Middle-Earth Tours

The Prequels Tour

The Valar

Varda, by Daniel Govar

 Manwë is dearest to Ilúvatar and understands most clearly his purposes. He was appointed to be, in the fulness of time, the first of all Kings: lord of the realm of Arda and ruler of all that dwell therein. In Arda his delight is in the wind and the clouds, and in all the regions of the air, from the heights to the depths, from the utmost borders of the Veil of Arda to the breezes that blow in the grass. Súlimo he is surnamed, Lord of the Breath of Arda. All swift birds, strong of wing, he loves, and they come and go at his bidding.--The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta"

The Eagles of Manwë, by Ted Nasmith
Manwë, by Daniel Govar
Varda, by Daniel Govar

Yavanna, by Daniel Govar		 With Manwë dwells Varda, Lady of the Stars, who knows all the regions of Ëa. Too great is her beauty to be declared in the words of Men or of Elves; for the light of Ilúvatar still lives in her face. In light is her power and joy. Out of the deeps of Ëa she came to the aid of Manwë; for Melkor she knew from before the making of the Music and rejected him, and he hated her, and feared her more than all others whom Eru made. --The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta"

The spouse of Aulë is Yavanna, the Giver of Fruits. She is the lover of all things that grow in the earth, and all their countless forms she holds in her mind, from the trees like towers in the forests long ago to the moss upon stones or the small and secret things in the mould. In reverence Yavanna is next to Varda among the Queens of the Valar. In the form of a woman she is tall, and robed in green; but at times she takes other shapes. Some there are who have seen her standing like a tree a tree under heaven; crowned with the Sun... --The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta"

It is told that in their beginning the Dwarves were made by Aulë in the darkness of Middle-earth; for so greatly did Aulë desire the coming of the Children, to have learners to whom he could teach his lore and crafts, that he was unwilling to await the fulfilment of the designs of Ilúvatar....
     Now Ilúvatar knew what was done, and in the very hour that Aulé's work was complete...Ilúvatar spoke to him; and Aulë heard his voice and was silent. And the voice of Ilúvatar said to him: 'Why hast thou done this? Wy dost thou attempt a thing which thou knowest is beyond thy power and thy authority?'....
     Then Aulë took up a great hammer to smite the Dwarves; and he wept. But Ilúvatar had compassion upon Aulë and his desire, because of his humility; and the Dwarves shrank from the hammer and were afraid; and they bowed down their heads and begged for mercy. And the voice of Ilúvatar said to Aulé: 'Thy offer I accepted even as it was made. Dost thou not see that these things have now a life of their own, and speak with their own voices? Else they would not have flinched from thy blow, nor from any command of thy will.' Then Aulë cast down his hammer and was glad.... --The Silmarillion, "Of Aulë and Yavanna"
Aulë Attempts to Destroy his Children, by Ted Nasmith
Thanks to his interaction with Tuor, Ulmo gets more attention from the artists than any other Vala save Melkor.

Ulmo Appears Before Tuor,
by Ted Nasmith		 A tall crown he wore like silver, from which his long hair fell down as foam glimmering in the dusk; and as he cast back the grey mantle that hung about him like a mist, behold! he was clad in a gleaming coat, close-fitted as the mail of a mighty fish, and in a kirtle of deep green that flashed and flickered with sea-fire as he strode slowly towards the land. --Unfinished Tales

Ulmo, the Lord of the Waters,
by John Howe
Ulmo, Lord of the Waters,
by Roger Garland
Námo the elder dwells in Mandos, which is westward in Valinor. He is the keeper of the Houses of the Dead, and the summoner of the spirits of the slain. He forgets nothing; and he knows all things that shall be, save only those that lie still in the freedom of Ilúvatar....[Nienna] dwells alone. She is acquainted with grief, and mourns for every wound that Arda has suffered in the marring of Melkor. So great was her sorrow, as the Music unfolded, that her song turned to lamentation long before its end, and the sound of mourning was woven into the themes of the world.... --The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta"
Nienna, by Daniel Govar
Mandos, by Daniel Govar

Tulkas, by Daniel Govar		 Greatest in strength and deeds of prowess is Tulkas, who is surnamed Astaldo, the Valiant. He came last to Arda, to aid the Valar in the first battles with Melkor. He delights in wrestling and in contests of strength; and he rides no steed, for he can outrun all things that go on feet, and he is tireless. His hair and beard are golden, and his flesh ruddy; his weapons his hands. He has little heed for either the past or the future, and is of no avail as a counsellor, but is a hardy friend. --The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta"

But at the last the gates of Utumno were broken and the halls unroofed, and Melkor took refuge in the uttermost pit. Then Tulkas stood forth as champion of the Valar and wrestled with him, and cast him down upon his face; and he was bound with the chain Angainor that Aulë had wrought, and led captive; and the world had peace for a long age. --The Silmarillion, "Of the Coming of the Elves"


Melkor and Ungoliant,
by John Howe
Fingolfin's Challenge to Morgoth,
by John Howe
Morgoth and the High King of
the Noldor
Last of all is set the name of Melkor, He who arises in Might. But that name he forfeited; and the Noldor, who among the Elves suffered most from his malice, will not utter it, and they name him Morgoth, the Dark Enemy of the World. Great might was given to him by Ilúvatar, and he was coëval with Manwë. In the powers and knowledge of all the other Valar he had part, but he turned them to evil purposes, and squandered his strength in violence and tyranny. --The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta"

Luthien Dances Before Morgoth,
by Luca Michelucci		 Melkor's first fortress was in Utumno, but he later settled in Angband.


The Chaining of Melkor, by
Roger Garland
Melkor, by Daniel Govar
Full-size versions of these pictures are on display at Rolozo Tolkien and There and Back Again.