The Wells of Varda, also known as the Vats of Varda, were "great vats like shining lakes" that Varda made to hold water and great amounts[1] of the light which fell in abundance[1] from the Two Trees of Valinor in the time that they lived.[2]
The Wells of Varda were located in Valmar surrounding Ezellohar and were probably many in number.[3]
History[]
After the awakening of the Two Trees of Valinor, Varda saw that the light which came from it was in abundance. As a result, she made a few "mighty vats" near Ezellohar to store the silver dew and golden rain that fell from Telperion and Laurelin respectively in their Opening Hour. It was at that moment when the Count of Time was marked and the Years of the Trees began.[2]
The wells were said to be very deep.[4] Occasionally, the Maiar would draw light from them to nourish Valinor,[1] causing the lands to be more fairer.[2]
Years later, when Melkor and Ungoliant descended upon the trees and destroyed them, Ungoliant drank the wells dry, causing her to belch "forth black vapours" and grow to a huge size which even Melkor was afraid of.[5] And after their light was gone there was none left in Valinor save for in the Silmarils.[6]
Just before the Awakening of the Elves, Varda took the light[7] and silver dew-drops that still remained in vats of Telperion and kindled bright Stars in the vastness of Eä.[8]
After Varda's labors were complete, and the pools were no longer needed, they were likely turned into a place of special magnificence.[9]
In other versions[]
In The Book of Lost Tales Part One, after the fall of the two lamps, Varda desired to build a beacon on Taniquetil with the scattered light, but Manwë wanted to leave that light in the sky. However, he charged Ulmo with gathering the light spilled into rivers and water to fill up the two great cauldrons that Aulë forged. These cauldrons were named Kulullin and Silindrin. Kulillin was later transformed into a fountain. Two large pits were dug next to them, into which are put precious metals and gems. After being watered by the cauldrons, the Two Trees sprouted from the pits. The trees poured golden light into Kulullin and silver light into Silindrin. This light was gathered from the cauldrons and used to nourish the Two Trees in a cycle. Yavanna explained to the other Gods that "Light is the sap of these trees and their sap is light!"[10] It was said that the golden light of Laurelin was buoyant and hard to contain, but the light of Telperion was heavy.
Kulullin is a Qenya name meaning "Gold-song".[11]
Silindrin is a Qenya name meaning "Moon-cauldron".[12] In an earliest draft, Silindrin was named Telimpë, though Tolkien wavered between both names.[13]
The two cauldrons were replaced initially by general references to pools of gleaming radiance[14] and vats and pools,[15] before becoming the Wells of Varda.[2]
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Afrikaans | Putte van Varda |
| Albanian | Puset e Varda |
| Amharic | የቫርዳ ጉድጓዶች |
| Armenian | Վարդայի հորեր |
| Asturian | Pozos de Varda |
| Azerbaijani | Vardaın quyular |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Калодзежы Варды |
| Bengali | ভাড়া ওয়েলস |
| Bosnian | Bunare Varda |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Кладенци на Варда |
| Catalan | Els pous de Varda |
| Chinese | 瓦爾妲的水井 |
| Croatian | Vardini Zdenci |
| Czech | Studny Vardy |
| Danish | Vardas Brønde |
| Dutch | Putten van Varda |
| Esperanto | Putoj de Varda |
| Estonian | Vardai augud |
| Faroese | Brunnarnar í Varda |
| Filipino | Ang balon ni Varda |
| Finnish | Vardan lähteet |
| French | Les puits de Varda |
| Friulian | I Poçs di Varda |
| Galician | Os pozos de Varda |
| Georgian | ვარდასის ჭაბურღილები |
| German | Vardas Brunnen |
| Greek | Πηγάδια των Βάρντα |
| Gujarati | વર્દના કૂવા |
| Hebrew | בארותיה של וארדה |
| Hindi | वरदा के कुओं |
| Hungarian | Varda kútjai |
| Icelandic | Vardas Brunna |
| Indonesian | Sumur-sumur Varda |
| Irish Gaelic | Toibreacha Varda |
| Italian | I pozzi di Varda |
| Japanese | ヴァルダの井戸 |
| Kannada | ವರ್ಡಾದ ಬಾವಿಗಳು |
| Kazakh | Варданың құдықтың (Cyrillic) Vardanıñ qudıqtıñ (Latin) |
| Korean | 바르다의 웰 스 |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Вардадын кудуктар |
| Latvian | Vardas akas |
| Lithuanian | Vardao šuliniai |
| Luxembourgish | Pëtz vu Varda |
| Malaysian | Sumur-sumur Varda |
| Maltese | Bjar ta ' Varda |
| Marathi | वर्डाच्या विहिरी |
| Norwegian | Vardas Brønner |
| Occitan | Potz de Varda |
| Persian | چاههای واردا |
| Polish | Studnie Vardy |
| Portuguese | Os poços de Varda |
| Punjabi | ਵਰਦਾ ਦੇ ਖੂਹ |
| Russian | Колодцев Варда |
| Sardinian | Sos Putzos de Varda |
| Scottish Gaelic | Tobraichean Varda |
| Serbian | Вардини бунари (Cyrillic) Vardini bunari (Latin) |
| Sicilian | Pozzi di Varda |
| Sinhalese | වර්ඩාගේ ළිං |
| Slovak | Studne Vardy |
| Slovenian | Vrtine Varda |
| Spanish | Los pozos de Varda |
| Swedish | Vardas Brunnar |
| Telugu | వర్దా యొక్క బావులు |
| Thai | บ่อของวาร์ดา ? |
| Turkish | Varda'nın kuyuları |
| Turkmen | Vardanyň Guýulary |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Колодязі Варди |
| Uzbek | Варданинг қудуқлар (Cyrillic) Vardaning quduqlar (Latin) |
| Welsh | Ffynhonnau Varda |
| Xhosa | Imithombo yeVarda |
| Yiddish | וועלז פון וואַרדאַ |
| 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[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman", §27-9
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Three: "The Later Quenta Silmarillion", I: The First Phase, 2: "Of Valinor and the Two Trees", §17
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "Valinor"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman", pg. 68 (note to §28)
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman", §113
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Three: "The Later Quenta Silmarillion", II: The Second Phase, "Of the Darkening of Valinor", §58d
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman", §35
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Three: "The Later Quenta Silmarillion", I: The First Phase, 3: "Of the Coming of the Elves", pg. 159 (§19)
- ↑ The Silmarillion: Quenta Silmarillion, Ch. III: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, III: "The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor", pgs. 70-4, 181
- ↑ Parma Eldalamberon XIII, "The Alphabet of Rúmil & Early Noldorin Fragments", pg. 103
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I, entry "Silindrin"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, pgs. 79, 88, 113-4, 127, 129-30, 178, 189, 192, 196
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle-earth, II: "The Earliest 'Silmarillion'", III: "The Quenta"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, II: "Valinor and Middle-earth Before The Lord of the Rings", VI: "Quenta Silmarillion", §79