Telimektar

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In the index to The Book of Lost Tales Part One (BOLT1) there is mention of a Telimektar, also known as Telumehtar. He is a son of Tulkas and Nessa. What more do we know about this lost Vala?

In BOLT1, we meet young Telimektar everywhere when there is a chance for the Valar to fight Melko. So for instance in the chapter on The chaining of Melko:

And Tulkas strode mightily beside his stirrup, having a tunic of hide and a brazen belt and no weapon save a gauntlet upon his right hand, iron-bound. Telimektar his son but just war-high was by his shoulder with a long sword girt about his waist by a silver girdle. (BOLT 1, 101)

And later, after The Theft of Melko, when Melko(r) has stolen the Noldorin jewels, and has destroyed the trees with help of Ungoliont, the Valar make themselves ready for the chase. They are all there, ready for battle, and each is precisely described as to their clothing and weaponry:

Telimektar son of Tulkas is with those noble ones, and his face and weapons gleam as silver in the dark...

But later on in BOLT1, when JRRT tells of the love of the Eldar for the new constellations and stars made by Varda after the darkening of Valinor, we learn of a star called

Nielluin whom still may all men see in autumn or in winter burning nigh the foot of Telimektar son of Tulkas whose tale is yet to tell. (BOLT1, 182) .

Quite interesting is the subsequent commentary of Chr. T. referring to these parts:

Nielluin (‘Blue Bee’) is Sirius (In the Silmarillion called Helluin), and this star has a place in the legend of Telemektar son of Tulkas, though the story of his conversion into the constellation of Orion was never clearly told (cf. Telumehtar ‘Orion’ in The Lord of the rings Appendix EE, I). Nielluin was Inwë’s son Ingil, who followed Telimektar ‘in the likeness of a great bee bearing honey of flame’. (BOLT1, 200)

Maybe the story of Sirius and Orion was never to be told clearly, but it certainly has been outlined with precision, and it was meant be the very apotheosis of the Lost Tales. At the end of BOLT2, it is told that after the departure of Earendil and the safe return of the Eldar to Tol Eressëa, Melko again succeeds in stirring up dissension between Men and Elves. The Valar are not in agreement about what to do, some favouring the Elves, some favouring Men. Melko then assails Tol Eressëa itself, and the Eldar ask help from Valinor:

No help comes, but Tulkas sends privily Telimektar (Taimonto) his son.

Telimektar of the silver sword and Ingil surprise Melko and wound him, and he flees and climbs up the great pine of Tavrobel.

Telimektar and Ingil pursue him, and they remain now in the sky to ward it, and Melko stalks high above the air seeking ever to do a hurt to the Sun and Moon and stars (eclipses, meteors). He is continually frustrated, but on his first attempt ... he upset the Sun, so that Urwendi fell into the sea ....

‘Orion’ is only the image of Telimektar in the sky. Varda gave him stars, and he bears them aloft that the Gods may know he watches (...).

But now Telimektar, and Gil (>Ingil) who follows him like a Blue Bee, ward off evil, and Varda immediately replaces any stars that Melko loosens and casts down.

Although grieved at the God’s behest, the Pine is cut down; and Melko is thus now out of the world – but one day he will find a way back, and the last grief will begin before the Great End. (BOLT2, 281)

We still find a remnant of this saga in The Silmarillion, where it is Eärendil who becomes Gil-Estil, the Star of Hope, to guard the heavens.

On the name of Telimektar

At the end of BOLT1 there is quite lengthy etymological note. As it entails a host of alternate names for this lost Vala, I give an almost complete citation of it here:

Telimektar

IN QL [Quenya Lexikon, S] Telimektar is glossed ‘Orion’, literally swordsman of the heaven, and is given unde the root TELE (...), telimbo ‘canopy, sky’, . –mektar probably derives from the root MAKA, see Makar. The Gnomish [>Sindarin] form is Telumaithar.

In the Valar name list he is also called Taimondo. (...) In QL Taimondo and Taimordo, names of Telimektar, together with Taimië ‘the sky’, were entered under the root TAHA. (...) The Gnomish equivalent is Daimord (...) which meant ‘Shepherd of the Sky’, as did the original Qenya name Taimavar.

Also, in the Etymologies to The Lost Road, we find under the root TEL-, TELU-:

Telumehtar ‘warrior of the sky’, name of Orion. (The Lost Road, 391)

To sum up:

Q Telimektar S Telumaithar, N Telumehtar: swordsman of the heaven

Q Taimavar, S Daimord and N Taimondo, Taimonto, Taimordo : shepherd of the sky

(Q= Quenya, S=Sindarin, N=Noldorin adaptation of Q and S)

References

JRR Tolkien, The History of Middle Earth, Volumes 1, 2, and 5 (ed. Chr. Tolkien):
The Book of Lost Tales Part One
The Book of Lost Tales Part Two
The Lost Road and other Writings
JRR Tolkien, The Silmarillion (ed. Chr. Tolkien)
JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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