~Which Female Vala is your favorite?~

[littlemanpoet]

This version of the thread replaces the old one which failed to include two of the 'goddesses'.

Since there are so many Valar, it is necessary to separate them out in some way, so I have chosen to do so by gender and primacy. Please see the "brother thread" to this one for primary Male Valar. Perhaps I will do a poll thread on the Ainur soon.

Feel free to describe what it is that you like about your favorite Vala, and if possible, what characteristics you feel you share with him.

Sorry, you must pick one Vala for the poll. But feel free to name close seconds and thirds, etc.

[Thinlómien]

It's such a pity that even a brand new updated poll doesn't make it any easier to decide between Nienna, Yavanna and Varda....

[Aganzir]

Vairë. She's always struck me as an interesting character. I like history and arts (hmm, is weaving considered art?), and I find it important that someone writes down the history of Eä. And hey, wouldn't Mandos be a wonderful place to live?

My problem with the Valier is that compared to the Valar, they are too... bystanders. Varda may have made the stars, Yavanna may have made the two Trees and so on, but they were never as important characters as the Valar (I'm sure someone will disagree with me now, but this is how I've alwas seen them). Their greatest function was to be wives for the Valar. But considering Tolkien's other female characters (or the lack of them), I guess one must live with it.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Vairë is a Norn wannabe. Varda is awesome for being able to terrify Melkor. Nessa is my favourite because she knows that she has been dealt a great hand by the One, and she delights in her existence.

[Lush]

All Varda, all the time.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Wonderful! Now that Vána is included, I can honestly say that I don't know whether to choose her or Estë. I will repeat here what I said on the first thread, I thought also about Yavanna because of the trees (with small "t"), Varda because of the stars, but I am not as close to them in other things.

Once, when I was about twelve, I did not care of the lesser Valier (since there was really not much written about them) and I can honestly say I never read or thought about them in any other moment than when I read the Valaquenta (so, that's very little). But I remember once suddenly, unexplainably (and I even haven't read Valaquenta before or anything), one night I had a dream about Estë. I immediately went to check all about her (well, it's not much anyway), but from that time I remember her.

I may note here that Melian served both Vána and Estë, my possible susp- I meant, choices.

[Nerwen]

I finally picked Yavanna, because the question asks about shared characteristics; I take care of the plants and animals around here! And the Trees are pretty cool.

Varda is my second choice. I know she's an obvious one, but I was always curious about who the 'Elbereth' mentioned in The Lord of the Rings was. Strangely, I had a dream or fantasy in early childhood about a goddess on an island in the sunset, so reading The Silmarillion for the first time was rather an eerie experience.

[littlemanpoet]

I voted Nienna. Something about the sorrow and tears and wisdom combined hits me deeply; and Olorin was schooled under her tutelage. Hard to go wrong there.

Yavanna would be my second choice becaue of my love of nature.

[A Little Green]

I had a hard time choosing between Yavanna and Nienna. Ended up on Yavanna, because of trees and forests and all that. Nienna is a strikingly beautiful character and has always fascinated me, but in the end she is a little too melancholic.

[Lhunardawen]

Um, Elempi, isn't the question supposed to be 'Which Female Vala is your favourite?'

Anyway, I chose Varda. Nienna was a tempting choice because of her melancholic and compassionate nature, and Vána the Ever-young for her ability to induce the blooming of flowers and singing of birds. But it's tough not to like a powerful female whom Melkor himself feared. Besides, stars are indescribably lovely.

[Lalaith]

Varda. What's good enough for the Eldar's good enough for me.
Mind you, I can see where Eomer's coming from, my second choice would have been Nessa - Taniquetil's party girl par excellence.

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Lhunardawen

Um, Elempi, isn't the question supposed to be 'Which Female Vala is your favourite?'

I suppose. If Estelyn wants to fix the grammar, she's free to do so.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Always happy to help, especially if it involves grammar! However, it's not in my power to change the poll title...

[Mithalwen]

Given the tense of the poll, I chose Yavanna since I love trees and gardens and I love the story of the creation of the Ents - some how she and Aule seem to be more characters than ciphers like some of the other Valar. I am a bit of a star-gazer but Varda is too remote a figure to be a favourite - " a bit above my likes and dislikes" as Sam Gamgee might say!

However whe I first read the silmarillion as a teenager, Nienna was my favourite - a strong independent woman, wearing black and that aloofness and weeping for the sorrows of the world seemed quite glamourous. I still like her but Yavanna is more life afirming - and I have discovered gardening is as therepeutic as tears.

[Loslote]

I chose Vana. Although there is little written about her, she is my favorite of the Valier.

[Morsul the Dark]

Yavanna

She Made Ents, end of discussion

[THE Ka]

Originally Posted by Morsul the Dark

Yavanna

She Made Ents, end of discussion

Yavanna, as well.

She's awesome just for the chapter 'Of Aule and Yavanna' alone. Best divine couple comedy ever for her beautiful tact.

~ Ka

[Thinlómien]

I decided Varda's too cold and distant and Yavanna's too, well, whiny, and that's why Nienna is my favourite. Besides, she strikes me as a much more unique character than the two others.

[Morwen]

I voted for Yavanna. I don't really feel that I have a good sense of who the others are. She also seems more attached to Middle Earth, one of the few Valar to visit in the time before the awakening of the Elves and the one to come up with the idea of having Shepherds for Trees.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I decided to go with the variation of choosing the Vala with whom I can identify, who has something in common with me; therefore I chose Vairë the Weaver. I like the little that is said about her:

[She] weaves all things that have ever been in Time into her storied webs, and the halls of Mandos that ever widen as the ages pass are clothed with them.

That certainly relates to my love of patchwork and quilting! It also reminds me of a line spoken by the Lothlórien Elves that has become my motto:

We put the thought of all that we love into all that we make.

If even a mighty Elven ruler like Galadriel wove fabrics, I am certainly in good company!

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Though I sew and quilt and embroider and weave, enjoy gardening (especially herbs), and have a tremendous love of music, I have to go with Varda, because I have loved the stars since the first time I laid eyes on them. Unfortunately, being raised in a large city, I didn't really SEE them until I was about five and went for a family wedding at a farm in the northern part of the state, but it's an experience I've never forgotten.

[Gwathagor]

My wife, Vana, of course. I mentioned that I'm actually Orome, didn't I?

[Formendacil]

Nienna.

Definitely Nienna--and not just because I'm especially fond of the Downs member of that name. The Vala herself is awesome. Not that the others aren't, mind you. Varda Elbereth will always have a place, thanks to Frodo and The Lord of the Rings, but in terms of character, I think I can be said to follow Gandalf, and prefer Nienna.

Something about weeping over the wounds of Arda strikes me as profoundly Catholic... though I'm not sure I want to get myself into any sort of an argument there. I think, additionally, that despite the definite identification that could be made between her and "weepiness," Nienna is, undefinably, the strongest of the Valar--not just the Valier, but the Valar. She's the least shocked, despite the most offended, by the marring of Arda.

Also the whole fact that she's probably the one Melkor scorns most, but the one his opponents (eg. Gandalf) have the most to learn from.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

It is quite interesting that after coming back here after such a long time (and seeing that I could not have made a decision several years ago), I feel now I would choose Nienna, with resounding probably what Form has mentioned above too. Which is quite interesting, nevertheless. Estë could still probably be the other option there, but hers is different and more "profane" or "mundane" approach. Vairë does not seem too bad either, after what Esty mentioned here (story-weaving is indeed something noteworthy). But I think in general I may leave this option open again and see what I feel like voting for in, say, another two years.

[Almesiva Moonshadow]

I choose Estë because sleeping all day is my speciallity too...

[xMellrynxMaidenx]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

It's such a pity that even a brand new updated poll doesn't make it any easier to decide between Nienna, Yavanna and Varda....

Oh how I agree.

[Galadriel55]

I have trouble deciding between Yavanna and Nienna as well! Varda would go right after them, though.