He is the great warrior of the Valar - so mighty that he needed no weapon
or steed. He is among the valar to truly strike fear into the heart of
Morgoth and it was prophesied that their final conflict would come at the very end of days.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings,
we continue our series on the Valar with Tulkas, the Champion of the Valar.
As with all the Valar and Maiar, Tulkas is present during the Song of the Ainur,
during which Iluvatar creates the world of Arda. While many of the Ainur would descend into Arda
to prepare the world for the coming of men and elves, Tulkas would remain in the heavens with Eru
and the remaining Ainur. Those Ainur who entered into the world would remain bound to it until its
end. While not completely cut off from Iluvatar, they must dwell within the circles of the world
so long as it endures - similar to the way the elves are bound to Arda itself.
However, Tulkas would eventually join the Ainur who had descended into Arda. After 1500 Valian
Years, over 14,000 of our years, he became aware of the First War between the Valar and Melkor.
But in the midst of the war a spirit of great strength and hardihood came to the
aid of the Valar, hearing in the far heaven that there was battle in the Little Kingdom;
and Arda was filled with the sound of his laughter. So came Tulkas the Strong,
whose anger passes like a mighty wind, scattering cloud and darkness before it;
and Melkor fled before his wrath and his laughter, and forsook Arda, and there was
peace for a long age. And Tulkas remained and became one of the Valar of the Kingdom of Arda;
but Melkor brooded in the outer darkness, and his hate was given to Tulkas for ever after.
With Melkor having fled beyond the Walls of Night, the Spring of Arda begins. The Valar raise the Two
Lamps in the Valian Year 1900, giving light to the lands of Arda. And during this time of nearly
15,000 years, the lands become filled with trees, plants, birds, and beasts.
Finally, in the Valian Year 3400, at a great feast ordained by Manwe,
Tulkas marries the Valië Nessa, the Dancer - known for being swift as an arrow.
Tulkas himself is described as having ruddy skin, with golden hair and beard. He is slow to wrath,
yet slow to forgive. It is said he is so strong and quick that he needed neither
weapon nor steed. He delights in feats of strength, like fighting and wrestling. Still
he was said to not have been dreadful (save perhaps in the eyes of Melkor).
He laughs loudly in both sport and war, and his anger dispels both darkness and clouds.
Realizing the vigilance of the valar was lacking during their long feast,
Melkor secretly travels to the northern lands of the world, raising the Iron Mountains and
delving his vast fortress of Utumno. After the feast, Tulkas falls into a great sleep - for
his strength had been used in the service of all without ceasing in all the days of
their labor. Melkor, seeing his chance arise, attacks in VY 3450 and destroys the Two Lamps.
Melkor retreats to Utumno, though fear falls upon him, for he hears the voice of Manwe as
a mighty wind, and the earth trembles beneath the feet of Tulkas. However,
the Valar could not attack Melkor at that time,
for their power was needed to save all they could from the destruction wrought by Melkor.
The Valar would retreat to the lands of Aman, where Yavanna would bring
forth the Two Trees to bring light to their lands. Tulkas, known for being impatient,
urges the valar to wage war against Melkor even before the awakening of the elves - wishing to
take back control of the wider world. “Let us make war swiftly! Have we not
rested from strife overlong, and is not our strength now renewed? Shall one alone
contest with us for ever?’” However, the Valar would not yet attack their foe.
In the Year of the Trees 1050, the elves would at last awake at Cuivienen,
and upon Orome’s discovery of the firstborn of Iluvatar,
Manwe holds a council at the Ring of Doom. There, he announces that it is the will of
Iluvatar that the Valar should make war upon Melkor for the sake of his children.
Tulkas is glad of this decision, and takes part in the resulting Battle of the Powers in YT 1090.
While some of the Ainur would guard the elves at Cuivienen to protect them from the battle,
others would make war upon Utumno. After nine years of the trees (YT 1099), the
gates of Utumno were broken and the halls unroofed, and Melkor took refuge in the
uttermost pit. Then Tulkas stood forth as champion of the Valar and wrestled with him,
and cast him upon his face; and he was bound with the chain Angainor
that Aulë had wrought, and led captive; and the world had peace for a long age.
Melkor is made captive in the Halls of Mandos for three ages of the world, during which time,
many of Iluvatar’s firstborn would come to live alongside the Ainur in Valinor. At the end of
his sentence, Melkor pleads for pardon from Manwe, and it is granted. While Manwe could
not comprehend evil, and could not see that all love had departed from Melkor forever,
it is said that Ulmo and Tulkas were not deceived by the dark lord.
and Tulkas clenched his hands whenever he saw Melkor his foe
go by; for if Tulkas is slow to wrath he is slow also to forget.
When it is discovered that Melkor had sewn lies in the hearts of the Noldor of Valinor, Tulkas
and Orome search for him in the north of Aman. However, by this time, when Feanor drew a sword
upon his brother, Melkor had already fled south. In these southern lands, Melkor would enlist the
help of Ungoliant, and together they kill the two trees and cause the darkening of Valinor.
In this moment, Tulkas and Orome sprang up, and hearing of Melkor’s flight to the north,
go northward with all speed. However, they are thwarted by the Unlight of Ungoliant - a
cloud of vast darkness that no light can escape or penetrate. And Tulkas was as one caught in a black
net at night, and he stood powerless and beat the air in vain. But when the Darkness had passed,
it was too late: Melkor had gone whither he would, and his vengeance was achieved.
In some of Tolkien’s earlier writings, found in the 5th volume of the History of Middle-earth:
The Lost Road and Other Writings, we see an alternate version of this pursuit:
Out upon the plain the horses of Oromë thundered with a thousand hooves,
and fire started in the gloom about their feet. Swifter than they Tulkas ran before them,
and the light of the anger of his eyes was as a beacon. But they found not what they
sought. Wherever Morgoth went, a darkness and confusion was around him woven by Ungoliantë,
so that their feet strayed and their eyes were blind, and Morgoth escaped the hunt.
Returning to the rest of the Valar and the Noldor, Tulkas finds Manwe and Yavanna
speaking to Feanor about his silmarils - the only hope for restoring the Two Trees.
When Feanor initially does not answer, Tulkas cries out ‘Speak, O Noldo, yea or nay! But who
shall deny Yavanna? And did not the light of the Silmarils come from her work in the beginning?’
Aule tells Tulkas to not be hasty - and that they ask a greater thing of
a craftsman than he realizes. Feanor would refuse the request of the valar,
and Middle-earth would be plunged into centuries of war with the dark lord.
Unlike his brethren like Ulmo who would come into the tales of the first age,
Tulkas is next mentioned at the very ending of the world. In the Dagor Dagorath - Tolkien’s
abandoned writing on the end days of Arda, it is said Morgoth will break free of his captivity in
the void and destroy the sun and moon. Then shall the Last Battle be gathered on
the fields of Valinor. In that day Tulkas shall strive with Morgoth,
and on his right hand shall be Fionwë, and on his left Túrin Turambar, son of Húrin,
coming from the halls of Mandos; and the black sword of Túrin shall deal unto Morgoth
his death and final end; and so shall the children of Húrin and all Men be avenged.
From his earliest days in Arda to the last,
Tulkas would strongly stand against the evil of Morgoth. And while he would not be the most
involved, or written about, among the Valar, his brief appearances are memorable for his
great strength, his delight in fighting, and the dark lord’s fear of the mighty Tulkas.
As always, I want to say a huge thank you to all my patreon and
youtube supporters who make this channel possible:
TomDaBombadil19, Lissomie the Sinda, Rabbi Rob Thomas, Charles Leasure, CCDCRedTeam,
Joe Tepper, The Mighty Mîm,Leo Vettori, Skycarcass, SlideBelts, Dane Ragnarsson,
BertoBerg, Graham Derricott, The Dark Haired One, Wyland, Michael Woo, and Debbie.
Thanks so much for watching and subscribing, and we’ll see you next time on Nerd of the Rings.