Valar and Maiar

[Maverick]

How many Valar are there in all and what are all of the names. I read that it doesn't say how many maiar there are but how many are mentioned?

Sorry if there is another topic like this but my "search" option hasn't worked for me on months)

[Son of Númenor]

There are fourteen Valar & Valier (the latter being the name for 'female' Valar, used only in the Valaquenta). Their names are (to quote The Encyclopedia of Arda (http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/))

• Manwë Súlimo
• Varda Elentári
• Ulmo
• Yavanna Kementári
• Aulë the Smith
• Nienna
• Oromë
• Mandos (Námo)
• Estë the Gentle
• Vairë the Weaver
• Lórien (Irmo)
• Vána the Ever-young
• Tulkas Astaldo
• Nessa

It is interesting to note that, of the fourteen, there are eight (the first eight on the above list) who are referred to as the Aratar, more powerful even than the other six Valar. Melkor is not considered among the Valar because of his Fall, but was initially counted as a Vala.

There is an untold number of Maiar.

For more information, I suggest reading The Silmarillion. It is a great read & will provide you with all the basic information on the Ainur.

[Joy]

Here's just a bit more info. These are the Valar with their Spouses. Nienna and Ulmo did not have spouses. The ones in Bold are the Arratar - the greatest in power.

Manwë Súlimo +Varda Elentári

Aulë the Smith + Yavanna Kementári

Mandos (Námo) + Vairë the Weaver

Lórien (Irmo) + Estë the Gentle

Oromë + Vána the Ever-young

Tulkas Astaldo + Nessa

Ulmo

Nienna

***********************
I can later give you some info on the Maiar who served these Valar.

[Legolas]

There are many, many threads about this, as well as websites that give this information. I see you registered here in January - have you tried the search function since we've moved to this new forum software? It should work much faster than the old one (which many people were having problems with).

First off, the Valar are all named and described in the Ainulindale and the Valaquenta (brief sections found at the beginning of The Silmarillion as well as in the first two chapters (as well as a few Maiar and the land they dwell in - Aman). I encourage you to read this on your own before going on to read these threads and links (definitely check them out afterwards, then reread these parts of the book with the resources in front of you, using them as a reference as you go). These sections are not very long at all. You'll enjoy it much more than you will reading it off a website - that is, after all, how Tolkien would've liked you to experience it for the first time.

Tolkien named 17 Maiar: Ilmare, Eonwe, Osse, Uinen, Melian, Olorin (Gandalf/Mithrandir), Sauron (Gorthaur the Cruel), Salmar, Arien, Tilion, Curunir (Curumo/Saruman), Radagast, Alatar, Pallando, and "the Valaraukar, the scourges of fire that in Middle-earth were called the Balrogs, demons of terror" (at least three Balrogs - Gothmog, Glorfindel's Bane, and Durin's Bane).

There's a very informative thread on Maiar here (http://www.forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?p=17281#post17281) and a thread on the Valar here (http://www.forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=3365). The Valar thread has a post from me with a brief note about each of the Valar.

More links on the Valar... one (http://www.valaquenta.com/quenta_essays.html), two (http://tolkien.cro.net/else/valar.html), three (http://www.tolkien-world.de/arda/arda.html), and four (http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/v/valar.html).