Yavanna (Quenya; IPA: [jaˈvanna] - "Giver of Fruits") was of the Ainur and Valar, and one of the Aratar who was responsible for the growth of all the fruits and growing things of Arda. She was also called Kementári (Quenya; IPA: "Queen of the Earth"), Ivon (Sindarin; IPA: "Giver of Fruits"). She resided in the Pastures of Yavanna, in the south of Valinor.[1]
She was the wife of Aulë, older sister of Vána.[2]
Biography[]
In the Music of the Ainur, Yavanna sang of branches of great trees that would receive the rain of Manwë and Ulmo, and some trees sang to Ilúvatar. This is said to be the conception of the Shepherds of the Trees. Her thought also met with Manwë's, setting the arrival of the Great Eagles.[3]
Beginning in the Days before days during the Spring of Arda, she planted and caused to grow the first growing things of the world Olvar (trees and plants), which she had long prepared. At first, just as every other thing in the world that the Valar nurtured and cared for, these things prospered and thrived for a time. Melkor, however, had his own plans and they involved taking the world from his brethren and ruling it for himself. From his great fortress of Utumno in the far north, he sent forth his poisons into the veins of the world blighting the Spring of Arda. Then the things of Yavanna fell sick and rotted and soon after Melkor assaulted and destroyed the Two Lamps, breaking the world.
After the destruction of the Two Lamps the Valar withdrew to Aman and created Valinor. Upon the green mound of Ezellohar, Yavanna sat and sang while the other Valar sat and listened. Her song, with the aid of the tears of Nienna brought forth the Two Trees of Valinor, her greatest creation, which gave light to the land. Middle-earth was left in darkness and Yavanna put a sleep upon all the plant and animal life. However, Yavanna did not forsake the Outer Lands; at times she would come there and heal the hurts of Morgoth and urged the other Valar to wage war on him before the Awakening of the Elves.
After Eru allowed Aulë's creations, the Dwarves, to survive, Yavanna feared that they would cut down all the trees in Middle-earth. Aulë, in reply, told her that even Elves and Men, the true Children of Ilúvatar would have need of her trees as well. Yavanna lamented to Manwë, questioning whether anything she had made would be free from the dominion of others. Manwë brought her concerns before Ilúvatar in prayer, and Eru did indeed have pity upon Yavanna: He answered her plea by creating the Ents to protect the trees.[2][3]
When the Elves built Tirion, Yavanna fashioned the tree Galathilion, a lesser image of Telperion, for the court beneath the Mindon Eldaliéva.[4]
After the destruction of the Two Trees Yavanna examined their remains and told the other Valar that if she could use the light of the Silmarils she could heal them. This light she was denied by the will of Fëanor.[5] Doing what she and Nienna could, they managed to bring forth one silver flower from Telperion and one golden fruit from Laurelin. She gave these to her husband Aulë, who fashioned vessels for them and thus created the Moon and the Sun to give light to all of Arda.[6]
For the Men who had stood with the Valar in the War of Wrath the land of Andor was raised by Ossë, established by Aulë, and enriched by Yavanna. When the Edain came to this island they created the realm of Númenor.[7] In the later centuries, when the Valar decided to send emissaries to the mortal lands, Yavanna begged the Maia Curumo to take her servant, Aiwendil, with him.[8]
Etymology[]
In Quenya, Yavanna means "Giver of Fruits", from yáve ("fruit")[9] and anna ("gift").[10] Kementári, her epithet, means "Queen of the Earth", from kemen ("the Earth")[11] and tari ("Queen").[12]
Her name in Sindarin is Ivon, meaning "Giver of Fruits". It is only attested in the compound Ivonwin ("Maidens of Yavanna").[13] The month Ivanneth may have been named after Yavanna.[14]
Earlier names[]
Palúrien was an earlier name for Yavanna. It means "Lady of the Wide Earth."[15]
Maiar of Yavanna[]
- Aiwendil (Radagast), who was sent as one of the Istari to help the Free People of Middle-earth against Sauron. However, he at least failed his mission, preferring to protect the flora and fauna of Middle-earth.
- Melian is said to be kin to Yavanna,[16] but wasn't considered a maiden of the "Queen of the Earth". She served instead both Vána, the sister of Yavanna, and Estë.
Other versions[]
In other versions of the legendarium, Aulë and Yavanna were the parents of Oromë and Nessa[17] and Lëa-vinya and Gwendeling were Maia of Yavanna.[18] Furthermore, instead of Yavanna, in a few other versions, it was her sister Vána that made Laurelin bear its last fruit.
Trivia[]
- She is ranked fourth among the Aratar (eight most powerful of the Valar) and second among the Valier (ladies of the Valar).
- Yavanna shares similarities with the classical goddesses: Demeter, associated with crop growth and fertility, and Gaia, also known as "Mother Earth".
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | ያቫና |
| Arabic | يافانا |
| Armenian | Յավաննա |
| Assamese | যৱন্ন |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Ыаванна |
| Bengali | যভান্না |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Явана (Yavanna)
Явана Кементари (Yavanna Kementari) |
| Chinese | 雅凡娜 |
| Georgian | იავანა (Yavanna)
იავანა კემენტარი (Yavanna Kementari) |
| Greek | Γιαβάννα |
| Gujarati | યવન્ના |
| Hebrew | יבנה (Yavanna)
יבנה קימנטארי (Yavanna Kementari) |
| Hindi | यवन्ना |
| Japanese | ヤヴァンナ (Yavanna)
ヤヴァンナ・ケメンターリ (Yavanna Kementári) |
| Kannada | ಯಾವಣ್ಣಾ |
| Kazakh | Яаванна (Cyrillic) Javanna (Latin) |
| Korean | 야반나 (Yavanna)
야반나 케멘타리 (Yavanna Kementari) |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Яванна |
| Laotian | ຢະvະນນະ |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Yаванна |
| Malayalam | യവണ്ണ |
| Marathi | यवन्ना |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Ыаванна |
| Nepalese | यावन्ना |
| Pashto | یاواڼا |
| Persian | یاوانا (Yavanna)
یاوانا کمنتاری (Yavanna Kementári) |
| Punjabi | ਯਾਵਾਨਾ |
| Russian | Йаванна (Yavanna)
Йаванна Кемента́ри (Yavanna Kementári) |
| Sanskrit | यवन्न |
| Serbian | Јавана (Cyrillic) Javana (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | යවන්න |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Yаванна |
| Tamil | யாவன்னா |
| Telugu | యవన్నా |
| Thai | ญะฤะนนะ |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Яванна (Yavanna)
Яванна Кементарі (Yavanna Kementari) |
| Urdu | یاوانن |
| Uzbek | Яванна (Cyrillic) Yavanna (Latin) |
| Yiddish | יאַוואַננאַ |
References[]
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "Valinor"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Silmarillion, Valaquenta, "Of the Valar"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter II: "Of Aulë and Yavanna"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter V: "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter VIII: "Of the Darkening of Valinor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XI: "Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Akallabêth (The Downfall of Númenor)
- ↑ Unfinished Tales, Introduction, Part Four, II: "The Istari"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E: Writing and Spelling, II: Writing
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Myths Transformed
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, XV: "Of Lembas"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, chapter IV: "The Calendars"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Two: "Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter IV: "Of Thingol and Melian"
- ↑ 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"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman"