Home

Valaquenta

Valaquenta, meaning "Account of the Valar," is a section of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. It provides a concise account of the Valar and the Maiar, the higher and lesser orders of the Ainur who entered Arda to shape and govern it. The Valar are presented as the principal powers who took responsibility for the world, while the Maiar are their numerous servants and messengers, spirits who accompany and aid the Valar.

The Valaquenta lists the major Valar and outlines their domains and functions. Manwë is the king of

The Maiar are lesser Ainur who serve the Valar; they are many in number and perform diverse

Overall, the Valaquenta provides the cosmological framework of The Silmarillion, detailing the principal powers that shape

the
Valar
and
ruler
of
the
air;
Ulmo
governs
all
waters;
Aulë
is
the
smith
who
shapes
matter;
Oromë
is
the
hunter
and
traveler;
Mandos
(Námo)
governs
fate
and
the
afterlife;
Irmo
(Lórien)
is
master
of
visions
and
dreams;
Estë
heals;
Vána
and
Vairë
attend
to
growth
and
history;
Nienna
embodies
compassion
and
endurance;
and
Tulkas
is
the
champion
of
strength.
Melkor,
the
most
powerful
of
the
Valar,
later
rebels
and
becomes
Morgoth,
the
chief
adversary.
The
Valar
reside
in
Aman,
in
the
western
realm
of
Valinor,
and
through
their
acts
they
shape
the
fate
of
Arda.
roles,
from
guardians
and
healers
to
heralds
and
stewards.
Among
them,
Eönwë
is
the
herald
of
Manwë,
and
several
other
Maiar
appear
in
various
tales
and
episodes
of
Middle-earth.
the
world
and
their
servants,
and
establishing
the
spiritual
backdrop
for
the
legends
that
follow.