Velindo

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This content is considered pre-canon. While the subject of this article is based on official information, it was replaced or emended in later stages of the legendarium.

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Velindo
Biographical information
Other names	Gwilion, Wéland, Welund
Realms	Great Lands
Physical description
Race	Fays
Gender	Male
Culture	Aulë's folk

Velindo was a fay of Aulë's folk according to the early version of the legendarium associated with The Book of Lost Tales.

History

Velindo was a servant of the Vala Aulë, who once sent him to the Great Lands in order to fetch "some of the good, heavy red gold of the dwarves". However, he grew prideful there due to the adoration of the Dwarves and Men owing to his skills as a craftsman. Therefore, he never returned to Aulë, but rather set up on his own - and he grew famous, but as the Elves faded so did his own power and fame, yet he never became wicked.

Ages later, the mariner Eriol asked Rúmil, an Elf of Tol Eressëa, if the person of Wéland, a renowned smith in the Germanic legends, was the same as Aulë. Rúmil instead corrected him, saying rather that Wéland was actually Velindo.

Etymology

Velindo has an untold meaning in Qenya. Its equivalent in Gnomish is Gwilion. Velindo's name in Old English was Wéland or Welund.

In other versions

In another contemporary text, the Germanic smith Wéland is instead identified with the Gnome Fëanor. That text depicts an outline of a story placed during the wars of the Elves with Melko, in which Fëanor was captured by a man called Niðad, King of the Niaroth. However, Fëanor killed Niðad's sons and managed to escape by crafting artificial wings for himself; he also made love to the king's daughter Beaduhilde and fled with her, but ultimately lost her in woods. Eventually Beaduhilde, who was now pregnant, forgave Fëanor, and in spite of her father's wrath at her pregnancy, she still managed to obtain Niðad's blessing upon her son.

External links

• "Skilled Smiths and Princes of Elves: The Wayland-legend and the First Age of Middle-earth" by Lillian Hammen in the second issue of Volume 9 of the Journel of Tolkien Research