Valar: Fourteen (originally Fifteen, but Melkor … :rolleyes:) high angels. The most powerful of the angelic types that came to Eä (the Universe). They were ainur who had a specific insight into Iluvatar’s (God’s) mind. Each understood a specific part (Melkor understood everything) of the mind of God. They were the ones who wanted to see the music of the Ainur made into reality. Some of them are considered more important than others by the races of Arda (the World). They are led by Manwë and Varda (also called Elbereth).
Maiar: The lesser angels that followed the Valar into Eä. They generally attached themselves to one of the Valar, whose sphere of power they found interesting. Thus, for example, Saruman, originally Curumo, attached himself to the Vala Aulë, who was the smith of the Valar (the one who was into making things). Over time, Melkor managed to convince a large number of Maiar into supporting his rebellion against the Valar; Sauron (originally Mairon) was one such Maiar. The Maiar are not all equal in ability or power.
Tolkien never really settled down and determined how many generations were before Finwë, Ingwë and Olwë, if any. While some writings presented them as having awakened at Cuivienen, others indicated it was their forebears who’d awakened there.
Note: the gate was build by both Dwarves and Elves, specifically for commerce between Elves and Dwarves (it’s called the “Elvish Gate”). During the good old days, the magic word to open it wasn’t a big issue since the gate was almost always open anyway.
The Valar are essentially gods, with the Maiar being lesser angelic beings. They are both Ainur - beings who existed before Arda was created - and of course part of the actual God Eru’s plans.
There’s a lot of stuff about the Valar in The Silmarillion, but by the time of LotR they are mostly disengaged from Middle-Earth, with only a few whispers and hints that they are still around
Let me take issue with this answer only in one way: the elvish inscription had no commas.
So, when Gandalf originally reads the inscription, he reads it with the commas you have included, and parses it accordingly. But in reality, the inscription should be read without commas: “Speak (or Say) ‘friend’ and enter.” The inscription on the door is literally telling people “Tell us you’re our friend, and you can enter.” Or, if you prefer, “Any friend of ours is welcome!”
That’s true, but I can’t help but think that Finwë, Ingwë, Elwë and Olwë were all first awakenings. There’s no hint anywhere that the Lords of the three Houses of Elvendom were all orphans.
They had quite a lot of relatives in common, and Arwen’s family did have a bit of a history of extraordinary immortal beauties falling for scruffy outlaws.
But Celeborn, husband of Galadriel, is described as a “kinsman” of Elwe/Elu Thingol. If the latter is one of the first awakened, how can he have kin, other than descendants?
I’ve always wondered a little about Elven reproduction. Assuming that Elven women are similar to human women, they’d only have so many eggs.
I seem to recall Tolkien saying that Elves got married and had kids, then moved on to the next part of their long, long lives. They looked back on their child-raising years fondly, but they had their new lives to tend to.
So my fanwank is that female Elves spent some thousands of years as “girls”, unable to procreate. Then they spent fifty or a hundred years as fertile women before they hit some kind of Elvish menopause, after which, they spent the rest of their lives unable to further reproduce.
Do we know of any Elven siblings born more than fifty or even a hundred years apart?
That’s where I always thought the greatness of the elves comes from. It’s not that they’re magical or anything. It’s that they’ve each had so long to live they’ve really learned how to optimize everything they do. There’s a perfect way to make that sword or bow. There’s a perfect, most efficient way to walk lightly.
