Original Thought: A Brief Comparison of the Valar and Greek Gods

In beginning of The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien is a letter by the author to Milton Waldman from 1951. In it, Tolkien illuminated some of the ways in which he created the world and the stories within the novel. Throughout this, he maintained that though he borrowed from certain cultures’ mythologies, that his stories were a “given” in his mind which he wrote and largely made up. If you look at the actual story or what could be described as mythology, it becomes clear just how similar it is to other pre-existing mythology. The Valar in particular were seemingly inspired by Greek mythological Gods and Goddesses.

The Valar, or the powers of Arda, were originally thoughts by Ilúvatar, the first creator. They helped him to create the world and were the most powerful of the Ainur. Similar to Greek Gods and Goddesses, there were Lords and Ladies of the Valar who all served the world as benevolent and at times tempestuous rulers (though not in comparison to the Greek Gods), nurturers, and creators. Of these, there were two main Valar who served as King and Queen- similar to Zeus and Hera.

Manwë, the wind-king and king of Valar served as King of his brother and sister Valar much like Zeus served as the head God to his brothers and sister (and children). Where Zeus ruled over the sky more generally, Manwë served as king of air and both have been depicted with eagles as a sort of sigil or symbol. Like Zeus on Mount Olympus, Manwë ruled and lived on top of Mount Taniquetil. He ruled with his Queen of the Valar, Varda.

Zeus had a lightening bolt and eagle

So Manwe got an eagle and (not pictured) lightening bolt

Another Valar character, Ulmo, was similar to the God Poseidon. Poseidon served as the God of the Sea and its creatures. Ulmo ruled over all water. Both could come on to land, but generally preferred to remain in the water. Though not necessarily described as carrying a trident, Ulmo has often depicted with one and tridents were also symbolic of Poseidon.

Poseidon with his trident... and Ulmo with his. 

Oromë, the Hunstman, and his wife Vána, the Queen of Flowers, were similar to the Huntress, Artemis. Artemis, Goddess of the Forest, was depicted with a bow and arrow as well as deer and was associated with nature. Both Oromë and Vána were depicted and associated with nature and hunting and while Oromë was depicted with a bow and arrows or spear, Vána was depicted often with deer. Oromë can be associated with the more masculine aspects of Artemis where Vána may be more associated with the feminine aspects.

Artemis, the Huntress

Vana and Orome

Though a smaller comparison, Vairë, the weaver, was known for creating tapestries in the under world and decorated the walls of the dead while Arachne was also a weaver known for the ill-fated contest between her and Athena which led to her curse of turning into a spider. Another comparison can be made for Hades and Vairë’s husband, Mandos.

Mandos was the Keeper of the House of the Dead very similarly to Hades who was the King of the Underworld. Mandos was the final judge of the spirits of the dead where Hades served as the ruler of the dead.

Though the Valar are generally more similar in position to the Gods of Greek mythology than to situation or personality, there are clear enough, distinct features that even fan artists for the series have created pictures of the Valar which mirror the Greek Gods. The stories may not be exactly the same, but there are enough similarities that there is no denying that Tolkien’s ideas were not entirely and fully his own.