Ainur (Middle-earth)
Encyclopedia
The Ainur are the immortal Spirits existing before Creation in J. R. R. Tolkien
's fictional universe. These were the first beings made of the thought of God or Eru Ilúvatar
.
of the Norse mythology
, the Ogdoad
s of Gnosticism
, and the angel
s of Christian mythology
all inspired Tolkien for creating his Ainur.
made the Ainur or "Holy Ones". This Quenya name comes from the Elvish root ayan- "revere, treat with awe". "Ainur only appears in plural [in Elvish texts] since after the Creation all those were Maiar includes Valar and their lesser kin, but not those who did not take part in the Great Theme, or else did not enter Eä." This means that only apocryphal texts written by Men and Hobbits used the singular Ainu.
The Universe was created through the Music of the Ainur or Ainulindalë
, music sung by the Ainur in response to themes introduced by Eru. This created universe, song endowed with existence by Eru, was called Eä in Quenya. The Earth and our Solar System are part of the Creation. These are called Arda
in Quenya. Those of the Ainur who felt concern for the Creation entered it, and became the Valar
and the Maiar
, the guardians of Creation.
The Holy One Melkor or Melko claimed the Earth for himself. His brother Manwë
and several others Holy Ones decided to confront him. Much of the world was marred by the conflict between the Valar and Melkor. According to The Silmarillion, the Valar and Maiar — with the aid of the Vala Tulkas, who entered the Creation last — were able to exile Morgoth
, the degenerated fana (physical manifestation) of Melkor, into the Void.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's fictional universe. These were the first beings made of the thought of God or Eru Ilúvatar
Eru Ilúvatar
Eru Ilúvatar is a fictional deity in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the creator of all existence . In Tolkien's invented language of Elvish, Eru means "The One", or "He that is Alone" and Ilúvatar signifies "Father of All"...
.
External Origin
The ÆsirÆsir
In Old Norse, áss is the term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in Norse paganism. This pantheon includes Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr. The second pantheon comprises the Vanir...
of the Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, the Ogdoad
Ogdoad
In Egyptian mythology, the Ogdoad were eight deities worshipped in Hermopolis during what is called the Old Kingdom, the third through sixth dynasties, dated between 2686 to 2134 BC...
s of Gnosticism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
, and the angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s of Christian mythology
Christian mythology
Christian mythology is the body of myths associated with Christianity. In the study of mythology, the term "myth" refers to a traditional story, often one which is regarded as sacred and which explains how the world and its inhabitants came to have their present form.Classicist G.S. Kirk defines a...
all inspired Tolkien for creating his Ainur.
Internal Origin
Before the Creation, Eru IlúvatarEru Ilúvatar
Eru Ilúvatar is a fictional deity in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the creator of all existence . In Tolkien's invented language of Elvish, Eru means "The One", or "He that is Alone" and Ilúvatar signifies "Father of All"...
made the Ainur or "Holy Ones". This Quenya name comes from the Elvish root ayan- "revere, treat with awe". "Ainur only appears in plural [in Elvish texts] since after the Creation all those were Maiar includes Valar and their lesser kin, but not those who did not take part in the Great Theme, or else did not enter Eä." This means that only apocryphal texts written by Men and Hobbits used the singular Ainu.
The Universe was created through the Music of the Ainur or Ainulindalë
Ainulindalë
The Ainulindalë is the first part of the fantasy work The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. In Tolkien's legendarium, the Ainur are Eä's divine beings. In Heaven, before Time, they compose a Great Music. This Music is revealed to be the template, or blueprint, commensurable with the entire history...
, music sung by the Ainur in response to themes introduced by Eru. This created universe, song endowed with existence by Eru, was called Eä in Quenya. The Earth and our Solar System are part of the Creation. These are called Arda
Arda
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory, wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings and related material once existed...
in Quenya. Those of the Ainur who felt concern for the Creation entered it, and became the Valar
Vala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
and the Maiar
Maia (Middle-earth)
The Maiar are beings from J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy legendarium. They are lesser Ainur who entered Eä in the beginning of time. Tolkien uses the term Valar to refer both to all the Ainur who entered Eä, and specifically to the greatest among them, the fourteen Lords and Queens of the Valar...
, the guardians of Creation.
The Holy One Melkor or Melko claimed the Earth for himself. His brother Manwë
Manwë
Manwë is a god or Vala of the Elven pantheon imagined by J. R. R. Tolkien. He is described in The Silmarillion.Manwë was the King of the Valar, husband of Varda Elentári, brother of the Dark Lord Melkor, and King of Arda. He lived atop Mount Taniquetil, the highest mountain of the world, in the...
and several others Holy Ones decided to confront him. Much of the world was marred by the conflict between the Valar and Melkor. According to The Silmarillion, the Valar and Maiar — with the aid of the Vala Tulkas, who entered the Creation last — were able to exile Morgoth
Morgoth
Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
, the degenerated fana (physical manifestation) of Melkor, into the Void.