Tolkien's Valar: An (Almost) Complete Guide

[@TheEternalElir]

The transitions to the different Valar were so cool. When Nienna's part came up it actually scared me. This is the best video on the Valar by far

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@ChosenOne-il4bm]

@@Jess_of_the_Shireyou videos are so calming I find it funny That Tolkien wanted to created a myth for British people But then he still mixed different myths has the inspirations of his world

[@AdamTheEvangelist24]

You do you my lady! I'm very entertained by your pure love, and sincere desire to use your gifts to spread that love, of the literature. Honesty, Integrity and Sincerity is whatakes us H. I. S. ( God's) and when we use our gifts and share our passions with honesty, integrity and sincerity we shine that true light, that comes from Him, as He intended for all His creation. So thank you for keeping it real girl, you are shining bright.

[@abdulmyrkudov6755]

@@Jess_of_the_Shire It is Turin that shall kill Morgoth, not Tulkas.

[@Disgruntled_Grunt]

Yeah, it was well played. I laughed (probably way too hard) at the Nienna bit.

[@indigohalf]

I've always found Nienna to be a particularly compelling and unique figure. I don't think enough has been said about the fact that Tolkien, a war veteran and Marian devotee, made space for a weeping goddess in his pantheon. Gandalf's teacher, the source of his wisdom, stands for the importance of the ability to open oneself up to pain and sorrow and the act of grieving for what has been lost and what will be lost. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like Nienna.

[@TorianTammas]

Gandalf is a copy and paste version of Odin.

[@arnowisp6244]

​@@TorianTammasCan you stop?

[@mon_moi]

I heard about Tolkien's fascination with the Kalevala, the Finnish national mythical epic. Some of the Valar do slightly correspond to Finnish gods: Iluvatar with Ilmatar (goddess of air and one of the creators of the world in Finnish myths), Ulmo with Vellamo (god of seas), and Aulë with Ilmarinen (god of blacksmithing and possibly a former sky god). The Maia Ilmarë's name is also an obvious loan from 'ilma' which has connotations of heaven in Finnic languages

[@fullalbums828]

My master thesis was about kalevala and I sneaked tiny info about tolkiens obsession in it 😀😀😀

[@benjohnabad2871]

Hades has actually shown three cases of clemency: the first, more rooted in religion, is about Orpheus of whom Luthien's singing is based off of; the second, is more literary and involves Psyche. The third case more folk cultural and is when Heracles asks for Cerberus and he says, "sure bruh, just wrestle my dog."

[@chadnine3432]

Tulkas has a special place in my heart. He's so different from the other Valar. He's a great contrasting character.

[@Censeo]

A friend of mine has a really close resemblance to Tulkas which makes it easier to picture this Valar. He is strong. He has long blonde hair. He is almost always in great spirit. He is loud. He is a loyal friend. I imagine he could fight someone who attacked one of his friends in a bar and have the party mood back a few minutes after eliminating the threat. He is a builder by profession. If I express some deep thoughts, his response is always quite shallow but still a good response. Let's say I convey to him why Descartes dualism of soul and matter is an unpopular ontology today and how also there is no consensus today he would reply "I guess we don't know yet then" and if I ask "Do you think we'll ever know" He would probably say something like "who knows, all I know is I'm starving. Should we call ubereats?"

[@AW-uv3cb]

@@Censeo I kinda like your friend from your description. It's also cool that while you seemingly have more philosophical interests than him, you both still get along and neither one looks down on the other 🙂

[@StuartistStudio1964]

I love the fact that Tulkas goes into battle laughing.

[@joakker8820]

LEEROYYYYYY JEEEEENKINSSSSSS!!!!

[@wvhoipolloi7035]

When Jess compared Varda to Mary, i knew, this lady truly understands Tolken. Looking forward to exploring your videos.

[@esalehtismaki]

I think the main inspiration behind Aulë was Ilmarinen from Finnish mythology. He too is a blacksmith god, who forged the Sun and the Moon and even the dome of sky. But he also forged himself a wife, after the real one died, and soon realized it was a mistake.

[@princekrazie]

I have heard of a hypothesis that Nienna cries because she lost her mate. She was supposed to have been Morgoths wife! She is the only unpaired Vala among them other than Ulmo. She also interceded for Melkor.

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Oh, that's fascinating! Thanks for sharing!

[@hendrikm9569]

I kind of see where that is coming from, but I really do not like it, as it devalues the idea of trying to see the potential of good in everyone, and showing mercy if possible. And as seen with Ulmo, a pairing is not needed.

[@Dundien-ix4kd]

Dd is a hard th like vvv sound a but 22:50

[@raydavison4288]

Melkor is that rarest of beings...the unlovable. 🤔

[@Nienna_Asyare]

My heart jumped when I read this

[@brittousley7882]

Expert in Christian Theology here, your comparison between Manwe and the Holy Spirit is insightful. The obvious but less clear analogue that most people would reach for would be Manwe=Jesus, but I think the Holy Spirit is a better parallel now that you pointed it out. Well done.

[@TorianTammas]

Logos is a greek philosophical concept the pre-existed christianity by more then half a millenia. So it is always interesting to see the adoption of greek and other mythology into christian mythology.

[@argent9297]

I loved and appreciated the costumes! So much thought and attention went into them that they subtly affected my impression of the dialogue.

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

I'm so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for watching!

[@allisongliot]

Drawing a comparison between Varda and Mary actually works really well because Mary is also called the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and your analogy refers to Manwë, her spouse, as a parallel to the Holy Spirit! (Geeking out a little here). Obviously Tolkien didn’t intend his mythology to be read as a one-to-one equation of Catholicism, so I’m glad you nuance this as possible sources of inspiration for him rather than direct doctrines.

[@benjohnabad2871]

Just to add with that, One of the Marian Titles is Speculum Justitiae, or the Mirror of Justice in her capacity as that mirror that reflects the justice/will of God on Earth in the form of Jesus and her model faith. Another peculiar thing is that when I first read about Varda, Mary was the first person that came to mind and up to this day, I sometimes call Mary, "Star Queen" or "Varda" as a nickname during my prayers. Neat stuff.

[@crimsonthumos3905]

To be fair, Tolkien actually wholeheartedly agreed with the comparison between Varda and the Blessed Mother, both in a radio interview and his letters

[@benjohnabad2871]

@@crimsonthumos3905 It just goes to show his genius with comparisons. He always made it a point that his stories weren't meant to replace what was once. But breathe new life and augment them. With how strong an influence his writing became to my Catholicism, he did his job well.

[@YankeeBlues21]

And the Elbereth Gilthoniel is pretty clearly Middle Earth’s version of the Hail Mary prayer

[@joshladue8076]

I think that the Holy Spirit comparison is a bit off but that Manwe is very representative of Adam which would make sense that his bride represents Mary, the new Eve.

[@LukeTunkel]

Melkor was like that one dude in the drum circle who just can't help but try and take it over

[@kevinsullivan3448]

I based the creation of my most detailed RPG setting on the creation of Arda. JRR was one of the best examples of world building, encompassing the personalities of the Valar into the world in ways no other world builder has, although the Dragon Lance setting is pretty detailed in relationship to the Gods and World creation. Your take on the Valar is outstading and the way you tied everything ti JRR's Catholic faith is very astute and you are the only person I've come into contact with who used Angels and saints as a corollary.

[@erichertenstein9489]

First video I've seen that does comparative theology about the Valar, and very well done at that. The Yavanna bit was particularly good.

[@manyeyedcrow9391]

It is clear that these stories were meant to be spoken, the costumes were a lovely touch as well

[@mcstotti8691]

Mandos when Luthien comes to him to get Beren back: I am not crying you are crying. Its just the hobbits over there stealthily cutting onions.

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

I’m really glad you mentioned Tolkien’s Catholicism. It is so often overlooked by the fan-base

[@leonardpimentel5865]

I think it’s impossible to understand the Lord of the Rings without understanding how deeply faithful Tolkien was.

[@mfmfg9957]

I think it is purposely overlooked, unfortunately. 90% of the fan-base mention his “christianity” and only mention catholicism when it is utterly impossible to ignore. Jess, on the other hand, is great at bringing it up, specially when it matters

[@danrusso2953]

​@@mfmfg9957I don't know that I agree, tbh. I think many nonreligious readers don't pick up on it in the most well known of texts (the Hobbit, LOTR). And even the Silmarillion would appear to the agnostic eye to be mainly Greek in its inspiration, though this is a bit of a puerile read. Catholicism is central, just fantasy has a habit of attracting outcasts in its readership, and often I think the fact that it was historically derided by the church ("magic" seems to connote witchiness and unholy things after all!) means the Catholic readership isn't as big as Tolkien's Catholic influence was. Whether or not it's intentional, we'll never know, but I think it's mostly honest misunderstandings.

[@mfmfg9957]

@@danrusso2953 true, I hadn’t looked at it this way

[@myself2noone]

I really don't think it is.

[@copydepastey]

Having Dune next to your Tolkien books...i love these kind of authors who really dig into both science, history, legend, and philosophy. people who appreciate myth and legend, while inventing their own versions of these. their understanding and conception of their imagined worlds, within the context of the "real' world... i dont even know what to say about this... except the observation of it :D fantastic! even though Tolkien was somewhat northern-eurocentric.. and seemed to value the concept of "the west" he was clearly influenced by any and all mythologies and cultures that he encountered and appreciated.

[@dudesmith9698]

I think this is the best video I've seen about the Valar. The way you compare and contrast them to other gods and spirits really helps illustrate the depth of their characters. Well done.

[@luisostasuc8135]

Your description of Aule wanting to create more creators reminded me of a quote from "Thus Spake Zarathustra" by Nietzsche: "Companions the Creator seeks, not corpses, not herds and believers. Fellow creators the Creator seeks -- those who write new values on new tablets. Companions the Creator seeks, and fellow harvesters; for everything about him is ripe for the harvest."

[@drewstuart2051]

Fantastic video. As someone who has a MA in Catholic Theology, you're explanation of Marian devotion and of Manwe's ties to the Holy Spirit are succinct, accurate, and beautifully conveyed. You joke around about not considering yourself a "Tolkien scholar" but you clearly have an innate understanding and appreciation of his works and their inextricable connection to his Catholic faith. On a side note, Tulkas also has some parallels to St. Michael the Archangel, considering that he is the one who fought against and defeated Satan when he and the angels who followed him rebelled. Excellent work. I love your videos and have liked and subscribed to your channel. Pax et Bonum, Drew Stuart

[@joshladue8076]

Yes I immediately thought of Michael when Tulkas was discussed. While I think the comparison of Manwe to The Holy Spirit is a bit off, I believe that he is based directly on Adam. Created by the breath of God to rule over his creation, tricked by Satan. It would also explain that his wife is the representative of Mary, the new Eve. Imo The Holy Spirit is most represented by the Music of the Ainur

[@TorontoHighGuy]

Loved your insight into the gods of middle earth. I always viewed them as Norse and Greek stand-ins, but you opened my eyes into actual depth of each of these characters. Well done!

[@neodigremo]

I am reminded, whenever I hear the tale of Beren and Luthien, just how much I love Tolkien's mythological writing. I love tales of Gods, Monsters and the like presented as a heroic tale and not as a story. IT reminds me of Beowulf in style, or even sometimes like the Bible. Tolkien's Valar work I think because he wrote them not like he was writing story, but like he was writing a mythology. It feels like he is writing down what the Elves or Men would have written as the stories of the Valar.

[@cocobunitacobuni8738]

I can't get over how much effort you put into this.

[@dashsocur]

Darn it Jess! I started tearing up myself at the end of Nienna's part. I suppose that's the mark of a well-crafted presentation. :)

[@heartofahalfling3142]

Great video! Loved the costumes changes. You did a great job finding similarities with the Valar and mythology.

[@magpieMOB]

Your pronunciation of the Welsh names was actually really good for a non-Welsh speaker - the "LL" sound (like in Pwyll) is one of the harder to pull off, aside from that you were pretty much spot on - Blodeuwedd, Arawn, I guess Gronw has a more flat "O" sound like "stOp" or "bOdy", but seriously, I don't often hear non-natives do so well

[@brendanmooney7607]

Adding the cosplay element to your Valar video was such a cool & unique idea! I low-key wondered if you might be re-branding the channel into Part-Time Vala ("Have a very, Vala-y, day") 😉

[@ethanarnold4441]

I really like the ending when she said "a rich, fully developed mythology that you could spend a lifetime delving into."

[@justahologram2230]

I would say that Tulkas could also be inspired by Enkidu from the Epoch of Gilgamesh and Manwe inspired by Shamash from Babylonian/Sumerian mythology

[@snookergamepredictions]

Like everyone else love the amount of effort put into the costume changes. Looking forward to seeing your representations of Gandalf, Sauron and Balrogs when you address the Maiar 🧙‍♀️👿🔥

[@hello_robot]

I loved this video, so informative and well-made, and I really appreciate all the work you put into the costumes and makeup

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Thank you so much for the kind words!

[@QuixoticCowboy]

WRT what you said about Hades in greek mythology at 11:54 and him never being swayed, the legend of Orpheus begs to differ. Orpheus laments the loss of his love Eurydice in song in front of Hades who is so moved that he allows Orpheus to take Eurydice's spirt back to the land of the living. (sadly this does not come to pass to no fault of Hades though and so is a bit irrelevant here)

[@SuzkoSuge]

Tolkien's cosmogony is a beautiful example of a sincretism process (creates links between beliefs of both religions). I was thinking in Mari when you said Amalur, a.k.a. "Izen anitzeko Dama", "Lady of many names". In terms of food, we are the closest thing to a Hobbit that you can get. Guide Michelin dixit (and the amount of singles too). And this full time Hobbit is subbing like a rocket of course. Keep it up, you're good 🤘

[@thephilguy1]

The different costume/make up for each individual section takes this video to a whole new level, very well done.

[@garrettalexander9210]

My wife and I have a 2 year old and an infant that are unfortunately sick. So to keep the 2 year old sleeping I’ve been getting up around 3-4 with the infant, your videos put her right to sleep, and something about your delivery just calms my anxiety and keeps me in the moment when I start to spiral with worry. So thank you! A Gentlewoman and a scholar.

[@TarninTheGreat]

Well, that was lovely. I was not expecting the costume changes, the first one took me totally by surprise. But every one was great. Wonderful video on really cool topic.

[@PatrickQuilty-r4m]

Spectacular, your analysis of Nienna and her relation to Olorin was touching

[@leonwilkinson8124]

Marvelous costume changes! Brava! Brava! Maestra! Maestra Jess!

[@Oakleaf012]

Gonna second everyone else’s appreciation of the costume changes for each Vala! Loved that, A+ commitment and great looks I thought it was interesting you called Aulë and Sauron foils, because I always thought of Aulë as actually a foil for Melkor. Both desired to create life, which is the realm of Iluvatar alone. Aulë actually succeeded, where Melkor failed, and could only twist existing life to evil. But ultimately they both wanted the same, and rather blasphemous, thing. The all-important difference being that Aulë wanted to teach, and had humility, whereas Melkor wanted to dominate, and had only arrogance. There’s also a really interesting direct parallel between Nienna’s mercy for Melkor and Gandalf’s teaching of mercy for Gollum. To have pity for even the most vile and apparently unworthy of beings, and ultimately in Tolkien’s philosophy, how that mercy can change the world for good. The Ring wouldn’t have been destroyed if either Bilbo or Frodo had killed Gollum: Nienna’s teaching through Gandalf saved the world from Sauron. Who knows, then, what good might come from Nienna’s mercy for Melkor?

[@neodigremo]

Absolutely yes I agree with this. Aule wanted to have beings because he just wanted someone to love and teach, the same motivation as Eru in part. Melkor wanted to create because he wanted little beings to worship him and show him how awesome he was. I think if one of Aule's dwarfs created something greater than even he could do he would simply rejoice in their brilliance. Melkor would rage at their impertinance.

[@disgruntledtoons]

The major distinction between the Valar and the deities of Greek myth is that with the exception of Morgoth, the Valar were much better behaved. While Manwe corresponds with Zeus in many ways, he wasn't bedding everything female that he could catch. None of the jealousy or pettiness of the rest of the pantheon is seen in them.

[@robertharley1272]

Best video I have ever seen on the Valar! The costumes were expertly utilized to maintain audience attention 😊

[@taylorbonnah261]

So impressed with these transitions, must of took so much time to film it all, especially with all the makeup changes and stuff. Me at the Mandos transition: 😅 Me at the Tulkas transition: 😍

[@taylorbonnah261]

I spoke before I saw the Nessa transition omg

[@JessWLStuart]

Very well presented! Kudos for bringing Tolkien's Catholic viewpoints into this description.

[@gustavoolivieri6568]

First of all, your voice is so beautiful! I loved to hear you speaking about the Valar. I cannot not believe that you are probably of their kind. 😊 The only correction I have to make, that possibly someone else has made already, is to the singular form of the word Valar. The -r is for the plural, so the singular is simply Vala. And there's the adjective form Valarin, although this is mixed with Sindarin. Vala is a word in Quenya, the Sindarin form is Balan (pl. Belain). I'm happy to have found you. You're a delight to watch! ❤

[@jek__]

This is beautiful, the core of the story and your presentation. I teared up in some places. I feel a strongest connection to auele, yavanna, and nienna

[@richardknowles6287]

Regarding Tulkas, he seems very much like archangel Michael (God's warrior angel) to me, right down to the story of Michael fighting against Satan in the form of a dragon and finally defeating him though not slaying him completely, but rather binding him to the lowest level of Hell. That feels an awful lot like the story of Tulkas defeating Melkor and not killing him but rathe binding him so he could do no more significant harm. Probably this comes from Tolkien's Catholic roots.

[@estevesfilmandgaming3115]

Better costumes than Rings of Power. In all seriousness, well done the video is really good and the costumes look great.

[@davidgodfrey880]

Know others have said this - but this is a great video. Well thought out, interesting points and obviously in-depth research. Love the costume transitions - thought it really added to the overall production, well worth the effort.

[@MartyRusev]

I’m truly and honestly fascinated by your content. I’ve started walking more in the mornings in a park close to where I live and listening to Middle Earth lore has made my walks fly by. Thank you :))

[@TheMarineIguanaStudios]

Part Time Hobbit, God bless you! What a fantastic and in-depth look into the Valar and their inspirations! 😁😁😁

[@ToqTheWise]

I’d wonder if Nienna was also partly inspired by the Blessed Mother as Our Lady of Sorrows. She’s often depicted with swords piercing her heart, weeping at the death of her Son and the sins of the world. It may be a stretch but as a fellow son of the Church, I’m sure it may have come to Tolkiens mind. I have a particular devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. I pray to her every Sunday after mass. Since my conversion, I’ve always found the Blessed Mother to be a great comfort to me.

[@faustomadebr]

Exaclty... The is a lot of details from many characters from his devotion or other mythologies, so we should never try to point one inspiration.

[@lucasbakeforero426]

Calming, thoughtful, beautiful video. Thanks for sharing it. I will be checking your content. Great work!

[@rjb639]

I only recently discovered this channel and I am glad. Jess you are one of the best narrators I have seen. Speak so naturally, so easy to follow and understand even if the pace is high. It doesn't look like you are reading but like everything is coming out of your mind. I think you must have studied some sort of acting or drama. My only criticism is, too focused only in Lord of the Rings, while I love LOTR (and was the book that got me into Tolkien) my favourite is the Silmarillion and I would love to see videos about it in your particular style.

[@caleschley]

You know what is also cool? It is postulated in astrophysics that when the universe was young, the galaxy densities, and overall layout of the stars was first established due to primordial sound waves. All the energy and mass (at that time those were indistinguishable) was evenly spread out; everything was the same. But the sound waves from the big bang rippled outward, and created areas of variable density, which essentially resulted in star formation. This may have been put forward by Einstein or other physicists by the time Tolkien had written his books (I am uncertain on this). But in any case, I like to think that Tolkien got part of his idea for his world's creation from real-life physics. Even if it wasn't an inspiration, I enjoy the parallel.

[@HS-su3cf]

Excellent video. Good overview of the Valar.

[@Feverdream7777]

I actually came to tears realizing Olorin's origins are of Nienna and suffering yet bearing the weight of doom with love.

[@paulrudd1063]

What a wonderful journey through the heavens!! A great video, really interesting and well presented. Thanks for singing it into being. Oh, the costumes were great too. 😊

[@andrewanderson7674]

Thank you so much for posting this! Ever since discovering The Silmarillion, the Valar have by far been the most fascinating element of Tolkien's legendarium for me. This video was actually how I discovered your channel a few weeks ago. =) The first time I watched this, I kept waiting breathlessly to see what costume change you would undergo for the next Vala. Such a brilliant choice! I hope you do something like it again (though I know it was a pain). Random thought I had when rereading The Lord of the Rings a while back: If you'll notice in the "death" scenes for both Sauron and Saruman (I put "death" in quotes since I'm not sure Maiar can ever fully die), upon defeat their spirit forms respectively reached out a menacing hand toward the united armies (Sauron) or looked wistfully toward the West (Saruman) before both were blown harmlessly away by the wind. I like to think that this is Manwe exercising just a touch of divine providence, a very subtle reminder that even by the end of the Third Age, he (and the Valar as a whole) have not completely abandoned Middle-earth.

[@chromes5567]

Excited to give this a watch/listen during my commute.

[@MrFunktone]

Hi Jess just found your channel, wow I'm quite blown away by your knowledge and the quality of your productions. So good 👍 thank you

[@hannahwillow109]

Thank you for such a beautiful and interesting video. Your transitions are great-I love all of your looks. Your voice is so soothing.

[@swordlord1551]

That has got to be the best and most hysterical description I’ve ever heard of Thor

[@TheJumpinJr]

An interesting point I heard is there are three unpaired Valar. Nienna, Ulmo, and Melkor. When you consider that Ulmo is explicitly the most solitary of the valar and rarely takes a physical form, it is possible that Nieena was meant to be paired with Melkor.

[@woodstock5nathan]

This is a great video with such depth of reading. The amount of effort you must have gone to is impressive, from changing costumes for each valar to the many mythologies that inspired Tolkien. Thank you.

[@celtofcanaanesurix2245]

11:50 are you forgetting Orpheus playing his flute in grief for his love and being allowed to take her back as long as he did not look at her till they exited Hades? Also Heracles was not a himbo, he was actually very clever, outwitting Atlas and Augeas in his labors, he was both strong and witty, which is what made him a force to be reckoned with. Also I can't help but think Orome is kind of the wild hunt Odin/Lugh (the Irish counterpart of Lleu) kind of figure. Also the Irish smith god isn't Lugh but Goibhniu. Varda reminds me of a little known (in both ways) goddess of Gaulish (french celtic) religion called Sirona or Stirona literally "of the stars" who was associated with healing, springs, and snakes (likely because the snake was seen as self healing by shedding its old skin in a form of symbolic rebirth).

[@marieroberts5664]

Whelp, you beat me to it. A small oversight on a very good video. And Tolkien, like Shakespeare before him, was expert in pulling bits and pieces of myth from all over into a new coherent whole. From the Greeks, the Celts, the Welsh, the Norse, the little we know of the Britons and the Saxons that came after before all were swept away by the Normans, he woven a new tapestry that will stand the test of time. Tolkien forgot more than most of us will ever know in his chosen fields.

[@mercianthane2503]

Lugh is not the leader of the Warrior Band, thar is Fionn with the Fianna, like Gwyn Ap Nudd and his Wild Hunt.

[@ripdimebag42]

This is the best video on the Valar I've found on KZbin

[@f0restangel]

I just found your KZbin Channel and I'm SO in love with all of your videos! I've been binge watching everything.. sending you love

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

I'm so glad you're enjoying the channel! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave this comment, it made my day!

[@kathleenhensley5951]

I've somehow missed importance of weaving in Tolkien's world. How did I do that? I'm still learning about his creation. Nina.. I had heard of her , of course, but as a widow... oh, my ... sorrow is forever woven into my life. I am thinking of Flora, goddess of flowers. (Primavera, spring in Latin and Italian. There is a beautiful painting of Flora) for several of Tolkien's Valar. In the Litany of Mary there is the line "Morning star, pray for us."

[@FlyntzJackson]

This was incredible! Videos about the Valar can get tedious sometimes, but you made this one really fun!

[@Serai3]

Hades was swayed by the prayer and music of Orpheus. He allowed Eurydice to lead his realm because of the power of the bard's song.

[@rodlurks66]

Bingo, the story of Luthien going to Mandos is a take on Orpheus going to Hades . Neither Namo or Hades are outgoing but neither are fully unswayable, they are a lot closer than we think (they also both love their wives).

[@The_Worst_Guy_Ever]

Exactly what I started thinking as soon as she said Hades was never swayed. Also he let Heracles leave with Theseus...

[@Simone-bc2fo]

Mandos is far and away the coolest of the Valar. By the way, great video. Your channel is one of my best finds on KZbin lately. Great stuff.

[@BecauseOfDragons]

Great stuff. I always get confused remembering the Valar so this is very handy. Loved the costume changes to match the characters and the detailed look at where inspiration might have come from!

[@robertneal4244]

I, for one, enjoyed the costumes and makeup, especially Varda.

[@masonswayer6522]

Great video. I just wanted to point out that you at one point regarding hades say that he, “is never, ever swayed by any degree of begging or petitioning.” I would like to firmly disagree with this statement. You can find examples of contradictions in stories such as Orpheus going down into the underworld to recover his lover, or Heracles going into the underworld to bring Cerberus to Greece as one of his labors. Though I understand that you are a Tolkien scholar and not a Greek mythology scholar. Loved the video overall.

[@animalisticprik]

This channel is like food for my soul. Oh yea and the costume changes were really cool.

[@sekrasin1178]

Thank you for your fantastic video, i admire your passion and your tremdendous effort. Most of the illustrations you have used I didn't know before but I will definitely be researching them on my own.

[@hartzogLovesScience]

You are very knowledgeable regarding both Tolkien’s stories and mythology. As I watched, I agreed to each point. Then you passed me with your references of Welch mythology as you compare the Valor to different mythologies. Well done!

[@elenamakeup2399]

The amount of work and thought that went into the creating of this video is so impressive. Thank you for this video, it was a pleasure listening to you talk about this vast world of Tolkein. Wish you all the success and rewards for your efforts

[@ethanebonhart6705]

Ive come back about 8 times now, find this video fascinating, ty jess!

[@Sehestedtify]

This is the best Summary/Introduction of the Valar I have seen. Really spectacular. The costume and make-up changes were a nice touch. Lots of fun. It made me want to go re-read THE SILMARILLION! One thing: A better comparison to Nienna, given Tolkien's background and faith, is Our Lady of Sorrows. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Sorrows You also might have a look at Finnish mythology and the Kalevala in particular for some striking similarities to elements in the Silmarillion.

[@JAntonSaad]

This was a lot of work. Thank you, very compelling. I loved it.

[@faustomadebr]

14:00 Plus, when Erú asked the Ainur if they wanted to go to Arda, there was a condition: they would be bonded to it.

[@synxdewilde7098]

Would love to hear the conversation had between Vaida and Mandos after Mandos allows Beren to come back to the living forcing Vaida to edit her tapestry.

[@remyvegamedia]

To me, many aspects of the Valar (and the general creation story in Silmarillion) are also very close to the figures of Gnostic and Gnostic Christian literature. I was in the middle of reading the Nag Hammadi Scriptures and Corpus Hermeticum when I started Silmarillion and I was sort of blown away by the parallels. It's definitely not a ripoff and there are differences and other myths integrated, but I really found it interesting.

[@qitiandaw2890]

Regarding Tulkas and the Dagor Dagorath, footnote 17 of The Problem of Ros in HoM-e vol. XII cites a clarification and development of Morgoth’s end. Basically, Tulkas, Eonwë, and Turin will fight Morgoth in the end. Tulkas grapples Morgoth with Eonwë and Turin on his left and right but Turin will deal the deathblow to Morgoth with Gurthang.

[@pudimdecana51]

This is by far the best video about the Valar! Great insights about their meaning and roles and inspirations. Not to mention your great characterization. Really well done! Thank you for the huge effort!!

[@dionysiosbbbb]

Gotta say no joke you are very beautiful and both the costumes and the end video image are BEAUTIFUL! The ending tune makes me SOOOO happy.

[@ThomFoolery12]

The different outfits were lovely beyond reckoning! Very unique and interesting and kept me watching. Content was excellent as well.

[@tomboughan2718]

I came from being a fan of Norse and German myths, so I was fascinated how Tolkien incorporated them into his story.

[@demetrinight5924]

I really enjoyed the costume changes showing your take on each of the Valar.

[@pohjanvanamo]

Liked the video. The idea of different wizards having learned from different senders and then doing their thing, and that one that learned from compassion and sorrow was the most help saving the world, is interesting. Also, as of my knowledge, wind and spirit are the same word in hebrew, just the context defines which one we are talking about. (I don't know hebrew, but my dad did, and I think heard it from him.) Liked your costumes too and vivid descriptions :)

[@Amanda-k8m]

Your content is fantastic

[@reclusa1379]

Loving the "costume" changes and the explainers in general. Thanks.

[@SHODANFreeman]

I've been on a huge Tolkien kick again lately since getting into the new Magic the Gathering set, and I love your videos. They are really good refreshers for a fellow giant Tolkien nerd.

[@DavidMacDowellBlue]

OMG love and adore the changes of costume! I have a minor fan fic idea that one of the Blue Wizards is a Maia of Mandos, who always knew he would go to Middle Earth in the form of one of the Children of Illuvatar, having the best memory of any of the Maia of the Song of the Ainur--although as one of the Istari all this is vague, not unlike deja vu. Ah but Hades did fall in love, and shared his power with his wife. He was moved by the songs of Orpheus. Orome also reminds me of Diana/Artemis. Somewhat. Nienna is my favorite Vala. I think she is Tolkien's version of Aphrodite or any other love goddess, but not in terms of lust but rather pure compassion. She loves everyone and everything, weeping for their pain. Thus she is also Jesus Christ, and the Boddisatva. Hers is the greatest heart in all Creation, and (as another youtuber posits) it feels like she will take point in the Second Music of the Ainur, when Arda is remade and un-marred, but make greater than it had ever been because her compassion will be as an antidote to the poison Melkor wove into the very stuff of the world. Ulmo always seems to me almost the wisest of the Valar, and the least influenced by Melkor, which is why the Dark Lord's servants find water so daunting. I have long supposed the Valar should not have brought the Eldar to Valinor. That was not Eru's plan. In the Orthodox Church, all of Creation (including every single one of us) consists of manifestations of God, so that prayer consists of meditation and much of worship consists of "deification" i.e. the personal discovery of one's nature as an aspect of the Divine. In other words, we are all Ainur. So your interpretation of Manwe makes perfect sense to me on a visceral level.

[@Thraim.]

Very nice summary of all the good Valar. Also, that's a lot of costumes, which all look great.

[@wangtoriojackson4315]

What is the song that starts playing at 18:16 and where have I heard it before?

[@BlackHoleForge]

I always knew the valor came after singing the song of creation, but I didn't know the mayar came with then as well. Wait!? If Gandalf was a mayar, does that mean he sang in the song of creation? 🤯

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

He did!