Silmarillion - Valaquenta

[Raynor]

Originally Posted by Alchisiel

Aldarion brought up some very good points. Could it be that the marriages of the Valar are spiritual and not a physical marriage as most people think of when thinking about marriage?

I agree:

Originally Posted by Commentary on the first section, Annals of Aman, HoME X

Note that 'spouse' meant only an 'association'. The Valar had no bodies, but could assume shapes. After the coming of the Eldar they most often used shapes of 'human' form, though taller (not gigantic) and more magnificent.

In the Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME X, it is noted that at that time the previous refferences to the existence of the Children of the Valar were removed - thus Fionwe becomes the herald, not son, of Manwe.

Originally Posted by Note 10b, Commentary on chapter I, Of the Valar

This is an aspect of an important development in the conception of the Powers of Arda, the abandonment of the old and long-rooted idea of 'the Children of the Valar, the Sons of the Valar'. It was still present in the Aannals of Aman, where the Valarindi, 'the offspring of the Valar', were 'numbered with' the Maiar (but they are distinguished from the Maiar). On the typescript text, the conception of the Children of the Valar was struck out.