]''.
== Inspiration ==
It has been suggested that the concept is mainly based on the legend of Faery of western mythology, as indicated by the hobbitish name.
Furthermore, it seems to have been based on ghost and heavenly islands of ancient and medieval legends: Avalon, Hy Brasil, the Blessed Isles, the Elysian Fields, were mythical lands envisioned by the ancient peoples to be far into the western ocean. The legend somehow survived the Middle-Ages with [[Saint Brendan]]'s Island.
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[[Category:Valinor| ]]
[[Category:Quenya locations]]
[[de:Valinor]]
[[fi:Valinor]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/aman/valinor]]

Revision as of 18:22, 10 February 2015