A Day in the Life of the Vanyar

[baragund]

What do you suppose life, as a member of the Vanyar would be like?

To me, this is like trying to answer the question of what happens in the story after you say “…and they lived happily ever after”. They made the big migration to Valinor, lived on the plains of Valinor and on the lower slopes of Taniquetil, and spent their days in bliss singing praises to Manwe and Varda. Other than their involvement in the War of Wrath (which was extensive), we don’t hear about them too much.

Even though each of the main divisions of the Elves had their own identifying traits, they were still basically the same people. They all awoke at Cuivienen at the same time and they were all the same physiologically. It would seem to me that your basic Vanya would have similar hopes, dreams, fears and aspirations as your basic Noldo or Teleri or Sindo. What I’m getting at is would it be reasonable to think some of the Vanyar might become restless or even resentful over the ages? Would it be unreasonable to think that the Vanyar might have entertained ambitions of their own?

Say you are an average Vanya. Not royalty like an Ingwe or an Indis, but a “Joe Six-Pack” average shlub of a Vanya. What is your typical day like? Do you get up in the morning, weave yourself a crown of fresh flowers, and troop up to Ilmaren to do your daily praise songs to the gods? Might that get a little old after an Age or two or three? Would living in a completely static society, where everyone’s positions seems to be set for as long as Arda exists, be stifling?

And here’s a crazy thought: Could this never-ending adulation of the Valar start to seem exactly like what you were supposed to be delivered from? Wasn’t the reason that you, Joe Six-Pack Vanya, were hauled out of Middle-earth in the first place was so you wouldn’t be put under the heal of Morgoth? And why not allow free travel back and forth between Valinor and Middle-earth after the War of Wrath? Morgoth got kicked out into the Void so what’s the big deal?

Your basic, middle-class Vanya might have such thoughts, don’t you think? Or was there really such perfect harmony in Valinor that the joy of trooping up the slopes of Taniquetil and worshipping Manwe and Varda was just as pure after ten thousand years as it was the very first day?

 

[Turgon]

Originally posted by Baragund

Say you are an average Vanya. Not royalty like an Ingwe or an Indis, but a “Joe Six-Pack” average shlub of a Vanya. What is your typical day like? Do you get up in the morning, weave yourself a crown of fresh flowers, and troop up to Ilmaren to do your daily praise songs to the gods?

I think you pretty much summed it up there Baragund. I've always seen the Vanyar as an idle lot, though perhaps that stems from the lack of any real information about them. Still, basking in the divine radiance of the Valar seems little more than glorified sun-bathing to me. I mean, I'm a lover of beauty myself, but even I would get tired of contemplating the rococo intricacies of Elbereth's current hair-style after a century or two.

'Oooh! Look Ingthing - Manwe is wearing white again!!!'

Might that get a little old after an Age or two or three? Would living in a completely static society, where everyone’s positions seems to be set for as long as Arda exists, be stifling?

Of course should one get tired of this life and long for a little excitement - one could always marry a Noldo.

I remember having a discussion with Nom once, about why so many of the Noldor choose to take Vanyar mates, but perhaps we had it the wrong way around?

 

[Maggot]

I totally agree with you Baragund and Turgon. The Silmarillion isn't majorly concerned with the Vanyar but they just seem to have a very boring and repetitive life style. When I went to Mexico a year ago I described it as heaven. But into the 12th day of the holiday (two days left) I was getting pretty bored waking up, eating, swimming in the sea going to the island in the middle of the lagoon and so on (don't want to bore you guys). Surely the life of the Vanyar was just as repetitive and predictable. It's a shame Tolkien didn't write a little book concerned with the Vanyar. Anyway the only memorable bit the Vanyar did was help in the war of wrath. Otherwise they seem a dull and boring people.

 

[Aranel]

It doesn't seem like the lifestyle I'd chose but then again perhaps the Vanyar are predisposed to enjoy that lifestyle more than we mere humans are. I guess if you got bored you could always go for a waner by the shores... Still, I see what you mean completely.

(Oh and Turgon, much love for the "Ingthing" as a name, I'm afraid the first few times I read the Silmarillion the names completely baffled me and I took to referring to msot of the as Ingwhatsit)

 

[Confusticated]

I think one answer can be that we as mortals could never understand how they did not get bored to evil. Reading about the Noldor and other individual elves one could think they are very much like us, but they are different in some important ways.

I remember something an elven lore-master said: "for despite all their [the Eldar's] lore least of all things do they know the minds of Men or understand them." I guess this goes both ways.

I really think it was contact with Melkor and become of the presence of evil in Middle-earth the our Noldor and Sindar are as flawed and human-like as they are. There are passages in The Silmarillion that imply something as basic as pride may never have existed like it did among the Noldor if not for Melkor. I think the tendency for an elf to become restless was not their natural and ideal state in a world without Morgoth. The Vanyar come very close to living in a world untouched by him. Tolkien even refers to Aman as "Arda Unmarred", and even when pure evil was there the Vanyar didn't have as much contact with Melkor as the Noldor did and they never trusted him.

I've always thought the Vanyar really missed out. I guess they could be a good example of why imperfection or the presence of evil makes Arda more rich in beauty, sorrow and all other things.


The Eldar of Third Age Middle-earth (and this elf trait can easily be seen in The Book of Lost Tales too) show us how the Elves really came to hold on to their past, and instead of going out and live those mighty deeds sat by fires and sing of them, I think maybe the Vanyar got a lot of interesting songs and tales because of Melkor and their friends the Noldor. Elemmire the Vanya was a writer, perhaps a lot of them enjoyed writing.

And yes Turgon, I guess it went both ways. But how could we as men not see it from the Noldor's side first?

 

[baragund]

But Nom, why would the Vanyar be less susceptible to Melkor's deceit than the Noldor and the Sindar? Would it be because the Vanyar left Middle-earth first and had less contact with Melkor during their formative years? I'm not sure that reasoning works or the Teleri would have been more influenced by Melkor. And then the Sindar would have been the most influenced. That raises the question of why Melkor didn't pay the Teleri much attention when he was released from captivity. One would think Melkor would have had the most receptive ears with them. Melkor tried to corrupt the Vanyar when he was released but, for some reason, they would not give him the time of day. So he spent his effort on the Noldor. What enabled the Vanyar to completely shut down Melkor's overtures?

So perhaps all of the Elves were initially pre-disposed to be truly content with a certain status quo and it was Melkor's influence that inspired the Noldor to strive for something more or something better. And just like the Elves cannot understand Men's minds, then us Men just can't relate to a Vanya being content singing praises on the slopes of Taniquetl through all the ages (or the Teleri being content to hang out on the beaches around the Bay of Faerie... talk about your ultimate beach bums!)

 

[angnor]

Well, I don't know how boring it would be to be a Vanya, expecially the ordinary variety. It's an alien mindset, and they are always described as 'content' with their lot.

As for why the Vanyar and Teleri weren't seduced as the Noldor were? The best passage I can find on that is in the Silmarillion (Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter VI, 'Of Feanor and the Unchaining of Melkor'. Very last paragraph). Lots of good things there, but the line that sums it up best is; "(regarding Melkor) The Vanyar indeed held him in suspicion, for they dwelt in the light of the trees and were content; and to the Teleri he gave small heed, thinking them of little worth, tools too weakfor his designs. But the Noldor took delight in the hidden knowledge that he could reveal to them;..."

Of course, just because the Vanya were content little songwriters and poets doesn't mean they didn't practice other skills. It owuld have been suicide for them to march in the war of wrath if they weren't proficient warriors.

It also seems to be an effect of living in Valinor. It is a place, without Melkor there to iexude his evil, free from possessive (elfish) desire. The ringbearers are taken their to be healed and freed from the 'desire' for the one ring. Luthien is offered the choice by Mandos to remain and be healed (freed from her desire for Beren, love can be so very selfish) or to live for a while with him.

So it seems that without Melkor the natural state of the Vanyar in Valinor is to be happy with the lives they have.

Just a few thoughts.

 

[Aiglos]

Sing a lot, taunt Morgoth through the cell window in the Door of Night, be amazed by the moon and the stars, eat tuna on tirion, praise Manwe, be depressed by Mandos, sleep with Yavanna...I mean alongside Yavanna and wonder at the beauty of Laurelin, sit on Hyarmentir, come back down, find everyone's gone and you missed the final faring forth. The next one won't be along for...well...eternity actually. Go back to sleep under the trees.

 

[grendel]

There's no single quote or two that I can reference to prove it.... but the impression I get from my various readings is that the Elves are of a different mindset. Being immortal, so to speak, they prefer that things not change. Otherwise, how would you keep track of all the changes over thousands and thousands of years?

Weren't the three Elven rings, in fact, designed to preserve - i.e., prevent change - and didn't they contribute to the sort of "magical" qualities of Rivendell and Lorien? The way times seemed not to pass... and the weather never changed...

I would think that the Vanyar, especially, having spent very little time in M-E, would get great joy out of doing the same thing day after day after day. Yes, it would drive us batty... but that's what makes us Men. (Um, or women... )

 

[Aiglos]

Quite.

Let me put the serious head on for a minute. Narya Nenya & Vilya were used by Cirdan, Galadriel & Gil-Galad (and later Elrond) to prevent change for the worse and "do good" throughout ME.

Time seems to have little meaning for the Eldar as long as things are as they should be.

But it would sure drive us bananas. In the stories, many major actions by the Elves are separated by many hundreds of years and are often INSTIGATED by the actions of mortals, witness Beren, Earendil, Elendil & Elessar.