| Re: Who are the Valar?
I would more consider the Valar as an angelic order. In the beginning of the Silmarillion, when the Creator is manifesting the world-to-be through the song of their choir, they take on an almost childlike awe and grace. From there they descend to the world and attempt to shape it in the way they had envisioned from the song, and in a sense take the role of guardians, rather than gods. Their powers are great, but I wouldn't label them gods. Especially given the fact that they are not infallible and have very humanistic emotional constructs, and also given Tolkiens own personal beliefs; it is possible he was re-styling his own theology into something a bit more poetic. |