Arien

Arien was a Maia and the Guardian of the Sun. She was the second greatest in power of the Maiar.
== Biography ==
Arien was a Maia-maiden, who first served Vána the "Ever-young" before she was charged to sail the vessel of the Sun. Arien was originally a spirit of fire whom Melkor was unable to deceive, or draw to his service. Her eyes were said to be too bright for even the Eldar to look upon. In the Years of the Trees, Arien tended to the golden flower gardens of Vána, watering the flowers with bright dews collected from the great, golden tree Laurelin. Later, the Valar chose Arien to carry the new vessel of the Sun because she was the only one who could courageously bear the heats of Laurelin, and was unhurt by it., Vol.V: , chapter VI: "Quenta Silmarillion", vi. "Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor" While in Valinor, Arien took a physical form similar to that of the Valar; but when she left Valinor, she forsook her raiment and became a "naked flame of fire, terrible in the fullness of her splendour"., Quenta Silmarillion, Chap. 11: "Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"
Later on, when the great Two Trees of Valinor were destroyed by Morgoth  and Ungoliant, the golden tree Laurelin managed to produce one last golden fruit before it died away. Subsequently Aulë, the "Greatest Craftsman of Arda", then created a vessel to hold the last golden fruit of Laurelin. However, the Maia Tilion, chosen to steer the vessel of the Moon, had traversed seven times before the vessel of the Sun was ready. So after the vessel for the Sun, named Anar the Fire-golden was ready at last, Arien carried it up into the Heavens, giving light to the World. Hence, Anar rose in glory and the first dawn of the Sun was like a great fire glowing upon the towers of the Pelóri mountains in Aman. And the clouds of Middle-earth were kindled, and many waterfalls were heard. At this, Morgoth was dismayed, and he descended to the lowest pits of Angband, withdrawing his servants as well. Thence, Morgoth sent forth great reeks and darkness of clouds to hide his own land from the new light of the Sun. Morgoth feared Arien greatly, and dared not come close to her. It was said that Arien easily burned away the dark powers, but Tilion was waylaid and hard-pressed to hold his own, but still managed to pull through.
It has been told that Arien was more powerful than Tilion, who was drawn to Arien and occasionally followed her through the night sky but when catching up to her, the Island of the Moon became burned and blackened by Arien's heat when in close proximity to her. Moreover, the Valar stored the great radiance of the Sun in many vessels, vats, and pools to use for their comfort in times of darkness. As Arien was the "Guardian of the Sun", she was one of the most loved of the Maiar by mortal Men, as her first journey across the sky was the signal of the Awakening of Men.
== Etymology==
Arien is a name that means "Maiden of Sunlight" in Quenya, from áirë ("sunlight") and -ien, a feminine ending., Appendix: "Elements in Quenya and Sindarin names"
Urien and Urwendi were earlier names for Arien, which both meant "Maiden of Fire"., Vol.I: , Appendix: "Names in the Lost Tales – Part I"
== In other versions ==
In very early writings, Morgoth wanted to claim Arien as a wife, and ravished her. She then abandoned her body and "died", leaving the Sun to travel through the skies uncontrollably and burning parts of Arda., Vol.I: , chapter IX: "The Hiding of Valinor"
It was also stated that Urwendi, later named Arien, fell into the Sea and met her "death". Fionwë, later called Eönwë, a son of Manwë, defeats and kills Melkor, driven by his love for Urwendi.
It is told in another text that Arien and her maidens, before the rising of the Sun, entered into Faskala-númen, a bath of flame that would make one pure., Vol.I: , chapter VIII: "Of the Sun and Moon"
== See also ==
* Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor
* Sun
* The Tale of the Sun and Moon
* Tilion / Moon
== Translations ==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Amharic 	ዓሪአን
Arabic 	آريين
Armenian 	Արիեն
Belarusian Cyrillic	Аріен
Bengali 	আরিয়েন
Bulgarian Cyrillic 	Ариен
Cambodian 	អារីន
Chinese 	雅瑞恩
Georgian 	არიენი
Greek 	Αριεν
Gujarati 	એરિન
Hebrew 	אריין
Hindi 	आरिएन
Japanese 	アリアン
Kannada 	ಆರಿನ
Kazakh 	Аріен (Cyrillic) Arien (Latin)
Korean 	아리안
Kyrgyz Cyrillic 	Ариэң
Macedonian Cyrillic	Ариен
Marathi 	एरिन
Mongolian Cyrillic 	Ариэн
Nepalese 	आरिएन
Persian 	آرين
Polish 	Ariena
Punjabi 	ਅਰੀਏਨ
Russian 	Ариэн
Sanskrit 	आरिएन्
Serbian 	Аријена (Cyrillic) Arijena (Latin)
Sindhi 	آرين
Sinhalese 	ඇරීන්
Tajik Cyrillic 	Ариен
Tamil 	அறியேன்
Telugu 	అఱియేన్
Thai 	าริเน ?
Ukrainian Cyrillic 	Арієн
Urdu 	آرین
Uzbek 	Ариен (Cyrillic) Arien (Latin)
Yiddish 	ײַריענ
== References ==
Category:Quenya names & words
Category:Maiar
Category:The Silmarillion characters
Category:Characters in The History of Middle-earth
ca:Arien
de:Arien
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fr:Arien
it:Arien
pl:Ariena
ru:Ариэн
sk:Arien
uk:Арієн