Tolkien Gateway


(Redirected from Wilya)
Vilya as conceived by The Noble Collection

Vilya (Q, pron. [ˈviʎa]) or Wilya (pre-SA and Vanyarin, [ˈwiʎa]), as a proper noun, was one of the Rings of Power made by the Elves of Eregion. Vilya, Nenya, and Narya were the Three Rings of the Elves, more powerful than the rings given to Dwarves or Men. Like the other Elven Rings, Vilya was jeweled: it contained a great blue stone set in a gold band, which contributed to its titles as the Ring of Sapphire and the Blue Ring. A lesser-used title of Vilya was the Ring of Air, signifying its pre-eminence even over the other Rings of the Elves; it was generally considered that Vilya was the mightiest of these three bands.[1]

[edit] History

By S.A. 1590,[2] Celebrimbor, the lord of Eregion, had forged all Three Rings independently of Annatar, a guise of the Dark Lord Sauron. As a result, none of the Three were stained by his evil. However, like all the Rings of the Elves, Vilya was still under Sauron's influence when he wielded The One Ring, which held dominion over all the others.

When Sauron made his Ring, Celebrimbor became aware of his designs and in gave the Three Rings to Elven guardians,[2] with Vilya sent to Gil-galad in Lindon. Sauron waged war against the Elves in Eriador but was eventually defeated. Afterwards, Gil-Galad gave Vilya to Elrond,[3] who bore it through the later years of the Second Age and all of the Third.

Upon Sauron's destruction in T.A. 3019[4], the power of Vilya faded and it went over the sea along with Elrond at the end of the Third Age.[1]

[edit] Quenya Noun

vilya, when not referring to the Ring of Air, is a noun meaning "air" or "sky" in Quenya.[5]

[edit] Tengwa

Vilya is also the name in Quenya of the twenty-fourth letter of the Tengwar alphabet.[5] It is the fourth letter of the sixth grade or Tyellë, which contains "semi-vocalic" consonants and it is the sixth letter in the fourth series of consonants.[6] In early written Quenya this letter represented W when the letter was called Wilya. Over time this letter ceased to have a clear function. However, in the Mode of Beleriand (as seen in the West-gate of Moria inscription) Vilya is used for a following W in the diphthong iw.[7] The Westron name for this letter is 'Á.[8]

[edit] Etymology

The word derives from the Primitive Quendian root WIL.[9]

[edit] See Also

 Rings of Power 
The One Ring
Three Rings
(Narya · Nenya · Vilya)
Seven Rings
(Ring of Thrór)
Nine Rings

[edit] References

  5. 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E, "Writing", "The Fëanorian Letters", Note, The names of the letters
  8. See Westron Tengwar.