Yavanna

Yavanna (Quenya; IPA: - "Giver of Fruits") was of the Ainur and Valar, and one of the Aratar who was responsible for the growth of all the fruits and growing things of Arda. She was also called Kementári (Quenya; IPA: "Queen of the Earth"), Ivon (Sindarin; IPA: "Giver of Fruits"). She resided in the Pastures of Yavanna, in the south of Valinor.The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "Valinor"
She was the wife of Aulë, older sister of Vána.The Silmarillion, Valaquenta, "Of the Valar"
== Biography ==
In the Music of the Ainur, Yavanna sang of branches of great trees that would receive the rain of Manwë and Ulmo, and some trees sang to Ilúvatar. This is said to be the conception of the Shepherds of the Trees. Her thought also met with Manwë's, setting the arrival of the Great Eagles.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter II: "Of Aulë and Yavanna"
Beginning in the Days before days during the Spring of Arda, she planted and caused to grow the first growing things of the world Olvar (trees and plants), which she had long prepared. At first, just as every other thing in the world that the Valar nurtured and cared for, these things prospered and thrived for a time. Melkor, however, had his own plans and they involved taking the world from his brethren and ruling it for himself. From his great fortress of Utumno in the far north, he sent forth his poisons into the veins of the world blighting the Spring of Arda. Then the things of Yavanna fell sick and rotted and soon after Melkor assaulted and destroyed the Two Lamps, breaking the world.
After the destruction of the Two Lamps the Valar withdrew to Aman and created Valinor. Upon the green mound of Ezellohar, Yavanna sat and sang while the other Valar sat and listened. Her song, with the aid of the tears of Nienna brought forth the Two Trees of Valinor, her greatest creation, which gave light to the land. Middle-earth was left in darkness and Yavanna put a sleep upon all the plant and animal life. However, Yavanna did not forsake the Outer Lands; at times she would come there and heal the hurts of Morgoth and urged the other Valar to wage war on him before the Awakening of the Elves.
After Eru allowed Aulë's creations, the Dwarves, to survive, Yavanna feared that they would cut down all the trees in Middle-earth. Aulë, in reply, told her that even Elves and Men, the true Children of Ilúvatar would have need of her trees as well. Yavanna lamented to Manwë, questioning whether anything she had made would be free from the dominion of others. Manwë brought her concerns before Ilúvatar in prayer, and Eru did indeed have pity upon Yavanna: He answered her plea by creating the Ents to protect the trees.
When the Elves built Tirion, Yavanna fashioned the tree Galathilion, a lesser image of Telperion, for the court beneath the Mindon Eldaliéva.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter V: "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
After the destruction of the Two Trees Yavanna examined their remains and told the other Valar that if she could use the light of the Silmarils she could heal them. This light she was denied by the will of Fëanor.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter VIII: "Of the Darkening of Valinor" Doing what she and Nienna could, they managed to bring forth one silver flower from Telperion and one golden fruit from Laurelin. She gave these to her husband Aulë, who fashioned vessels for them and thus created the Moon and the Sun to give light to all of Arda.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XI: "Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"
For the Men who had stood with the Valar in the War of Wrath the land of Andor was raised by Ossë, established by Aulë, and enriched by Yavanna. When the Edain came to this island they created the realm of Númenor.The Silmarillion, Akallabêth (The Downfall of Númenor) In the later centuries, when the Valar decided to send emissaries to the mortal lands, Yavanna begged the Maia Curumo to take her servant, Aiwendil, with him.Unfinished Tales, Introduction, Part Four, II: "The Istari"
== Etymology ==
In Quenya, Yavanna means "Giver of Fruits", from yáve ("fruit")The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies" and anna ("gift").The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E: Writing and Spelling, II: Writing Kementári, her epithet, means "Queen of the Earth", from kemen ("the Earth")The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: ./Morgoth's Ring, Myths Transformed and tari ("Queen").The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I
Her name in Sindarin is Ivon, meaning "Giver of Fruits". It is only attested in the compound Ivonwin ("Maidens of Yavanna").The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, XV: "Of Lembas" The month Ivanneth may have been named after Yavanna.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, chapter IV: "The Calendars"
=== Earlier names ===
Palúrien was an earlier name for Yavanna. It means "Lady of the Wide Earth."The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Two: "Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings"
== Maiar of Yavanna ==
* Aiwendil (Radagast), who was sent as one of the Istari to help the Free People of Middle-earth against Sauron. However, he at least failed his mission, preferring to protect the flora and fauna of Middle-earth.
* Melian is said to be kin to Yavanna,The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter IV: "Of Thingol and Melian" but wasn't considered a maiden of the "Queen of the Earth". She served instead both Vána, the sister of Yavanna, and Estë.
== Other versions ==
In other versions of the legendarium, Aulë and Yavanna were the parents of Oromë and NessaThe History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, III. "The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor" and Lëa-vinya and Gwendeling were Maia of Yavanna.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman" Furthermore, instead of Yavanna, in a few other versions, it was her sister Vána that made Laurelin bear its last fruit.
== Trivia ==
*She is ranked fourth among the Aratar (eight most powerful of the Valar) and second among the Valier (ladies of the Valar).
* Yavanna shares similarities with the classical goddesses: Demeter, associated with crop growth and fertility, and Gaia, also known as "Mother Earth".
==Translations==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Amharic 	ያቫና
Arabic 	يافانا
Armenian 	Յավաննա
Assamese 	যৱন্ন
Belarusian Cyrillic	Ыаванна
Bengali 	যভান্না
Bulgarian Cyrillic 	Явана (Yavanna)
Явана Кементари (Yavanna Kementari)
Chinese 	雅凡娜
Georgian 	იავანა (Yavanna)
იავანა კემენტარი (Yavanna Kementari)
Greek 	Γιαβάννα
Gujarati 	યવન્ના
Hebrew 	יבנה (Yavanna)
יבנה קימנטארי (Yavanna Kementari)
Hindi 	यवन्ना
Japanese 	ヤヴァンナ (Yavanna)
ヤヴァンナ・ケメンターリ (Yavanna Kementári)
Kannada 	ಯಾವಣ್ಣಾ
Kazakh 	Яаванна (Cyrillic) Javanna (Latin)
Korean 	야반나 (Yavanna)
야반나 케멘타리 (Yavanna Kementari)
Kyrgyz Cyrillic 	Яванна
Laotian 	ຢະvະນນະ
Macedonian Cyrillic	Yаванна
Malayalam 	യവണ്ണ
Marathi 	यवन्ना
Mongolian Cyrillic 	Ыаванна
Nepalese 	यावन्ना
Pashto 	یاواڼا
Persian 	یاوانا (Yavanna)
یاوانا کمنتاری (Yavanna Kementári)
Punjabi 	ਯਾਵਾਨਾ
Russian 	Йаванна (Yavanna)
Йаванна Кемента́ри (Yavanna Kementári)
Sanskrit 	यवन्न
Serbian 	Јавана (Cyrillic) Javana (Latin)
Sinhalese 	යවන්න
Tajik Cyrillic 	Yаванна
Tamil 	யாவன்னா
Telugu 	యవన్నా
Thai 	ญะฤะนนะ
Ukrainian Cyrillic 	Яванна (Yavanna)
Яванна Кементарі (Yavanna Kementari)
Urdu 	یاوانن
Uzbek 	Яванна (Cyrillic) Yavanna (Latin)
Yiddish 	יאַוואַננאַ
==References==
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Category:Quenya names & words
Category:Valar
Category:Aratar
Category:The Silmarillion characters
Category:Characters in The History of Middle-earth
Category:Ainur