The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor is the third chapter of The Book of Lost Tales Part One, the first volume of Christopher Tolkien's The History of Middle-earth. It covers a tale of the same title that immediately follows "The Music of the Ainur" in J.R.R. Tolkien's early collection of Lost Tales. Tolkien wrote it around 1920.
The chapter that follows is "The Chaining of Melko".
Chapter synopsis[]
Rúmil finishes telling Eriol of the Music of the Ainur, and Eriol asks for more stories of Valar, but Rúmil refuses, saying that there are too many for him to tell. It is midday, and Eriol contemplates in the garden, exhausted and hungry. Littleheart brings food and bedding for Eriol. That evening, the party in the Cottage of Lost Play entertain themselves with music and song, until Rúmil agrees to recount to them the Coming of the Valar.
The Coming of the Valar[]
Manwë and Varda enter Arda with their companions, only to find Melko there inadvertently causing destruction. Manwë becomes upset at this. Ulmo, Aulë, and Palurien enter after them with their servants, including Ulmo's vassal, Ossë. Then came the rest of the Valar. Manwë summons the Valar (except Melko) to council, in order to determine what to do about Melko's recklessness. Mandos and Tulkas, both of whom Melko fears, set out to deal with him. Tulkas smites Melko's face, and for that Melko nurtures a grudge. He maintains an amicable exterior, urging that the Valar go to their own realms. The Valar are perceptive of him, however, and instead determine to dwell together, for Arda at this time was a dark place. Aulë asks Melko to make great pillars for two lamps of light. Melko deceives the Valar, telling the pillars he had made, merely of ice, were in fact indestructible. The lamps, lit by the liquid light in the sky, melt thesece pillars, and the Valar escape west in the destruction of those lamps. Ulmo is sent to gather the spilled light into two cauldrons named "Kulullin" and "Silindrin". Two large pits hold the two cauldrons, into which are put precious metals and gems, covered with earth. Palurien, Vána the youthful, and Lórien "of Dreams" weave spells of power and life about the pits, and from them sprout two trees, of gold and silver: "Laurelin" and "Silpion" respectively. These great Trees give light, and all of Valinor is illuminated again. The Valar build their homes: Manwë atop the highest mountain, a place for Ossë when he grows weary of the waters, Lorien in great sleepy gardens, Tulkas a place of laughter and feats of strength. Thus the Valar establish the realm of Aman for their own.
In the Cottage, one of the listeners (proficient at his current occupation) wishes to be in the warlike abode of Makar and his sister Meassë, but says he would be better off a guest of Oromë the hunter, to the amusement of the others. Lindo the host calls it a night, and the group retires to sleep.
Other material[]
Christopher Tolkien also outlines (without reproducing) an alternative story of the Lamps his father had written, the earliest version of the creation of the Two Trees, a different account of the Valar's mansions, and a complicated tale explaining the role of Mandos (named "Vefántur Mandos") and the afterlife of Elves and Men. An early poem of J.R.R. Tolkien's named "Habbanan beneath the Stars" is also included; Habbanan was the earliest conception of the land of Araman.
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| French | La Venue des Valar et la Construction de Valinor |
| Georgian | ვალართა მოსვლა და ვალინორის შექმნა |
| German | Die Ankunft der Valar und die Gründung Valinors |
| Hungarian | A valák eljövetele és Valinor megalkotása |
| Italian | L'avvento dei Valar e la costruzione di Valinor |
| Polish | Przybycie Valarów i wzniesienie Valinoru |
| Russian | Приход Валар и строительство Валинора |
| Spanish | La llegada de los valar y la construcción de Valinor |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Прихід Валар і будівництво Валинора |