|Other names||Herald of Manwë, Chief of the Maiar|
|Gallery||Images of Eönwë|
Eönwë (Q, pron. [eˈonwe]) was the banner-bearer and the herald of Manwë, and Chief of the Maiar along with Ilmarë. Eönwë was referred to as the "greatest of arms in Arda", meaning that he was the best with weapons, though not necessarily the most powerful.
When Eärendil reached the shores of Aman, it was Eönwë who first greeted him and summoned him to come before the Powers of Arda. When Manwë decided to heed the appeal, Eönwë was sent to Middle-earth to fight the War of Wrath, leading the Vanyar.
When Morgoth was defeated Eönwë played a key role in the aftermath. First, he took the two remaining Silmarils and held them for safekeeping. But when the two remaining Sons of Fëanor stole them and fled, Eönwë did not allow them to be slain. Second, Eönwë came among the three faithful houses of Men and taught them many things. Third, Sauron did obeisance to Eönwë and abjured all of his evil deeds. But because Eönwë had not the power to pardon Sauron, he commanded him to to return to Aman to receive Manwë's judgement. Unwilling to receive humiliation and sentencing, when Eönwë left Sauron hid in Middle-earth and fell back into evil.
Other versions of the legendarium
In earlier conceptions of the legendarium (see: The History of Middle-earth), Eönwë, then called Fiönwë, was envisioned as the son of Manwë, but as the concept of the Children of the Valar disappeared from the Silmarillion tradition he was turned into Manwë's herald instead. In some versions Eönwë is the one who will kill Morgoth for his love for Arien (previously named Urwendi), instead of Turin. This is said at the end of The Hiding of Valinor.
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta: Of the Maiar"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
|Valar||Lords|| Manwë · Ulmo · Aulë · Oromë · Mandos · Irmo · Tulkas · |
|Queens||Varda · Yavanna · Nienna · Estë · Vairë · Vána · Nessa|
|Maiar||Aiwendil · Arien · Blue Wizards · Curumo · Eönwë · Ilmarë · Mairon · Melian · Olórin · Ossë · Salmar · Tilion · Uinen|
|Wizards||Saruman · Gandalf · Radagast · Blue Wizards|
|Evil||Sauron · Balrogs (Gothmog · Durin's Bane)|
|Music · Valarin · Almaren · Valinor · Valmar · Second Music • italics indicates Aratar|