A breakdown of Tolkien’s ‘Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor’, Chapter 11 in The Silmarillion. As usual I share a mini summary with my thoughts, 10 tidbits and 5 quotes!

A Mini Summary and Some Personal Thoughts

I know I say this almost every single chapter – but this one really is another fav! I mean, when a chapter is all about the making of the Sun and the Moon, how could it be anything but glorious?!

We learn that the Sun and Moon came from the last fruit and flower from the Trees; that their vessels were guided by Arien and Tilion; AND that Tilion was always chasing after Arien, wanting to be closer to her. That’s why sometimes you can see both the sun and the moon in the sky together – so cute, right?! 

Let’s get into the tidbits.

Ten Tidbits About ‘Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor’

1. The Valar mourn the Trees and Fëanor.

The chapter opens with the Valar mourning the loss of the Trees, and Fëanor. Personally, out of the two, I’m feeling way more sad about the Trees. But to be fair, the Valar were mourning what Fëanor could have been – or as Gandalf might say, Fëanor as he should have been. They recognised that he had been given all these amazing gifts – he was the ‘made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind, in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and in subtlety alike, of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and a bright flame was in him.’ So the Valar were mourning what good he could have done if he hadn’t instead marred Middle-Earth as he did by turning on his kinsmen, stealing boats and burning them.

Mandos also foretells that Fëanor would be coming to him in the Houses of the Dead soon. And by now we know, when Mandos speaks, we should listen.

2. The Trees die, but not without one final gift each.

Manwë asked Yavanna and Nienna to give their very best effort to heal the Trees of Valinor. But sadly, Yavanna’s song and Nienna’s tears were not enough. The Trees have their final moment of death, but not before imparting one last gift each. Looks like Telperion and Laurelin had some final strength left in them!

Telperion produced a final flower of silver, and Laurelin a single fruit of gold. Yavanna took these, and then ‘the Trees died, and their lifeless stems stand yet in Valinor, a memorial of vanished joy.’ Well, why don’t you just cut my heart open, Tolkien?

3. The Valar want to set up a new way to light up Middle-Earth.

The Valar needed to light up Middle-Earth again, in order to ‘hinder the deeds of Melkor’’, which’. This sounds quite sensible to me. Manwë also knew that Men are coming, the younger Children of Ilúvatar, and so wanted to light the way for them. Rather nice of him to think of us like that.

4. The Sun and Moon are made, and given lovely names as well.

The Valar worked together again to make the Sun and the Moon out of the last flower and fruit of the Trees. Yavanna gave these to Aulë, Manwë hallowed them, Aulë and his people made vessels to hold them and preserve their radiance, and Varda took these vessels and made them lamps of heaven, giving them ‘power to traverse the lower regions of Ilmen, and set them to voyage upon appointed courses above the girdle of the Earth from the West unto the East and to return.’ Loving that dream teamwork again from the Valar (like in Chapter 1!).

The Vanyar named the Moon, Isil the Sheen, and the Sun, Anar the Fire-golden.

The Noldor named the Moon, Rána the Wayward, and the Sun, Vása the Heart of Fire.

5. The Sun and the Moon are also given guardians to guide each vessel.

The maiden Arien, of the Maiar, was chosen to guide the vessel of the Sun. She had tended the golden flowers in Vána’s garden with the drops of Laurelin, so really was perfect for the job. The real reason she was given the role though was because she had not feared the heats of Laurelin, and wasn’t hurt by them because she was a spirit of fire! Plus Melkor had not deceived her or brought her on board his service, so bonus points for that.

Tilion, from the company of Oromë, was chosen to store off the island of the Moon. He had a silver bow and loved silver, and Talperion was the silver Tree, so I suppose he was a pretty good match for the job. But actually he begged for this job, so maybe it was his persistence in the end.

Also important to note: Arien was mightier than Tilion, and she sounded pretty intense to me! ‘Too bright were the eyes of Arien for even the Eldar to look on, and leaving Valinor she forsook the form and raiment which like the Valar she had worn there, and she was as a naked flame, terrible in the fullness of her splendour.’

6. Morgoth wasn’t happy about the new lights.

Morgoth hated the new lights. In fact, they ‘dismayed him’ and he went down in the ‘uttermost depths of Angband’ to hide from the light. I mean, I’m not surprised, are you?

At one point Morgoth went after Tilion and the Moon, and there was strife between them. But Tilion came out victorious.

You might think, oh so then did Morgoth go after the Sun? Well, that’s a no. Cause he was afraid of Arien! ‘Arien, Morgoth feared with a great fear, but dared not come nigh her, having indeed no longer the power’. I told you she sounded intense.

7. Varda proposes the Sun and the Moon should journey aloft, but not together.

This sounds good in principal, right? The Sun and Moon would each get their turn in the sky. But Tilion proved to be (part of) the problem. He always wanted to be near Arien, drawn by her Splendour. Can you blame him? Because of his ‘waywardness’, but also because of the prayers of Lórien and Estë (remember our restful couple of the Valar?) who wished there to be a time for sleep and rest on the Earth, Varda changed her counsel and allowed for a time of shadow and half-light.

Now Varda purposed that the two vessels should journey in Ilmen and ever be aloft, but not together; each should pass from Valinor into the east and return, the one issuing from the west as the other turned from the east. Thus the first of the new days were reckoned after the manner of the Trees, from the mingling of the lights when Arien and Tilion passed in their courses, above the middle of the Earth.

Because of the waywardness of Tilion, therefore, and yet more because of the prayers of Lórien and Estë, who said that sleep and rest had been banished from the Earth, and the stars were hidden, Varda changed her counsel, and allowed a time wherein the world should still have shadow and half-light.

8. Tilion’s always chasing after Arien.

This is possibly my favorite tidbit of the chapter – I think it’s just so cute! Varda literally commanded the Moon to pass ‘under Earth to arise in the east, but only after the Sun had descended from heaven.’ But of course, Tilion didn’t follow suit. Tilion ‘went with uncertain pace, as yet he goes, and was still drawn towards Arien, as he shall ever be; so that often both may be seen above the Earth together, or at times it will chance that he comes so nigh that his shadow cuts off her brightness and there is a darkness amid the day.’ So that’s why sometimes the Sun and Moon are both in the sky together!

9. The light of the Sun and Moon is nice, but it’s not the same.

I think it’s important to note that while the Sun and Moon are quite nice, they could never live up to the original light from the Trees of Valinor. Now that light only lies in the Silmarils, making the Silmarils all the more special and valuable.

10. The Valar hide Valinor, and no one from the West ever came there again. Save for one.

Here at the end of the chapter, we finally get to the second half of the title of the chapter – the hiding of Valinor. And you just gotta love that classic Tolkien foreshadowing in the last sentence!

And in that time also, which songs call Nurtalë Valinóreva, the Hiding of Valinor, the Enchanted Isles were set, and all the seas about them were filled with shadows and bewilderment. And these isles were strung as a net in the Shadowy Seas from the north to the south, before Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle, is reached by one sailing west. Hardly might any vessel pass between them, for in the dangerous sounds the waves sighed for ever upon dark rocks shrouded in mist. And in the twilight a great weariness came upon mariners and a loathing of the sea; but all that ever set foot upon the islands were there entrapped, and slept until the Change of the World. Thus it was that as Mandos foretold to them in Araman the Blessed Realm was shut against the Noldor; and of the many messengers that in after days sailed into the West none came ever to Valinor—save one only: the mightiest mariner of song.

5 Fav Quotes from ‘Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor’

For the Valar may work many things with thought rather than with hands, and without voices in silence they may hold council one with another.

I think this is so fascinating! Apparently Tolkien has some other writings talking more about how the Valar could speak through their minds (of course he did), and I find the idea so cool.

These things the Valar did, recalling in their twilight the darkness of the lands of Arda; and they resolved now to illumine Middle-earth and with light to hinder the deeds of Melkor.

I love that this was a motivation to create the Sun and the Moon – because light would hinder the dark deeds of Melkor.

But the Noldor named them also Rána, the Wayward, and Vása, the Heart of Fire, that awakens and consumes; for the Sun was set as a sign for the awakening of Men and the waning of the Elves, but the Moon cherishes their memory.

I just think this quote is beautiful.

Then Anar arose in glory, and the first dawn of the Sun was like a great fire upon the towers of the Pelóri: the clouds of Middle-earth were kindled, and there was heard the sound of many waterfalls.

And I think this quote is absolutely glorious!

But neither the Sun nor the Moon can recall the light that was of old, that came from the Trees before they were touched by the poison of Ungoliant.

And this one I find really nostalgic. SO we’ve just about ran the gamut of emotions in this chapter, from sorrow to gladness to amusement, and more.

Further Study

I love listening to podcasts to gain more insights and thoughts on Tolkien’s works. Here a couple I listened to about this chapter:

• The Prancing Pony Podcast Episode 019 – How to Get the Celestial Body You Want
• The Tolkien Professor’s Silmarillion Seminars

The Silmarillion Second Breakfast Book Club

That’s Chapter 11, ‘Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor’! If you’ve missed any previous posts on The Silmarillion in our Second Breakfast Book Club, then check out the Reading Schedule. You can find updates on future chapters there as well. Next up, Chapter 12!