Uinen

Uinen, The Lady of the Sea
Uinen
Biographical information
Other names	The Lady of the Sea
Birth	Before the creation of Arda
Death	Immortal
Spouse	Ossë
Physical description
Gender	Female
Culture	Maiar

Uinen (Quenya; IPA: [ˈuɪnen] - "No Water") was a Maia spirit known as The Lady of the Sea and the wife of the maia Ossë, and she was also a patron to all mariners.

Biography

Before the Sun and the Moon

Uinen loves all creatures that lived in the saltwater streams of the world and the weeds that grow in them. Her love calms the violent tidal waves and storms created by Ossë her spouse by keeping him in line and not going too far. Her hair spreads throughout waters and lies on their surfaces. During the early days Arda, In the beginning, Ossë rebelled against his Lord the Vala Ulmo and served Melkor instead, being carried away by the false promises that Melkor gave to him. From then on, for a while, there rose great tumults in the sea that wrought great ruins to the lands. At that point, and also because of the prayers of the Vala Aulë, Uinen helped bring Ossë back to the allegiance of Ulmo by restraining Ossë and bringing him before their lord Ulmo. Following that, Uinen's spouse was pardoned and gave his allegiance back to the Valar remaining thereafter faithful then ever to them. To the Maiar Uinen and Ossë, Ulmo their lord gave them the task of the governing of the waves and the movements of the Inner Seas. Plus ever afterwards, Uinen was the one who restrained her Spouse's violence in the seas and on the coasts.

Later on, the Teleri remained long on the coast of the western seas, awaiting still for Ulmo to take them to Aman. Likewise, Uinen and her spouse Ossë came among the Teleri at the coasts and befriended them. In addition, the Teleri had much love for Uinen and her spouse, for Uinen and Ossë continued being friends with the Teleri who then dwelt at the great river Sirion of Beleriand. Ultimately, the Teleri with their King Olwë at last reached Aman where they built their dwellings as a city named 'Alqualondë' on the shores of Eldamar in Aman. After that, the Teleri dwelt there for many many years. However, sooner or later, there came to the Teleri's Haven at Alqualondë the exiled Noldor leaving for Middle-earth. Further, Fëanor who was the eldest son of King Finwë of the Noldor had tried to persuade the Teleri and their King Olwë to join with the Noldor as well. In spite of that, Fëanor was unsuccessful in doing so which then led to the 'Kinslaying at Alqualondë' in Aman itself. For Fëanor and his host attacked the Teleri and forcefully stole their white ships. Consequently, King Olwë called upon Uinen's spouse but he came not for it was not permitted by the Valar to hinder by force. Notwithstanding though, Uinen wept for the many Telerin mariners who had been wickedly slain. What's more, the sea rose in great wrath against the Noldorin slayers in that so many of the Telerin ships were wrecked and those of the Noldor in them were drowned.

While the 'Hiding of Valinor' took place, Uinen's spouse Ossë raised the enchanted Isles. Next, Uinen then enchanted those who ever managed to reach there by weaving them in her hair before the Vala Irmo (Lórien) put them to age-long sleep.

Second Age

During the Second Age, the mariners of Númenór would cry to Uinen for help, because she was capable of calming her spouse Ossë, And the Númenóreans lived under her protection while their respect for the Valar endured. Therefore, the Númenóreans held the maia Uinen in reverence as equal to the Valar.

Other versions of the legendarium

It was part of Númenórean legend that Uinen had the Isle of Tol Uinen placed in the Bay of Rómenna as a gift to the people of Númenór.

In the original story of the Sun and the Moon, it was Uinen herself who wove the sails for the ship of the Moon. Uinen had made them as white mists and foam, and some were spread like glittering scales of silver fish while others were threaded with tiny stars looking like points of light.

Translations around the World

Foreign Language	Translated name
Amharic	ዑኢነን
Arabic	وينين ?
Armenian	ՈՒինեն
Belarusian	Уінен
Bengali	ঊইনেন
Bulgarian	Уинен
Chinese	烏妮
Dari	وینهن
Georgian	უინენი
Greek	Υινεν ?
Gujarati	ઊઇનેન
Hebrew	וינין ?
Hindi	ऊइनेन
Japanese	ウイネン
Kazakh	Ұінен
Kurdish	وینه‌ن ?
Kyrgyz	Уинэн
Lao	uນເນ ?
Macedonian	Уинен
Mongolian	Уинен
Nepali	ऊइनेन
Pashto	وینېن
Persian	وینهن ?
Polish	Uinena
Russian	Уинен
Sanskrit	ऊइनेन्
Serbian	Уинен (Cyrillic) Uinen (Latinised)
Sinhala	ඌඉනෙන්
Tajik	Уинен
Tamil	ஊஇநெந்
Telugu	ఊఇనెన
Tigrinya	ዑኢነን
Ukrainian	Уінен
Urdu	وینےن ?
Uyghur	ۇىنەن
Uzbek	Уинен (Cyrillic) Uinen (Latinised)
Yiddish	וינען ?

External link

• Uinen at Tolkien Gateway