The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 9 August 1998
  • This entry is complete

Gods

A name used by Men for the Valar

"The Great among these spirits [the Ainur] the Elves name the Valar, the Powers of Arda, and Men have often called them gods."
The Silmarillion
Valaquenta

A name wrongly given by Men to the Valar. While Tolkien states that Men have 'often' called the Valar gods, in fact the term is very rare in his books; it is most prominently used at the debate of Estolad, where the Men newly arrived in Beleriand dispute whether or not to remain. This is natural, of course; they had not at this point been tutored by the Elves in such high matters.

It is tempting to suppose that 'Men have often called them gods' refers to the years after the end of the Third Age, and might even suggest equivalences between the Valar and mythological gods of later times, such as those of the Greeks or Vikings. This cannot be correct, however; the Valaquenta represents a very ancient text within the context of The Silmarillion, probably dating from the late First Age, and therefore can only refer to the Men of those times.


Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 9 August 1998
  • This entry is complete

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Your Free Personality Test, the free personality test online
What's your ideal career? Are you in the right job? Explore your options with Your Free Personality Test.
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry