Manwë
| House / Order | |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Vala (Ainu) |
| Status | Eternal |
| Origin | Valinor (Taniquetil) |
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Weapon | |
| Fate | Highest of the Valar, vice-regent of Eru in Arda |
| Portrayed by |
Manwë was the chief of the Valar, the King of Arda, and the highest authority in the world under Eru Ilúvatar. Closest to the mind of Eru of all the Ainur, he ruled the realm of the Valar and was the great adversary of Morgoth (Melkor), who had been his brother in the thought of Ilúvatar.
Domain
Manwë's lordship was over the airs and winds of the world, the clouds and the regions of the sky. The eagles were his servants, bringing him tidings from all the lands of Arda. He dwelt with his spouse Varda, the Lady of the Stars (called Elbereth by the Elves), upon the heights of Taniquetil, the highest mountain in Valinor, from whose summit he could see farther than any other being.
Rule
As King of Arda, Manwë held authority over the other Valar and governed the world on behalf of Eru. He was noble, untainted by evil, and slow to perceive deceit, for his own heart held no malice. This purity at times left him unprepared for the cunning of Morgoth, whom he was reluctant to believe wholly corrupt.
Role in history
Manwë presided over the great councils of the Valar. It was he who summoned the Elves to Valinor, and who, after the rebellion of Fëanor and the Noldor, pronounced the conditions of their long sojourn in Middle-earth. At the end of the First Age it was the will of the Valar, under Manwë, that sent the host of the West against Morgoth in the War of Wrath. At the Downfall of Númenor, when the Valar laid down their guardianship, Manwë called upon Eru, who alone broke and remade the world.