Tag: ainur

Of Aulë and Yavanna: Tolkien’s Odd Couple ‘Nonetheless they will have need of wood.’ With that brilliantly offhand one-liner, Aulë and Yavanna cemented their status in the minds of many Tolkien lovers as being Eä’s first and best odd couple.  He, a rash craftsman, master of forge and hammer, lover of stone and gem and that which is imperishable and unchanging.  She, a lover of beasts and plants, the bringer of growth and giver of sustenance, who cherishes all that sprouts and blooms and flowers, all that lives.   Given Tolkien’s interest in the themes of nature and industry, it might…