Valinor (Quenya; or Valinórë [valiˈnoːre], meaning "Land of the Valar"), the Land across the Sea, was the realm of the Valar in Aman; the place to which they migrated from their former kingdom Almaren after the destruction of the Two Lamps by Melkor. It was known also as the Undying Lands, as Elves, later joined by the Ring-bearers, dwelt there in eternal bliss.
Geography[]
Domains of the Valar in Valinor from The Atlas of Middle-earth
The major city of Valinor was Valmar, where the Vanyar and the Valar resided. Two other cities were Alqualondë and Tirion, the respective homes of the Teleri and the Ñoldor. The important island of Tol Eressëa was off its east coast.
The sea to its west was called Ekkaia, or the Encircling Sea; it 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. Also living in the Halls of Mandos was his spouse Vairë the weaver, who wove the threads of time.
To the east of the Halls of Mandos was the Isle of Estë, which was situated in the middle of the lake of Lorellin which in turn was situated to the north of the Gardens of Lórien (not to be confused with Lothlórien in Middle-earth) which was created by the same Valar, Lórien also known as Irmo, the Vala of dreams. Estë and Lórien being husband and wife lived close together. To the north of this were the Mansions of Aulë the smith Valar who was spouse to Yavanna. In the north-east lay the Mansions of Manwë and Varda, the two most powerful Valar, also married. To the west of them stood the Two Trees of Valinor. The entire land of Valinor was surrounded on three sides (excluding the north which was instead protected by ices flows) by a huge mountain range called the Pelóri mountains. In the extreme north-east, past the mountain range was the pass of Helcaraxë, a vast and treacherous ice sheet which in the beginning, before the War of Wrath, joined the two continents of Valinor and Middle-earth. In the beginning, the Ñoldor, tricked by the evil Vala Melkor passed this way to go back to Middle-earth, among those was Galadriel. Those who so rebelled were not allowed back to Valinor for many years, as of the Hiding of Valinor, but in the end pity was taken on them when Middle-earth began to fade and pass into the age of Men, and the exiled Ñoldor were allowed to pass back to the Undying Lands of their own accord when they felt ready to do so.
Also, for a time after the exile of the Ñoldor and before the ruin of Númenor, a long chain of small islands called the Enchanted Isles ran the full length of the east coast to the continent. The enchanted islands and a bewildering shadow created the Shadowy Seas, which prevent mariners, mortal or immortal, from reaching the land by sea (by the Belegaer, the Great Sea which separated Middle-earth and Valinor. (Until the Changing of the World, the isle of Númenor was in the center of this Sea.) The enchantments protecting Valinor lasted centuries until Eärendil was guided through the Shadowy Seas by the light of the Silmaril, brought on board by his wife Elwing. They sailed on Vingilot, said to be the fairest ship ever fashioned, constructed by Eärendil and Círdan the Shipwright.
After the First Age[]
After the destruction of the island of Númenor and the Changing of the World, the Undying Lands were no longer a physical part of Arda, such that Men could no longer sail to Aman or Tol Eressëa. Only the Elves could sail there by the Straight Road, if in ships capable of passing out of the Spheres of the Earth.
By special permission of the Valar, the Hobbits Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins, and Samwise Gamgee were also permitted to go to Valinor, as they had once borne the One Ring of Sauron. Later, after the death of Aragorn, Legolas the Elf would sail to Valinor and bring with him Gimli the Dwarf.[1][2] Their friendship would last forever until the world would be remade. When the one begun his second theme of the Ainur.
Etymology[]
The name Valinor means people of the Valar, from Sindarin Vali, meaning Valar, and the suffix -nor, meaning people of.
In other versions[]
Among the Lost Tales, compiled in the first volumes of The History of Middle-earth, are J.R.R. Tolkien's first accounts of the Building of Valinor,[3] the Darkening of Valinor,[4] and the Hiding of Valinor.[5] In The Silmarillion, published much later, these events are again covered, in reduced detail.
Primitive names of Valinor were Valinórë and Land of the Gods.[6]
Behind the scenes[]
It has been suggested that the concept of Valinor was based off Hy Brasil, a mythical land that can reputedly be seen off the coast of Ireland for one day in every seven years, or alternatively "Heaven". The latter is more possible, as Valinor being peaceful is similar to how Heaven is represented, and Middle-earth being violent is similar to how Earth is represented.
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | ቫሊኖር |
| Arabic | فالينور |
| Armenian | Վալինոր |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Валинор |
| Bengali | ভেলিনোর |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Валинор |
| Catalan | Vàlinor |
| Chinese | 維林諾 |
| Georgian | ვალინორის |
| Greek | Βαλινορ |
| Gujarati | વલિનોર્ |
| Hebrew | ואלינור |
| Hindi | वलिनोर् |
| Japanese | ヴァリノール |
| Kannada | ವ್ಯಾಲಿನರ್ |
| Kazakh | Валінор (Cyrillic) Valinor (Latin) |
| Korean | 발리노르 |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Валинор |
| Lithuanian | Valinoras |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Валинор |
| Maithili | वैलिनोर |
| Marathi | वलिनोर |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Валинор |
| Nepalese | वलिनोर |
| Pashto | والینور |
| Persian | والینور |
| Punjabi | ਵਲਿਨੋਰ |
| Russian | Валинор |
| Sanskrit | वलिनोर् |
| Serbian | Валинор (Cyrillic) Valinor (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | වලිනොර් |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Валинор |
| Tamil | வலிநொர் |
| Telugu | వలినొర్ |
| Thai | วาลินอร์ |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Валинор |
| Urdu | ویلینور |
| Uzbek | Валинор (Cyrillic) Valinor (Latin) |
| Yiddish | וואַלינאָר |
|
Middle-earth Locations:
Provinces/Regions: Arnor | Dunland | Ettenmoors | Forochel | Forodwaith | Gondor | Harad | Ithilien | Khand | Lindon | Minhiriath | Mordor | Rhovanion | Rhûn | Rivendell | Rohan | The Shire Forests & Mountains: Amon Dîn | Amon Hen | Amon Lhaw | Caradhras | Emyn Muil | Erebor | Fangorn Forest | High Pass | Iron Hills | Lórien | Mirkwood | Mount Doom | Mount Gundabad | Old Forest | Orod-na-Thôn | Tower Hills | Weathertop Hill City/Fortifications: Angband | Barad-dûr | Bree | Caras Galadhon | Dol Guldur | Fornost Erain | Hornburg | Isengard | Khazad-dûm (Moria) | Minas Morgul | Minas Tirith | Last Homely House | Tower of Amon Sûl | Tower of Orthanc | Osgiliath | Umbar | Utumno Miscellaneous: Argonath | Astulat | Buckland | Cair Andros | Dagorlad | Dead Marshes | Enedwaith | Fords of Isen | Gap of Rohan | Grey Havens The rest of Arda:
Aman | Burnt Land of the Sun | Dark Land | Empty Lands | Neldoreth | New lands | Númenor | Tol Eressëa |
| Places in the Undying Lands (Aman and Tol Eressëa) | ||
| Places and regions of the Valar | Valinor • Ezellohar • Gardens of Lòrien • Halls of Mandos • Halls of Nienna • House of Tulkas • Ilmarin • Máhanaxar • Pastures of Yavanna • Wells of Varda • Woods of Oromë • Plain of Valinor • Two Trees of Valinor | |
| Other regions | Eldamar • Alalvinórëυ • Araman • Avathar • Enchanted Isles • Haerast • Oiomúrë • Sindanórië • Galathilion • Tol Withernonυ | |
| Mountains and passes | Pelóri • Taniquetil • Hyarmentir • Túna • Calacirya • Caves of the Forgotten | |
| Bodies of water | Afros • Bay of Eldamar • Gruirυ • Híri • Lórellin • Shadowy Seas • Sirnúmen | |
| Cities and strongholds | Váli-màr • Alqualondë • Avallónë • Formenos • Kôrtirion • Tavrobelρ • Tirion • Lumbiυ | |
| Houses and towers | Cottage of Lost Playρ • House of the Hundred Chimneysρ Pre-canon • Mindon Eldaliéva • Tower of Avallónë • Tower of Tavrobelρ • Tram Nybolρ | |
| ρ Pre-canon, υ Canonicity unclear. | ||
References[]
- ↑ The Silmarillion: Valaquenta
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Chapter III: "The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Chapter VI: "The Theft of Melko and the Darkening of Valinor"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Chapter IX: "The Hiding of Valinor"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Index