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Old 10-06-2006, 12:32 PM   #17
Raynor
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beth
One of the meanings might bear on this absence of a specific god or goddess of love.
...
The upshot was that we wondered if the Flame Imperishable could be love eternal.
I think that Varda is quite close to what one could call a goddess of love, which would fit your above connection. On one hand, she is described as the most beautiful vala, most likely the most beautiful of all Eru's "offsprings"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Of the Valar, Valaquenta, Silmarillion
Too great is her beauty to be declared in the words of Men or of Elves; for the light of Iluvatar lives still in her face. In light is her power and her joy.
In most legendariums, the goddess of love is usually the one most endowed with beauty.

On the other hand, she is the lady of the stars, but, more specifically of the sun too. True, in the earlier mythology, the sun and moon were made from the last offshoots of Telperion and Laurelin, but in Myths Transformed a new version is given:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Myths Transformed, II, HoME X
Now the Sun was designed to be the heart of Arda, and the Valar purposed that it should give light to all that Realm, unceasingly and without wearying or diminution, and that from its light the world should receive health and life and growth. Therefore Varda set there the most ardent and beautiful of all those spirits that had entered with her into Ea, and she was named Ar(i), and Varda gave to her keeping a portion of the gift of Iluvatar so that the Sun should endure and be blessed and give blessing.
According to the LotR Reader's Companion, by Hammond and Scull, The bridge of Khazad-dum chapter, this note is dated around 1946-8 (Chris couldn't date it at the time of editing HoME X). This would give a whole new meaning to Gandalf wielding the flame of Anor - in his case, the flame appears as pure, almost dirrectly linked to Eru, through Varda.

It is also worth mentioning that the elves were freed from most of the desires of the flesh, being masters of their bodies and urges - therefore enjoying love in its highest form - and their valie was Varda, again. So, in the end, we have the most beautiful goddess who is also the source of light and fire too (the sun being the ultimate expression of it) - in the light of your connection, I would call her the goddess of love too.
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