Ilmarë

Ilmarë
Tolkien's legendarium character
Aliases 'Handmaid of Varda',
Erinti
Race Ainur
Book(s) The Silmarillion,
The Book of Lost Tales

Ilmarë [ˈilmarɛ] is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Her name may come from the Elvish word for "starlight". It has been noted that her name closely resembles that of Ilmarinen which is a name shared by both an ancient Finnic sky-god and a character in the Kalevala.

Along with Eönwë, Ilmarë is chief among the Maiar, and also the handmaiden to Varda.[1] She is only mentioned briefly in the Valaquenta, where she is described as one of the chiefs of the Maiar. In The Book of Lost Tales she was named Erinti, and was said to be the Lady of Tol Eressëa before she became the daughter of Manwë and Varda. In The Silmarillion, though, she is made by Ilúvatar for the Music of the Ainur.

References

  1. Robert Foster, 2003, The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth, p. 267