Valar and Maia abilities?

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Paradus

Greetings everyone.

My knowledge on the maia and valar is a little hazy but from what I know they are immortal, have divine powers and abilities but can't create, only Eru can.

Know I'm curious what kind of powers could they have?

-The Istari, though restricted when sent to middle-earth had divine powers
I.e, gandalf's fire and light, saruman's voice, Radagast's communication of beasts and the like.

-Ulmo had power over the sea I know that.

-Melkor threw discord and mockery on Eru's creations, i.e orcs, balrogs, trolls etc.

-The valar gave additional life to the numenorians.

What other powers could the maia and valar have I wonder?

-Powers i.e: Healing, Lightning summon, enhanced physical strength and speed, earth shattering, telekinesis, flight, continental shifting, cursing, necromancy etc.

cheers.

I like this thread.

It's tempting to get concrete when thinking about the Powers. I think all the ideas put down are well within their purview, but as Makers of Arda, they manifested much more. The creation of matter--minerals, elements and so on, but then of Life. Yavanna with the Kelvar and the Olvar.

Though, another theme in the mythology is the feats of a lifetime, as one-off manifestations of their 'wyrd'. Feanor and the Silmarils, was the Elf-y equivalent. Tolkien tended to use the word 'assay' about this area.

Each of the Valar, I suspect, had one such manifestation. Yavanna's was The Two Trees. During these, some part of their essence appears to have gone into the creation. Even Melkor and Sauron created events and artefacts into which they imbued a part of their essence. Melian and her Girdle in Doriath appears to have been another.

When I attempt to get a handle on the area in order to extract some underlying dimensions, I keep returning to the metaphysical dimensions for the really interesting stuff. For example, Elves and The Spirit World. Whoever crafted the metaphysical dimensions associated with the Straight Road? What's this 'otherworldyness' we see Glorfindel transition into? What is this 'Wraith' equivalent dimension of shadows? How is 'reality' itself organised? Mandos and his halls for all the Dead? Where are The Forgotten Caves (where the Ar Pharazon and co are imprisoned until The Second Making)? How is The Void's existence occurring in context to Arda?

But, it's the Flame Imperishable, Ea, that is the most intriguing. Something that is beyond light, but often attributed with 'living' radiance (the Phial and The Silmarils, the Sun and the Moon).

Then, even given all of that--one of the things The Powers just never were able to do: they were the *worst* at being able to see a lie. There was no-one in Arda who really ever had the capacity to read a mind, or a soul, infallibly. In fact, all the ruin in Middle Earth seems attributable to this one major pitfall.....