#umaiar

[atane-is-here]

@ainurweek

Uinen and Osse / New Beginnings

It was not easy for Uinen to accept Osse back into her life after he left her to join Melkors cause. When he returned as one of Ulmos Maiar and as her husband that broken trust had to be repaired. Their relationship had to start anew.

In the ages to come he would be grateful for her kindness and courage as Melkor and his allies bring more destruction than he, and maybe even they, had ever anticipated.

[winds-of-zephyr416]

Forever and ever in love with that genre of Sauron fanart that’s basically cosmic horror meets material girl

[cilil]

I know, I know, Melkor is evil, but from the perspective of an Úmaia I sometimes can't help feeling like he's that weird-but-cool uncle who lets you do all the exciting forbidden stuff your boring guardians say you can't do and gives you things you're not supposed to have and teaches you "the fun stuff"

[valardynasty]

Ùmaïar

Ma représentation humaine d'une Ùmaïar

"À l'origine, des Maiar persuadés par la puissance et la splendeur de Melkor de rejoindre sa cause, et corrompus par lui en Úmaiar, des démons. Leur première demeure se trouvait à Utumno, la grande forteresse des Montagnes de Fer, mais après la défaite de leur maître lors de la Bataille des Pouvoirs, les Balrogs et autres créatures au service de Melkor s'enfuirent vers Angband et y hibernèrent."

Création par Intelligence Artificielle.

[saurongorthaur9]

Oohh are other úmaiar going to appear in Gorthauro Estel (besides Thuringwethil)? (Maybe they could all make a "Melkor messed me up mentally and physically" support group XD)

I'm sorry that I've had this sitting in my inbox for too long. I've been distracted by an intense combination of Rings of Power Season 2 brainrot and finishing Gorthauro Estel Chapter 27.

There will be some other Umaiar who appear, but Thuringwethil will be the main one the story focuses on when they make an appearance. They won't be in it a ton, but they do have an important part to play towards the end, and it will be revealed what their reaction was to Sauron going to Valinor among other things.

It will probably be a long time still before I finish Gorthauro Estel and I know I shouldn't be thinking too far ahead, but I do actually have an idea for a sequel, if and when I reach that point. It would basically explore what would change in the history of Middle-earth through the rest of the Second Age if Sauron was not there to be the primary evil force in the world. In the sequel, I have ideas for going more in depth with the other Umaiar, including some Umaiar OCs, and I actually did have a sort of idea for Sauron basically leading an Umaiar support group, lol.

Thanks for the ask and your interest in my story! I always love getting asks about Gorthauro Estel :)

[eri-pl]

Yes, it's canon that Eru sent Gandalf back, not the Valar.

I think Gandalf would have some trauma about the kinslaying [3rd def], but it was, as you say, dusted off from him ;) (Also, Gandalf got out from Arda too so I think it's not very unlikely he actually saw what happenned to the balrog and was well explained why and whatever... no, he doesn't have trauma about it and I'm pretty stubborn on that.)

Social... hmmm... Is there a social stigma for killing uMaiar? But in the War of Wrath many Maiar probably did... But also it's not impossible that some uMaiar did *successfully* surrender (unlike certain guy who failed at surrendering, yes, Sauron, you)... also there's Osse who kind of barely missed ending up on the other side of the war...

Wow, this is such an interesting topic for fanfics and stuff! I hope someone writes more on that. (may even be me if I settle on a consistent hc about how it was with the war)

Thank you! Your posts are very inspiring.

...so does Gandalf's fight with the balrog make Gandalf a kinslayer? 🤔

[lightdancer1]

My takes on Melian and Luthien:

And ultimately Arwen, though this will get a second and a longer post.

I do think that there is a legitimate grounds in a modern audience reading Melian enchanting Elu Thingol into a trance for 200 years as something that would seem dodgy to us, though not necessarily to the same degrees in-universe.......though even then I tend to treat Melian as essentially the good mirror to Sauron and Saruman. They are all Maiar who took forms of flesh and became rulers within the world and I see Melian as essentially a close kin to Thuringwethil and a Maia whose power relies in what TV Tropes calls 'the Sacred Darkness.' Shadows are her strength and she embodies what the Dark and Night are meant to be without Morgoth's Old Night instilling fear.

In a relative 'power' ranking there's Ilmare-Eonwe-Mairon, all in equal power in different ways, Ilmare representing the light of the Maiar and of the stars and of the sacred aspects of Maiar power, Eonwe as the equivalent of the Archangel Gabriel and the messenger and empowered with the glory.....and Mairon as ultimately the great shapeshifter and the greatest mage, which is the snare Morgoth sets and why as that power grows Mairon in the Second and Third Age is relatively rather more powerful than Morgoth and ultimately the much greater danger.

Melian is the other great mage among the Ainur and it works in a very Aule-Melkor dualism. What Sauron does from pride and arrogance she does from love, and her relationship with Thingol is in no small part an aspect of where she has a very eldritch factor befitting how I portray the Ainur. Tolkien refers to them at times taking 'forms of their own thought, visible in majesty and in dread.' Melian is the singular case of an Ainu who takes shape akin to mortals and becomes very deeply interwoven with it, though as she is not Fallen she retains rather more of her power than her Fallen kin tend to and works within spheres rather than seeking dominion over them and in working within them has a tremendous amount of power that does not fade, but remains consistent.

So why does this matter? Because while the enchantment does have its aspects that make both Eldar and other Ainur uneasy, it works within the world and within the broader plan rather than against it. Elu Thingol is not an ensorceled figure, he has both free will (as is shown by his repeatedly both failing to consult his wife and ignoring her when he does) and he's open about the reality that if it was a mirror to what happened with Eol and Aredhel that he would have left as she did. It is a gesture, ultimately, of love and I tend to see Thingol as teaching Melian as much as she does him, and her students like Galadriel.

He teaches her of emotions and things that as an Ainu made manifest she does not entirely understand, and knowing what these things are and how they work in forms of flesh is a way that things become equal (and ultimately showing Thingol in both hypocrisy and growth as for all that he teaches things in the abstract applying them to himself in his own ways does not work out so well especially when it's foresight).

Luthien in turn, as the first of the Peredhil, has a specific gift with her song that it is a small portion, uncaged, of the Music of the Ainur. It is how she can sing Morgoth into a nap, and how she can cast down Sauron's fortress, and how she sings Mandos and Eru into restoring to her Beren's soul. And it is this that accounts for my particular take on Beren and Luthien and what makes Beren a soul worthy for Luthien to accept her fate. With her glimpse of the Song she has some inkling of what fate holds and as a mirror to my take on things with Arwen she balks at it for much of her life......and she lives in a gilded cage where her mother is beloved and she is seen as much as a prettier Wilbur Whateley as someone worthier of admiration.

Beautiful, yes, in an in-universe 'too beautiful and flawless' fashion. Her singing as a small portion of creation has a haunting effect that leaves strange impressions on those who see her. Melian might have her eldritch factors but everyone knows she's a Maia and while theory and practice differ in dealing with it they also know a Maia will be weird by Eldar standards.

And in this regard she is also very lonely as while others might be smitten with her she can see that they are smitten with the idea and exposure to the actual person curdles that. Enter Beren Erchamion, who sees all the weirdness and loves her unconditionally from the first, and is willing to venture into the belly of Hell for her without being deterred by all the things that chase away others.

And so when the choice comes round at last, it is not some great burden or what she expected of it, for while she and Artanis to a point can see the future they see it as through a mirror darkly, seeing events but not always their context and seldom with ideas of what it's like to actually live the visions until they're there.

[neldeathstar]

Gothmog and Lungorthin

🔥Gothmog🔥 First Balrog of Melkor Second commander of Angband Fire Umaia Shapeshifter

If your name's not #Ecthelion you better run, cause this very powerful Maia now changes into his beast form to serve his master.

Ever since I heard about them for the first time I was fascinated by the Balrogs. There are different theories about them, all are legit, nothing's quite canon.

Gothmog is an Umaia, the Umaiar were Maia that fell for evil from the very beginning of their existence. The Balrogs like Gothmog or Lungorthin followed Melkor and served him ever since as his warlords and guards. The Balrogs live in the depths of Melkor's realm in the sees of lava. Their beastforms were made out of rocks and fire, by Melkor's own hands and they live to destroy.

Gothmog is an explosion of physical strength and violence, before Mairon joined them, he was the first in command in Melkor's army. Brutal and ambitious he follows his masters' commands, loyal to death. The biggest and strongest Balrog of all was feared by all beings of Arda, but one legendary and brave Elf was able to defeat him- Ecthelion!

Lungorthin 🔥 changing into his beast form- a powerful and terrifying Balrog!

Lungorthin was Melkor's Balrog bodyguard and never left his master's side - except during War of Wrath when Melkor got defeated. He dissappeared and was never seen again. Some say he was killed, others that he hides somewhere in the deep with other creatures of Melkor that managed to flee.

My hc: Lungorthin was a loyal servant to his Vala in the beginning, but he secretly started to doubt him when he fell in love with Curumo more and more. He started to become jealous of Gothmog, who's Melkor's favourite Balrog and started to wonder how it could be to stay in Melkor's place …to be his own master or even the ruler of the world and no servant anymore. In the end this was the reason why he refused to die for Melkor and decided to wait in the shadows for a chance to return to the world and have a comeback with Saruman as his leader.

[thegreatzombieartisan]

GIFs courtesy of bluetiefling

That’s a good postmodern argument for separating the artist from the art. However, Elrond reasonably believes Sauron’s involvement tainted the three rings.

Conversely, Galadriel says, in her heart, she knows that the rings aren’t tainted. But girl, your heart is where Sauron is living rent-free.

Theologically speaking, beauty is deeper than mere surface aesthetic — it is union with divine perfection.

If the Ainur and Elves sub-create anything without goodwill, it’s tainted with the sub-creator’s will at the time. Morgoth’s Orcs were corrupted with malice. Fëanor’s Silmarils inspired envy and lust. Anglachel, the Dark Elf Eol’s sword, was treacherous.

Adar also described Sauron as beautiful — and look how that turned out! His fair form was a mere veneer of beauty. When in pure spirit form, Umaiar like Sauron STANK like rotten eggs or sulphur. Fair looks hiding the ugly stink of spiritual decay and putrefaction.

[sesamenom]

I wonder what part of Rivendell's protection is Turgon/Gondolin-inspired, on top of the Bruinen basically acting as a proto-Girdle?

looking at the map, the actual valley is mostly enclosed by the Bruinen, with the Trollshaws on one side and the Misty Mountains on the other.

the Map of Wilderland gives a bit more detail in the region, particularly around Mirkwood/Beorn's house. from here, it looks like the Eyries were somewhere around the Misty Mountains a bit north of Rivendell:

for comparison, here's Gondolin and Doriath:

the FA-era eyries seem to mostly have been around the Crissaegrim/Cristhorn area enclosing Gondolin, while the Girdle followed the approximate shape of the rivers around Neldoreth and Region, and Lorien's Girdle seems to kick in at around the Nimrodel:

so it makes sense for a potential Girdle of Rivendell to lie around the Bruinen, especially given Elrond's apparent control over the river (despite having Vilya and not Nenya - maybe it's an Ulmo/Earendil's Star derived thing?)

I don't think we've explicitly seen anybody trying to get into Rivendell and just getting lost at the Ford, so it's probably more of a manual Girdle: it doesn't actually stop people from finding the river itself, but Elrond gets a mental notification or something and can flood the river to wash intruders away.

Beyond the Ford, it does definitely sound like the travel time to Rivendell varies. This (plus the varying road length/road time) can probably be attributed to the time warping effect of the Three, like a weaker but much larger version of Lorien's time related stuff.

so basically it seems like there's a combination of the Bruinen acting as both a manual Girdle, plus the time distortion between the Ford and Rivendell, as well as possibly hiding Imladris in a similar way to Ulmo hiding Gondolin?

A bit of a theory that I’ve struck on while rereading the start of FOTR. I think there’s something guarding Rivendell besides the Bruinen. I think Elrond has taken a leaf out of Melian’s book.

There are some hints that the distance to Rivendell varies depending on who you are. Frodo starts approaching the Ford in late afternoon; he is in desperate need of healing, and is brought to Rivendell midway into that same night.

In The Hobbit, in contrast, the dwarves and Bilbo cross the Ford of Bruinen in the morning, and the sun is down by the time they reach Rivendell. There’s lot of references to the journey being longer than Bilbo would expect:

They came on unexpected valleys, narrow with steep sides, that opened suddenly at their feet, and then looked down surprised to see trees below them and running water at the bottom. There were gullies that they could almost leap over, but very deep with waterfalls in them. There were dark ravines that one could neither jump over or climb into. There were bogs, some of them green pleasant places to look at, with flowers growing bright and tall; but a pony that walked there with a pack on its back would never have come out again. It was indeed a mich wider land from the ford to the mountains than you would ever have guessed. Bilbo was astonished.

Then there’s Aragorn’s line when Merry asks him how far it is to Rivendell:

“I don’t know if the Road has ever been measured in miles beyond The Forsaken Inn, a day’s journey east of Bree. Some say it is far, and others say otherwise. It is a strange road, and folk are glad to meet their journey’s end, whether the time is long or short. But I know how long it would take me on my own feet, with fair weather and no ill fortune: twelve days from here to the Ford of Bruinen.”

(By the way, it always amazes me, now I’ve noticed it, that the hobbits manage this journey - which Aragorn says would take him 12 days on the Road, with “fair weather and no ill fortune,” in only 14 days with Frodo severely injured, travelling mainly off the Road, and with some bad weather and wrong directions. Some of that’s due to the extremely fast pace Glorfindel sets for the last twoand a half days, but it’s incredibly impressive.)

If anyone should know the distance from Bree to Rivendell, it should be Aragorn, a Ranger of the North fostered in Rivendell, who has probably covered that journey dozens to hundreds of times. And the Road is fairly straight; it shouldn’t be hard for travellers to keep track of the general distance. And also, Aragorn only gives the distance to the Ford, not to Rivendell itself. What if the distance and difficulty of the Road from the Ford to Rivendell varies, based on how well a guest is known. Frodo is the Ring-bearer, in desperate need; he makes it there fast. Thorin & Company are vouched for by Gandalf, but are largely an unknown quantity; it takes them the better part of a day. Someone with hostile intentions might never find Rivendell at all, even after days of wanderings.

[eri-pl]

If Ossë actually turned evil

Well ok, to make things work we need him to kinda-try to be evil (as in the canon), turn back, befriend the Teleri (still as in canon) and only after the massacre at Alqualonde he says "f- it, Melkor would never be so incompetent", drowns as many ships as he can and goes away.

Or maybe Uinen flips instead of him. Or both. Hmm, both is probably the best. Yes, both turn to evil to revenge the Teleri.

They work together with Mairon, of course, and he wants to make the world more orderly, and the water uMaiar laugh at him. And I suppose the First Age is more difficult with them on the wrong side.

Anyway the War of Wrath still happens. And Ossë dies. Or Uinen. The important part is one of them dies. and because for some reason uMaiar seem to die more definitively than normal Maiar, the other is terrified and devastated.

And "make the world more orderly" suddenly doesn't seem that stupid anymore. And – for sake of clarity let's assume that it was Ossë who died – Uinen and Mairon swear an oath together (the inspiration is obvious but they don't mention it) – to set the world in order.

They try to reconcile with the Valar, the Numenor is still rised from the sea, but just as Mairon did in canon, they ultimately run away from justice, too afraid of the Valar.

And they try peacefully at first. They try diplomacy, then deceit, then Celebrimbor messes up their plans and there's a need for bloodshed — is there ever a need for bloodshed? — Uinen could calm down her husband but she can't calm down the Admirable One.

So, basically, Sauron and Uinen (or Ossë if you prefer), mirroring the dynamics od Maedhros and Maglor, but with less love and more necromancy.

Fire and water. Oath and revenge.

[ceescedasticity]

Scenario: Húrin dies before he can get captured or mouth off to Morgoth. There is no curse. What's different?

Túrin doesn't accidentally kill Beleg and may not even be sort-of involved in Saeros's death. I don't think he'd leave Doriath on a long-term basis. Maybe not at all. He never gets to Nargothrond.

Which is not to say that Nargothrond is safe. Eithel Sirion has been taken and Glaurung will be along soon. Nargothrond is on borrowed time even without Túrin. But there's no bridge, and maybe people are a little readier to evacuate at Círdan's warning. Or maybe not, going outside is scary. But probably destruction is delayed a few more years and a few more people get away.

Morwen and Niënor get to Doriath and Túrin is still there. They probably all stay there.

The Nauglimir never gets to Doriath, so Thingol never hires any dwarves to attach the Silmaril to it, so probably the canonical scenario of Thingol's death never comes up.

Unfortunately: Glaurung not being able to entertain himself with Húrin's family doesn't mean Glaurung won't be looking for entertainment. After Nargothrond falls, he probably starts nosing around Brethil or else testing Doriath's borders.

Having Glaurung roaming West Beleriand causing problems would be a pretty major issue come the evacuation from Gondolin.

Is anyone available to slay the dragon?

Assuming Doriath's borders were not Glaurung-vulnerable, it could have held out a good bit longer.

Probably until it was completely surrounded and multiple umaiar were giving it their complete attention.

Which would make the escape of any refugees difficult.

Hmmm.

Did the curse actually facilitate the eventual appeal of Eärendil and Elwing???

That's. Hmmm.

[outofangband]

Worldbuilding question, what’s the difference between werewolves and wargs in Tolkien? Are they the same “species” with different names like orcs/goblins, or are they different, with werewolves being umaiar and wargs descended from them like Ungoliant and the spiders of Mirkwood, or something else entirely?

Werewolves are a continual mystery to me in Tolkien for all intents and purposes, they seem like huge wolves but werewolf is an old English word meaning man-wolf which Tolkien would have known! Tolkien’s werewolves are monstrous but not shape shifters in the way Beorn is.

As we’re supposed to interpret the text as a translation from in universe, writing one possible interpretation is that a term for a monstrous wolf is being used, which translates more easily to werewolf in English 

The description in The Silmarillion is this “werewolves, fell beasts inhabited by dreadful spirits that [Sauron] had imprisoned in their bodies.”

 so I imagine them, as perhaps, insentient monsters with the spirits of captured Maiar and/or Úmaiar imbued within them

And I suppose, like in many interpretations of modern werewolves, the spirits didn’t have a choice in this transformation, and this element of transformation is still present

Draugluin was the first one and the ancestor to Carcharoth, the most feared of them

Wargs are monstrous wolf like creatures that primarily appear after the first age in the Northern parts of Middle Earth

Wargs in the Movies seem to be based more on Wolverines than wolves, or at least some combination of the two. Wolverines are notoriously very aggressive, but don’t really pose a danger to humans because they live in the wilderness

I think that the interpretation that wargs come from the original werewolves is a perfectly plausible one, but we just don’t know when canon 

Anyway I hope this is ok, anon! If you wanted more world building in terms of my headcanons I’d be happy to do that too

[cilil]

Nári

❝ is that your fear I smell, little one? or are you too looking for glory in battle? ❞

Ah, my beloved Balrog OC. She has been introduced a while ago in a pride month oneshot and will be featured again in my upcoming S&D ficlets, so I thought I should spill the tea. I hope you enjoy learning more about her!

➵ Info & bio

Obligatory reminder that you can always ask for my OCs if you request a fic and/or send asks if there's something else you'd like to know about them ♡

A proper masterlist will follow once I have accumulated a few more fics featuring her.

[valardynasty]

Les Balrogs 1/3

Ùmaiar Gothmog, lieutenant de Morgoth.

"Gothmog est le principal Seigneur des Balrogs au cours du Premier Âge et le plus grand Balrog ayant jamais parcouru la Terre du Milieu. Il est le grand capitaine d' Angband, étant le lieutenant de première ligne de Morgoth ainsi que l'un de ses serviteurs les plus importants. Il mena de nombreuses batailles au nom de son maître et fut personnellement responsable de la mort de deux des Hauts Rois du Ñoldor."

Création par Intelligence Artificielle.

[elvenmoans]

I had a dream where Marion's whisp was put into a human body so he could grow up with more compassion. Partly to teach him a lesson and partly to prevent him reforming slowly with all his memories and immediately going back to his bullshit. All of this was from Mairon's perspective

Thuringwethil found me and tried to bring me through a semi post apocalyptic country to where the other umaiar were. I was bound to the human body so I couldn't go fast, or teleport, or fly, and it really fustrated her. As I traveled with her I remembered more of who I was, but the Valar kept sending me things to remind me of the compassion I learned through being human.

And right when I was about to get to the umaiar they sent my human family and made it so I had to choose between them and Thuri. But I was mostly just furious they did that, and furious how I didn't want to hurt them and stormed away.

Then I woke up bc one of my cats decided to bully the deaf cat that screams when she's mildly bothered

Also it was really hard to tell if Mairon and Thuri had a platonic or romantic relationship. While traveling would pass as either friends or lovers depending on mood.