Vala

power, god, angelic power

Vala (1) noun "Power, God, angelic power", pl. Valar or Vali (BAL, Appendix E, LT2:348), described as "angelic governors" or "angelic guardians" (Letters:354, 407). The Valar are a group of immensely powerful spirits guarding the world on behalf of its Creator; they are sometimes called Gods (as when Valacirca, q.v., is translated "Sickle of the Gods"), but this is strictly wrong according to Christian terminology: the Valar were created beings. The noun vala is also the name of tengwa #22 (Appendix E). Genitive plural Valion "of the Valar" (FS, MR:18); this form shows the pl. Vali, (irregular) alternative to Valar (the straightforward gen. pl. Valaron is also attested, PE17:175). Pl. allative valannar *"to/on the Valar" (LR:47, 56; SD:246). Feminine form Valië (Silm), in Tolkiens earlier material also Valdë; his early writings also list Valon or Valmo (q.v.) as specifically masc. forms. The gender-specific forms are not obligatory; thus in PE17:22 Varda is called a Vala (not a Valië), likewise Yavanna in PE17:93. Vala is properly or originally a verb "has power" (sc. over the matter of Eä, the universe), also used as a noun "a Power" _(WJ:403). The verb vala- "rule, order", exclusively used with reference to the Valar, is only attested in the sentences á vala Manwë! "may Manwë order it!" and Valar valuvar "the will of the Valar will be done" (WJ:404). However, Tolkien did not originally intend the word Valar to signify "powers"; in his early conception it apparently meant "the happy ones", cf. valto, vald- (LT2:348)_. For various compounds including the word Vala(r), see below.

valassë

divinity

valassë noun "divinity" (or rather *"valahood"; the word should probably not be used with reference to the divinity of Eru). (BAL)

balan

noun. Vala, divine power, divinity

rodon

noun. Vala, divinity

tûr

power

tûr (i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (victory, mastery, control; master, victor, lord), pl. tuir (i thuir), coll. pl. túrath.

tûr

power

(i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (victory, mastery, control; master, victor, lord), pl. t**uir (i th**uir), coll. pl. túrath.

bâl

divine power

construct bal, pl. bail (divinity). Note: the word can also be used as an adj. "divine".

bâl

divinity

bâl (i vâl, construct bal), pl. bail (divine power). Note: the word can also be used as an adj. "divine".

bâl

divinity

(i vâl, construct bal),  pl. bail (divine power). Note: the word can also be used as an adj. "divine".

naegos

noun. anguish

Elements

Word	Gloss
naeg	“pain”

bal

root. power; powerful, mighty; have power

The root √BAL had to do with “power”, and in particular divine power. Its best known derivatives are Vala and Valië, the greatest of the Ainur and divine rulers of Arda. In Tolkien’s earliest writings, he describe the Valar as gods, but later he treated them more like “archangels” under the divine patronage of the one god Eru.

The earliest forms of this root were VALA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/99) and GWAL in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/44), so very likely the true early form of this root was ✱ᴱ√WALA. The Quenya form of this root VALA was unglossed, but the Gnomish form GWAL had the glosses “fortune, happiness”. At this early stage the root had additional derivatives like ᴱQ. valin “happy” and G. gwaltha “fortunate, happy” (QL/99; GL/44).

By the time of The Etymologies of the 1930s, these “happy” derivatives had fallen away, and the new form of this root was ᴹ√BAL with new Noldorin forms like N. Balan “Power, God” (Ety/BAL). The root √BAL reappeared in the 1950s and 60s with various glosses like “powerful, mighty” or “have power” (PE17/48, 154). One relatively late development was the transfer of the word S. Balrog “mighty demon” to this root (PE17/48; S/31); in earlier conceptions this word was tied to “torture” roots like ᴹ√ÑGWAL “torment” or ᴱ√MBALA “hurt, pain” (Ety/ÑGWAL; QL/63).

Derivatives

• Q. Vala “(Angelic) Power, ‘God’, Authority, (Angelic) Power, Authority, God” ✧ PE17/048; PE17/048; SA/val
• Q. vala- “to have [divine] power”
• ᴺQ. valatë “pride”
• ᴺQ. válë “divine power/authority”
• Q. Valië “Female Vala”
• ᴺQ. valma “[divinely or righteously] powerful”
• ᴺQ. valmë “authority”
• S. bal- “*to have power”
• ᴺS. balaen “divine”
• ᴺS. bâl “divine”
• S. Balan “Vala, Vala, [N.] Power, God” ✧ PE17/048; SA/val
• ᴺS. balas “divinity, divine power”
• ᴺS. bâl “divinity, divine power”
• ᴺS. blaud “pride”

Element in

• ᴺ✶. BALAD “worth, value”
• Q. ilúvala “omnipotent”
• Q. ontavalië “puberty, *(lit.) able to beget”
• Q. Valarauko “Demon of Might” ✧ PE17/048; PE17/048
• S. Balrog “Demon of Might” ✧ PE17/048; PE17/048; SA/val
• S. Belthil “Divine Radiance”

Variations

• bal- ✧ SA/val

¤kurwē

noun. power, ability

balan

noun. Vala, divine power, divinity