Mandos (Quenya; IPA: [ˈmandos] - "Prison-Fortress") is an Ainu, one of the Aratar and a Vala who is responsible for the judgement of the Spirits, or Fëa of all Elven dead. He also has responsibility for pronouncing the dooms and judgments of Eru Ilúvatar under Manwë. His real name is Námo (Quenya; IPA: "Ordainer" or "Judge") but was later known by the Elves as Mandos after his sacred halls Halls of Mandos, over which he presides and where ultimately the Elves go after they are slain.
Mandos was the sixth greatest of the Lords of the Valar, and fifth greatest Aratar.[1]
Biography
The Masters of Souls, by Jenny Dolfen
Mandos was the brother of Irmo (Lórien) and Nienna in the mind of Eru Ilúvatar. He and his brother Lórien are the Fëanturi, the Masters of Spirits. His wife was Vaire the Weaver.
He it was who pronounced Manwë's Doom concerning the espousals of the Eldar on YT 1172, when Finwë asked counsel for a second marriage, after the death of his wife's passing to the Halls of Mandos.[3]
When Melkor began marring Arda before the coming of the Elves, Tulkas arrived and wanted to make war swiftly. At the bidding of Manwë, Mandos pronounced the doom of the Firstborn. After the captivity of Melkor, Mandos had once again pronounced the Doom.[4] Melkor spent three Ages in the duress of Mandos thereafter,[5] guarded by his hound Gorgumoth in Lumbi.[6] Mandos judged Fëanor to leave Tirion for twelve years after Fëanor's drawing of sword against Fingolfin. After the destruction of the Two Trees, Yavanna asked for the light of the Silmarils, which Fëanor denied and he shall be slain, the first in Aman; but Mandos had spoken and revealed that Finwë was the first, having been slain at the steps of Formenos by Melkor. When the Ñoldor revolted against the Valar, Mandos appeared before them and pronounced the Doom of the Ñoldor.[7]
Only once has he been moved to pity, when Lúthien sang of the grief she and her lover Beren had experienced in Beleriand. Then, with the Elder King's approval, he released them to Middle-earth to begin their second life there as mortal beings with no certitude of life.[8]
When Eärendil arrived in Aman to beg for assistance from the Valar, Mandos considered Eärendil and Elwing's fate as Half-elven and gave them and their descendants a choice: either to be counted among Elves or Men.[9]
Character
Mandos, upon appearing before the Ñoldor, was referred to be a dark figure with a loud voice, solemn and terrible.[7]
He was described as being stern, dispassionate and never forgetting a thing. He was the Vala who cursed the Ñoldor leaving Aman, and counselled against allowing them to return (almost to the point of vindictiveness). But unlike Morgoth, his Dooms are not cruel or vindictive by his own design. They are simply the will of Eru, and he will not speak them unless he is commanded to do so by Manwë.
Etymology
His common name Mandos means "Prison-fortress". It stems from Mandost ("castle of custody") or mbando ("custody") and osto ("fortified building or place").[10]
His real name, Námo, means "Ordainer" or "Judge" in Quenya.
Other Names
The Old English translation for Mandos is Nefrea "Corpse-ruler" from neo ("corpse") and frea ("lord"). His title is Neoaerna hlaford ("Master of the houses of the dead").[11] He was also called Morimando, the "Dark Mando", as opposed to Manwë's Kalamando, the "Light Mando".[12]
In Tolkien's earlier work, Mandos was named Vefantur.[13]
Other versions of the legendarium
As Vefantur, his wife was Fui Nienna and together they were called the "Gods of Death". Their halls were located beneath the roots of the Mountains of Valinor.[14]
Translations around the World
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
|---|---|
| Amharic | ማንዶስ |
| Arabic | ماندوس |
| Armenian | Մանդոս |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Мандос |
| Bengali | মান্দস |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Мандос |
| Chinese (Hong Kong) | 曼督斯 |
| Dari | ماندوس |
| Georgian | მანდოსი |
| Greek | Μάντος |
| Gujarati | મન્દોસ |
| Hebrew | מנדוס |
| Hindi | मन्दोस |
| Hungarian | Mandost |
| Kazakh Cyrillic | Мандос |
| Korean | 만도스 |
| Kurdish | ماندۆس |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Мандос |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Мандос |
| Nepalese | मन्दोस |
| Pashto | ماندوس |
| Persian | ماندوس |
| Russian | Мандос |
| Sanskrit | मन्दोस् |
| Serbian | мандос (Cyrillic) Mandos (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | මඳොස් |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Мандос |
| Tamil | மந்தொஸ் |
| Telugu | మన్దొస |
| Tibetan | མནྡོས |
| Tigrinya | ማንዶስ |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Мандос |
| Urdu | ماندوس |
| Uyghur | ماندوس |
| Uzbek | Мандос (Cyrillic) Mandos (Latin) |
| Yiddish | מאַנדאָס |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Silmarillion, Valaquenta, "Of the Valar"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion, The First Phase, "Of the Valar"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion, The Second Phase, II: "The Earliest Version of the Story of Finwë and Míriel"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter III: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter VI: "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, VI: "The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter IX: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XIX: "Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XXIV: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring, Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 4: The Shaping of Middle-earth, III: "The Quenta", Appendix 1: Translation of Quenta Noldorinwa into Old English
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 5: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 1: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, IV: "The Chaining of Melko"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 4: The Shaping of Middle-earth, VII: "The Earliest Annals of Beleriand"