She is known as the Lady of pity and mourning. And while see is
often overlooked among the Valar, her impact would reach far beyond
the realm of Valinor, having influenced one of Middle-earth's greatest heroes.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the vala Nienna.
Nienna is one of the queens of the Valar and one of the eight most powerful of their kind - known
as the Aratar. Like all the Valar, Nienna has defining characteristics she is associated
with. For her part, she is acquainted with grief and sorrow, and also pity and courage.
We are told she dwells in her halls in the distant West of Valinor,
near the Halls of Mandos, her brother. She lives on the very western borders of the World,
and we are told her windows look outward from the Walls of the World. The Walls of
the World are the walls that surround Arda itself - though we know nearly nothing about
these walls or what form they take. What we do know is that when Melkor is cast into
the Timeless Void, it is through the Door of Night, which places him outside these Walls.
During the Music of the Ainur, when the world was formed, we are told that so great was her sorrow
that as the music unfolded, her song turned to lamentation, weaving the sound of mourning into
the themes of the World. Known also for her pity, Nienna is also among the Valar who support Melkor
when he initially sues for pardon after his first capture. Though she had spent much time mourning
the destruction he had wrought, she would speak on his behalf in giving him a second chance.
Nienna has two brothers among the Valar - Irmo and Mandos. Irmo, who was also called Lorien,
is the master of visions and dreams. And Mandos is the aforementioned Doomsman of the Valar - who
we will cover in our next Valar video in a few weeks. The brothers are called the Feanturi - the
Masters of Spirits. While she is never explicitly referred to as one of the Feanturi,
there is no doubt Nienna would play a large role in regards to the spirits of the dead.
While she dwells alone in her halls and would rarely join in the joyous
gatherings in Valmar, she would often go to the Halls of Mandos,
where she would comfort and counsel the souls of those who cried out to her. Thus her pity
would come to benefit departed elves waiting to be re-embodied in Valinor.
Later, after Ungoliant and Melkor destroy the two trees,
Nienna would play a crucial role as the world is plunged into darkness…
And Nienna arose and went up onto Ezellohar, and cast back her grey hood,
and with her tears washed away the defilements of Ungoliant;
and she sang in mourning for the bitterness of the world and the Marring of Arda.
Manwe then bids Yavanna and Nienna to put forth
all their power to bring the Two Trees back to life…
But the tears of Nienna availed not to heal their mortal wounds; and for a long while Yavanna sang
alone in the shadows. Yet even as hope failed and her song faltered, Telperion bore at last
upon a leafless bough one great flower of silver, and Laurelin a single fruit of gold.
These last remnants of the Two Trees would be placed
into vessels and made into the Sun and Moon.
While she would not often leave her halls, we are told of one who would
instead visit Nienna’s home. Wisest of the Maiar was Olórin. He too dwelt in Lórien,
but his ways took him often to the house of Nienna, and of her he learned pity and patience.
Olorin, who we would come to know as the wizard Gandalf, is well known to
have been a servant of Manwe and Varda. Indeed throughout his adventures we can
see these connections manifest in various ways. Gandalf has a friendship with the Great Eagles,
which were co-created by Manwe and were among his earliest servants. Gandalf is
associated with light and fire, much like Varda. But perhaps most vital of all - and what separated
Gandalf most from his Istari brethren, are the lessons he learned from Nienna.
In his days to come, Gandalf’s understanding of courage, grief,
and pity would give him great insight into others, and indeed see the value in an entire race that
was largely overlooked. Seeing the hobbits great courage led him to select Bilbo for the Quest of
Erebor. His understanding of the power of pity would allow him to realize the pity of Bilbo
could rule the fate of many - Frodo’s not the least. And we see Gandalf’s understanding of
grief in multiple cases, not the least of which in the form of Denethor as he grieves for Boromir.
While Nienna may not be the vala with the most overt power,
or worshiped for great creations, or renown for mighty deeds in battle against Morgoth,
the Lady of mourning would instill her values within the greatest of the istari, who would
orchestrate the downfall of the second dark lord, with no small measure of pity and courage.
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