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11-16-2002, 05:26 AM | #1 |
Haunting Spirit
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Finland
Posts: 94
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Number of Maiar
So, how many Maiar there actually were in Arda? Is anywhere told anything of it? I first thought that there were hundreds, maybe thousands of them, but now that I think again, it would seem more logical if there were less than hundred. It just would suit better.
And other question is; were there more Maiar serving Melkor than the Valar? It seems that Melkor had many Maiar as his servants during his reign of Middle-Earth from Utumno. And the evil is almost always the mightier one, so that would say that Melkor had more. But always when he fought with the Valar, he was defeated. So that would actually say that the Valar had more, and that there were at least hundreds of Maiar servin them, but bnah.
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11-16-2002, 09:02 AM | #2 |
Pile O'Bones
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Holland
Posts: 17
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The number is unkown, for there were many.
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11-16-2002, 11:42 AM | #3 | |
A Northern Soul
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Valinor
Posts: 1,847
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Certainly there were amny we never heard of. The only Maiar that turned with Melkor (that we're told of) were Sauron and "the Valaraukar, the scourges of fire that in Middle-earth were called the Balrogs, demons of terror." The other Maiar we're told of include Ilmare, Eonwe, Osse, Uinen, Melian, Olorin, Salmar, Arien, Tilion, Curunir, Radagast, Alatar, and Pallando. When Tolkien speaks of the council in which the Istari were chosen, they seem to be picked out of a number of people (from Unfinished Tales):
Quote:
[ November 16, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ]
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11-16-2002, 05:02 PM | #4 |
Wight
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Rivendell
Posts: 124
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Well, you may be able to find that out from The Silmarillion. It tells all about the beginning of Ea and all the Varda.
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11-17-2002, 03:45 AM | #5 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
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Speaking of numbers -- The Silmarillion states there were nine major Valar, & Sauron Had nine Nazgul, was this a coincidence, or was Sauron actuallly trying to imitate Illuvatar?
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11-17-2002, 04:06 AM | #6 |
Pile O'Bones
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Holland
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Sorry, there were 18: nine women and nine men. There were nine nazgul, nine for the fellowship and many more nines. Yes, tolkien had something with nine.
The silmarillion states that the number of maiar is unknown, so you can't find it out. Balrogs for example were maiar too, and nobody knew their number. I think numbers are important, but less important than other things. Sauron probably was trying to imitate Eru, as was Morgoth. Don't you all think that 5 was a major number in tolkien as well: 5 elven-sorts, 5 major powers, the battle of the 5 armies, name it.. [ November 17, 2002: Message edited by: Dúnethalath Taurendor ]
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11-17-2002, 07:59 AM | #7 |
A Northern Soul
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Valinor
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You can do that with many numbers..,
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