#fionwe

The Valarindi (The Children of the Valar)

In the earlier stages of Tolkien's writings, the Valar were less angelic and more like pagan (especially Greco-Roman) deities. One of the most notable features at this point was that some of the married couples among the Valar had children. The term for these beings was Valarindi, and it was used to refer to any child (or in a couple of cases, grandchild) of one of the Valar. This group of beings included:

Nessa, the Dancer, The Swift

Nessa was the daughter of Aulë and Yavanna, the sister of Oromë, and was associated with dancing, deer, and speed. Her wedding to the Vala Tulkas was the first and only marriage between two Valar to take place within Arda itself. The fact that she is strongly associated with deer and nature and that her brother is connected to hunting makes her vaguely reminiscent of the Greek goddess Artemis. Meanwhile, her connections to love, dancing, and beauty and her marriage to the warrior Vala Tulkas are comparable to Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus. Nessa and Tulkas had a son named Telimektar in the earliest stages.

Oromë, The Huntsman of the Valar

Oromë was the son of Aulë and Yavanna, the brother of Nessa, and the Lord of the Forests and the Huntsman of the Valar. After the Valar retreated to the continent of Aman, Oromë would still occassionally return to Middle-earth to hunt the creatures of Melkor, and it was during one of these trips that he came upon the first elves. He was also strongly associated with horses and was especially loved by the people of Rohan, who believed that their horses were descended from ones he brought from the West. Oromë is like a mix of the Greek god Apollo with the many horse and forest gods of the different Celtic tribes, who the Romans often adopted as aspects of Apollo. Oromë was married to Vána, who was technically his aunt, and they had a daughter named Nieliqui; this relationship is very reminiscent of those of many Greek gods and goddesses.

Fionwë-Urion,

Fionwë-Urion was the son of Manwë and Varda, the brother of Erinti, and a warrior associated with light and fire. His connection to fire can be seen in his love for Arien, who at this point was called Urwen/Urwendi, with the names Urwen and Urion both coming from a rootword meaning fire or flame. At one point Tolkien developed a story where Melkor tried to claim Arien/Urwen as a wife, attacking her while she was guiding the Sun through the sky. She released herself from her body in an explosion of fire and "died", permanently scarring Melkor and causing the Sun to go out of control and burn parts of Arda, creating the deserts. It was said that Fionwë-Urion would kill Melkor/Morgoth in the last battle at the end of days due to his love for Arien/Urwen. This story was eventually dropped before The Silmarilion was published; Melkor fears Arien too much to attack her, while the Ainu who is in love with Arien is Tilion, the guide of the Moon. Fionwë-Urion eventually evolved into the Maia Eonwë, in the process also absorbing the character Nornorë, the Herald of the Valar, who became one of the "Lost Valar".

Erinti,

Erinti was the daughter of Manwë and Varda and the sister of Fionwë-Urion. At one point, she was written as the sister of Salmar/Noldorin and Ómar/Amillo instead of being the sister of Fionwë-Urion, though their parents aren't specified. At that stage, the three siblings were the only Ainur who left Aman to live with the elves of Tol Eressea. Erinti is associated with love, beauty, and music, which is fitting since Ómar and Salmar are both associated with music as well. She was eventually rewritten as Manwë and Varda's daughter, but despite this important parentage not much was said about her. Though the concept of the Valarindi was eventually dropped and the Valar became more like angels, Erinti survived as Ilmarë, the handmaiden of Varda. Together with Eonwë, who was once her brother Fionwë-Urion, she was a chief of the Maiar.

Nieliqui, The Little Maiden of the Valar

Nieliqui was the daughter of Oromë and Vána, and references to her as "the little maiden" suggest she may have been the youngest and most childlike of the Valar. Not much is said about Nieliqui besides the fact that she was a small maiden who liked to dance in her father’s woods. This often took place while Ómar-Amillo (a Lost Vala), who was the Vala of song and music, would sing in the woods. Both of Nieliqui’s parents had strong connections to nature, especially trees, and some fans have imagined her as a dryad-like character. Her love of dancing suggests that, she also takes after her aunt Nessa, the Vala of dancing. Nieliqui disappeared from Tolkien's writings once he abandoned the concept of the Valarindi and created the Maiar, and she doesn't appear in The Silmarilion.

Telimektar, The Warrior of the Sky

Telimektar was the son of Tulkas and Nessa, and a mighty warrior who fought hard in the struggles against Melkor/Morgoth. He is described as having a long sword kept at his waist by a silver girdle. His face and weapons are also described as heaving a silver gleam. In early writings, the constellation Orion (which contains many stars classified as blue giants) is Telimektar, with the star Nielluin/Helluin (Sirius) being described as his toe. He is in the sky as a guard against Morgoth, and he was given stars by Varda to mark his shape so the Valar would know he was there. He is also said to have diamonds on his sword’s sheath that will glow red when the last battle occurs at the end of the world. Telimektar was eventually dropped, but one of the many variations of his name, Telumehtar, appears as a name for the constellation Orion in the appendices of Lord of the Rings, and as the name of the 28th King of Gondor.

“The sons of the Valar led by Fionwë Tulkas’ son...” (The Fall of Gondolin, p. 242; “The Conclusion of the Sketch of Mythology”)

“And that was Fionwë the son of Manwë...” (The Fall of Gondolin, p. 254; “The Conclusion of the Quenta Noldorinwa”)

Yeah even after achieving CHIM, Vivec is still a lot weaker than Azura so it doesn't make much sense why he would be able to kill her like that. Struck me as quite odd and a bit misogynistic as well

Sorry this took a bit of time to get to, I’ve been a bit busy over the past few days. But  Finwë! Awesome!^^

Headcanon A:  realistic

The initial  reunion between Finwë and Thingol in Mandos was actually rather chilly, especially on Thingol’s side of things.Finwë  could not even blame him, and had even expected much this very thing as well. 

I mean, yes, On the one hand you have the two of them, the greatest of friends early on, during the Great Journey and before. They’ve been separated for literal Ages and are finally seeing one another again. For all that they are dead, it should rightly be a joyus occasion. Except that nothing can be that simple in Arda Marred. Between the Kinslayings, Thingol outright banning the very mother tongue of Finwë’s descendants,  the haughty attitude that many of the Fëanorians held towards Thingol and his people, The whole Kidnapping incident with Celegorm and Curufin...yeah there is basically a whole list here of Things That Would Make This Reunion Awkward.

Thingol was still very bitter about it all, and though Finwë could understand him, still felt a duty to stand by and defend his family. Eventually they talked it out and smoothed things over by the time Thngol was released in Mandos, as a part of the process of healing that is meant to occer in the Halls, but for a time there things were pretty bad between them.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Finwë is Lord High King of Fish Stories and Tall Tales. His grandchildren loved him for this, because Finwë  had all of the best stories about the Great Journey and life in Endórë. As they grew older it became clearer and clearer that not all of these stories were nessicarilly as...well...true as they could have been, but they loved Finwë’s stories all the same.  

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Finwë has never really moved past Míriel and her death, no more really than Fëanor has, despite whatever outward appearances he puts on. I think he has himself convinced that everything is fine, and may even be in a bit of denial about it all. He really does love Indis, with everything he has and everything he is able to give her, but at the same time there is a certain melancholy air that will come over Finwë every so often. It is a disquieting of the mind that no one can really sooth. A feeling of hollowness that he fees unable to fill. A certain chill that seeps down into his bones that even Indis’s embraces cannot warm. 

He tries to treat all of his children with an even hand, but at the same time there is a bond that he and Fëanor shares , a certain reliance upon one another that none of the others has. It isn’t out and out favoritism -- in fact it can lead to the two of them arguing and fighting more than Finwë rightly would with any of his other children either -- but it’s still there a certain subtle strand in the air that the others can pick up on that  Fëanor is somehow more important.

Again, it isn’t likeFinwë does this on purpose, or even realizes that he does do an of this or what is actually at the heart of it all, but it’s there and everyone else can pick up on it, atleast in some small way, and this, probably is part of what is at the root off much of the strife within his family.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

Maiar of Manwë, Lord of the Breath of Arda

Manwë, the King of the Valar and of Arda and the husband of Varda, was associated with the element air. He is the ruler of the winds and clouds, and is served by the Great Eagles as well as many Maiar, including Olorin (Gandalf) and Eonwe. Manwë would send out many of these Maiar to bring him news of the happenings of Arda, and they reported to him in his halls of Ilmarin on Taniquetil, the highest mountain in Arda. Manwë himself is Tolkien's equivalent of the "Sky Father" type of deity that is found in the pantheons of many mythologies, with Greek Zeus and Roman Jupiter being good examples.

Some of Manwë's most well-known servants are the Great Eagles, chief of which is Thorondor, who played important roles in The Silmarilion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories the Eagles are powerful, long-living giant eagles who were created by Manwë and Yavanna when their thoughts mingled during The Music of the Ainur. But in early stages of Tolkien's writings, the Eagles were seen as Maiar of Manwë who took the shape of birds instead of the humanoid shapes that the Valar and some of the more famous Maiar took. It is stated that "Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."

Also in early stages of Tolkien's writings, before the concept of the Maiar was created, there existed different classes of minor nature spirits that resembled the nymphs, fairies, brownies, pixies, gnomes, etc. of European mythology and folklore. The air spirits were called Sylphs and served Manwë, and were divided into two groups: the Manir (spirits of the air) and the Súruli (spirits of the winds, also called Suluthrim and Sulussin). A specific Súru named Ilinsor is mentioned as a spirit who "loved the snows and starlight and aided Varda in many of her works." Ilinsor was later chosen as the steersman of the Moon; Ilinsor doesn't appear in the published Silmarilion and is instead replaced by the Maia Tilion.

One of Manwë's Maiar who existed from some of Tolkien's earliest writings is Eonwë, the banner-bearer and herald of Manwë and Chief of the Maiar along with Varda's handmaiden Ilmarë. He is said to be the best with weapons in all of Arda, but that doesn't make him the most powerful. In the early stages of Tolkien's works, before the concept of the Maiar was developed, Eonwë was called Fionwë and was envisioned as the son of Manwë and Varda and the brother of Erinti (the early name for Ilmarë). Tolkien was a devout Catholic and the influence of his faith can be seen in many of his characters; Manwë's Maiar are very reminiscent of the angels, and Eonwë himself strongly resembles Michael the Archangel.

Another Maia who served Manwë (and Varda) was Olórin, later known as Gandalf and Mithrandir; he was also a great student of Nienna and had associations with Irmo/Lorien as well. His name in Valar comes from the root olor/olos, which means dream or vision and shows his connection to Irmo-Lorien, which isn't too obvious the first time you read the story. He was considered the wisest of the Maiar and he had associations with light and fire, much like Manwë's spouse Varda. When the Valar decided to send a group of Maiar to Middle-earth disguised as wizards (Istari) to help the free peoples fight Sauron, Manwë and Varda chose to send Olórin. Olórin did not wish to go because he feared Sauron and didn't feel capable of the task, but Manwë said that was all the more reason why he should go and Olórin submitted to his will. He later became known in Middle-earth as Gandalf and Mithrandir, among other names.

Eönwë

Herald of Manwë, He of the Sun, Chief of the Maiar

Eönwë is a Maia of Manwë and one of the most powerful of the Maiar. He has been part of Tolkien’s legendarium from early on, and was originally envisioned as the son of Manwë and Varda. Of all the individuals in Arda he is the most skilled with weapons, though it’s made clear that this does not mean he is the most powerful. 

Eönwë played key roles in many of the major events in Arda. He greeted  Eärendil and Elwing when they arrived in Aman with the Silmaril, and he led the Vanyar in the War of Wrath. When Melkor/Morgoth was defeated he temporarily took control of the remaining two Silmarils, but refused to harm the Sons of Feanor when they stole them. Mairon/Sauron came before Eönwë and repented of his evil deeds, asking Eönwë for forgiveness. Eönwë wanted to pardon Sauron but didn’t have the authority and told him to come back to Aman to recieve judgement from the Valar. Sauron was to proud and afraid to do this, so he instead fled to Middle-earth where he fell back into evil. 

During the Second Age Eönwë came among the three great houses of men (the Edain) and bestowed many gifts on them, including extended lifespans. These eventually became the Numenoreans, also known as the High Men. 

Many of Tolkien’s drafts feature a romantic attraction between Eönwë and the sun Maia Arien. In the versions where Arien “dies” while damaging Melkor as he was trying to take her as his wife, it is said that Eönwë will be the one to kill Melkor at the end of time due to his love for Arien.