The Maiar

[Sarumian]

Originally Posted by TheLostPilgrim

I have a question:

Maiar are Ainur, correct? I've never understood the distinction between the Valar and the Maiar--I thought they were all the same sort of "being." What sets the Valar from the Maiar?

As it was mentioned by jallanite, they are the same in nature (Ainur) but are different in potency. Valar are spirits that control elements. They can shape continents, mountains, etc. In terms of their material powers Maiar can alter a particular landscape, probably locally arrange weather. Silmarillion says that some of Maiar were almost as powerful as Valar while others wielded much less power. Sauron was named the most powerful of them and Olorin belonged to this cohort.

Originally Posted by TheLostPilgrim

Also, were the Maiar present at the Ainulindalë, were all the Ainur created at the same time? Did the Maiar help shape Arda? Or were the Maiar created later?

They are all Ainur and we don't know much about the sequence in their creation.