Maia (Middle-earth)
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The Maiar (singular: Maia) are those spirits which descended to Arda to help the Valar to shape the World. They were numerous, yet not many were named by men or elves
Their chiefs are Eönwë, banner-bearer and herald of Manwë, and Ilmarë, the handmaid of Varda. There is no warrior in all of Arda who surpasses Eönwë in armed combat.
Each of the Maiar was associated with one or more particular Vala, and were of similar stock, though less powerful. For example, Ossë and Uinen, as spirits of the sea, belonged to Ulmo, while Curumo, who came to be known in Middle-earth as Saruman, belonged to Aulë the Smith.
Others included Sauron (most powerful of Aulë's people), Aiwendil, who was known in Middle-earth as Radagast the Brown and belonged to Yavanna, and Olórin, later (and better) known as Gandalf, who belonged to Manwë and Varda (though his ways took him often to the house of Nienna whence he learned pity and patience, which perhaps aided him in his later struggles to unite the Free peoples of Middle-earth against the power of Sauron).
Alatar and Pallando, known as the Blue Wizards, travelled to the east, and never returned to the west. Their fate is unknown. The Balrogs were, like Sauron, Maiar corrupted by Melkor. Their associated Vala is not known. Melian served both Vana and Estë.
Gothmog was the Lord of the Balrogs. Arien was a Maia who bore the sun through the heavens, and Tilion, who loved her, was the bearer of the moon. It is likely that Thuringwethil, the vampire who served Sauron, was also a Maia.
| Ainur of Middle-earth | |
|---|---|
| Ainulindalë (Music of the Ainur) | |
| Lords of the Valar:
| Manwë > Ulmo | Aulë | Oromë | Námo (Mandos) | Irmo (Lórien) | Tulkas |
| Queens of the Valar (The Valier):
| Varda > Yavanna | Nienna | Estë | Vairë | Vána | Nessa |
| The Enemy:
| Morgoth (a.k.a. Melkor) |
| Maiar:
| Eönwë > Ilmarë | Ossë | Uinen | Salmar | Sauron | Melian | Arien | Tilion | Gothmog Curumo (Saruman) | Olórin (Gandalf) | Aiwendil (Radagast) | Alatar and Pallando | Durin's Bane |
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