Back to Namo
Introduction
Part I: Banishment
Part II: The Curse
Introduction:
The Lord of Doom's name in Valinor is Namo, and his
place is called Mandos. He is most often called by that place name
as are many lords.
Namo is fifth of the seven Lords of the Valar, sixth
of the eight Aratar.
Mandos is Lord of Doom (as in destiny in the
Afterlife) for the true Children of Eru.
The Firstborn, the Elves, who tire of Middle Earth or who die, go to
Mandos, to the Houses
of the
Dead; from there, they may be reborn into Valinor or, in special cases,
returned to Middle-earth. The Secondborn, the Humans, stop in Mandos to
reflect on their lives before going
to
the Void to be with Eru. The adopted children of Eru, the Dwarves,
however, go to the Halls of Aule,
their
maker.
Singer of What is to Come, Mandos is also Lord of
Doom
as in destiny in Life, rarely telling what will happen, but when he
speaks, it
behooves all to listen! He often knows the future, at least in part. If
he pronounces a "curse", it becomes the doom or fate.
His younger brother is Irmo, Lord of Lorien and of
dreams, which are the "little death".
Their sister is Nienna who has
and can give the ability to feel pity. She or her gift is
sometimes referred to as "Pity"; note when Gandalf capitalizes this
word.
Namo's wife is Vaire who shows
the future in the tapestries she weaves and hangs in their Hall.
The Doom of Mandos, also known as the Curse of Mandos and the Curse of the Noldor, is a specific reference to his judgement over Feanor and his followers. Part 1 is found in the Silmarillion, "Of the Silmarils". Part 2 is in "Of the Flight of the Noldor".
Melkor was at the root sowing bitterness that
lived long afterwards between the sons of Fingolfin and Feanor, but the
Noldor had become proud. Feanor openly did the deeds Melkor
desired, although he hated Melkor and did the deeds for himself. Feanor
broke the peace of Valinor claiming the elves were
slaves of the Valar and drew sword against his kinsman,
Fingolfin, and later was responsible for the heinous Kinslaying.
Part I: Banishment.
Before the
gates of
Valmar in the Ring of Doom, Mandos said, "Thou speakest of thraldom. If
thraldom
it be, thou canst not escape it; for Manwe is King of Arda, and not of
Aman
only. And this deed was unlawful, whether in Aman or not in Aman.
Therefore
this doom is now made: for twelve years thou shalt leave Tirion where
this
threat was uttered. In that time take counsel with thyself, and
remember
who and what thou art. But after that time this matter shall be set in
peace
and held redressed, if others will release thee."
Fingolfin, immediately released his half-brother,
Feanor, but Feanor, feeling humiliated, spoke no word and went into
banishment with his seven sons, joined by Finwe the King who cared
deeply for his son Feanor. Finwe declared himself unkinged during this
time. Fingolfin then became
ruler of the Noldor in Tirion. Later, Fingolfin tried to reconcile with
Feanor, saying "Thou shalt lead and I will follow. May no new grief
divide
us." This trapped Fingolfin's line into Feanor's fate.
Melkor showed his desire for Feanor's Silmarils and
lost his direct hold over Feanor. Melkor and Ungoliant destroyed the
Light
of Valinor: the Trees of Yavanna and the Wells of Varda, leaving only
the
light which had been put into the Silmarils, so that all was in
darkness.
Feanor refused to part with the Silmarils which were the greatest work
of
his hands, when the Valar asked that they be opened to return the
light.
The Valar accepted this, and while Feanor was speaking with the Valar,
Melkor
killed Finwe and stole the Silmarils.
Feanor chased after Melkor, taking with him most of
the Noldor, claiming that the rest of the Valar were as bad acting as
slave
masters. He swore a terrible oath by Iluvatar, calling on Manwe, Varda,
and the hallowed mountain of Taniquetil to witness it, saying that he
would
pursue any, even a Vala, who should hold or take or keep a Silmaril
from
his possession. His sons swore the same oath with him. He inflamed many
of the Noldor with the desire to see new things and places, so that
they
followed him for that. Galadriel was one of these, and also desired a
realm
of her own.
As Feanor led away the Noldor, the Valar sent a
messenger, Eonwe the Herald, who spoke the words of Manwe. He warned
Feanor that the quest was folly leading to evil Feanor could not
foresee. The Valar would neither aid nor hinder the quest. But Feanor
himself was banished. Feanor laughed and said he would at least do hurt
to Melkor and the march continued.
Feanor insisted the Teleri elves give him their swan
ships to cross the ocean after Melkor, ships as precious to them as the
Silmarils to him, and took them by force, and led the killing of a
great many of the less well
armed, mostly unarmored or lighter-armored, Teleri. This is referred to
as the Kinslaying. Osse was not allowed to help the Teleri, but when
his
wife Uinen wept for the mariners, his great sea rose in wrath killing
many Noldor.
Part 2: Prophecy of the North, Doom of the Noldor, Curse of Mandos. At the northern border, a dark figure stood high upon a rock on the shore, and they heard a great voice. All fell silent to hear, and it is believed the figure was Mandos himself. And the great one said:
"Tears unnumbered ye shall shed; and the Valar
will fence Valinor against you, and shut you out, so that not even the
echo of your lamentation shall pass over the mountains. On the House of
Feanor the wrath of the Valar lieth from theWest unto the uttermost
East, and upon
all that will follow them it shall be laid also. Their Oath shall drive
them, and yet betray them,and ever snatch away the very treasures that
they
have sworn to pursue. To evil end shall all things turn that they begin
well; and by treason of kin unto kin, and the fear of treason, shall
this
come to pass. The Dispossessed shall they be for ever.
"Ye have spilled the blood of your kindred
unrighteously and have stained the land of Aman. For blood ye shall
render blood, and beyond
Aman ye shall dwell in Death's shadow. For though Eru appointed to you
to
die not in Ea, and no sickness may assail you, yet slain ye may be, and
slain
ye shall be: by weapon and by torment and by grief; and your houseless
spirits
shall come then to Mandos. There long shall ye abide and yearn for your
bodies,
and find little pity though all whom ye have slain should entreat for
you.
And those that endure in Middle-earth and come not to Mandos shall grow
weary
of the world as with a great burden, and shall wane, and become as
shadows
of regret before the younger race that cometh after. The Valar have
spoken."
At this, Finarfin forsook the march and returned to Valinor, taking
many of his people with him, and he became king of the remnant of the
Noldor. But his sons continued on with Feanor for they would not
forsake the sons of Fingolfin, who had sworn to follow Feanor. Many
others continued with Feanor, many fearing the Doom of the Valar for
what the Noldor had done to the
Teleri; for those not with Feanor but in back had also killed Teleri,
thinking they had waylaid Feanor, and felt the guilt of the Kinslaying.