Oromë, one of the majestic Valar, was a skillful hunter. He was one among the eight Aratar and was also called the Huntsman of the Valar or the Great Rider.
Attributes
Oromë had a great passion for hunting and was very fond of horses, hounds, trees, and forests. He rode on his Nahar and went on frequent expeditions to hunt down all evil beasts and monsters of Morgoth. [1] He trained his men and other beasts in the Yavanna's woods of Valinor. He possessed the famous horn Valaróma which, when blown, would alarm his subjects about some mishap in the woods. He was not similar to Vala Tulkas in demeanor. He was a man of terrible wrath. He was once the owner of Huan, the hound which was later passed onto Celegorm, a son of Fëanor. Orome's brother was Nessa and his wife, Vána. During the Hiding of Valinor, he created the "Bridge of Heaven" using the golden hair strands of Vána.
History
During the Years of the Trees, when Melkor was dominating Middle Earth, the Valar left Middle Earth and hid in Aman. But Oromë occasionally visited Middle Earth for hunting and was not afraid of Melkor. He generally carried out his hunting expeditions during the Sleep of Yavanna when there were no shadows formed due to the darkness and stillness of the forests. While in Aman, Oromë lived in the House of Oromë and the Woods of Oromë. Oromë was the one to first call the Elves the Eldar when he witnessed them wandering in the starlight of Cuiviénen during one of his visits to eastern Middle-Earth. The Eldar became a popular alternative for the Elves. He was considered a great companion of the Elves and even guided them into Beleriand to protect themselves from the dark Lord Melkor, who was becoming immensely powerful. Being a majestic hunter, he was an active member in all the battles fought against Morgoth, who was wary of Oromë. [2] He and the other Valar were considered the most capable ones to bring down the Dark Lord. The wild oxen found near the Sea located in eastern Middle-earth was considered a descendant of Oromë. Among the Northmen, Oromë was called Béma, meaning great Huntsman and horseman of the Valar. Oromëand his steed Nahar were very popular among the horse lovers of Rohan. They believed that the clan of horses they owned, called the Mearas, was from a breed belonging to the West. They claimed that it was Bema who had carried this horse breed to their lands of Rohan.
Other versions of the Legendarium
In the earlier versions of the Legendarium, OromĂ« was born to Aule and Yavanna and married Vána. OromĂ« and Vana had a girl child named NielĂqui.
