Editing Valinor (section)

=== Political ===

{{main|Valar}}

Valinor is the home of the Valar (singular Vala), spirits that often take humanoid form, sometimes called "gods" by the [[Man (Middle-earth)|Men]] of Middle-earth.<ref name="Valaquenta" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, "Valaquenta"</ref> Other residents of Valinor include the related but less powerful spirits, the [[Maia (Middle-earth)|Maiar]], and most of the Elves.<ref name="Of the Beginning of Days" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 1 "Of the Beginning of Days"</ref>

Each Vala has his or her own region of the land. The Mansions of Manwë and Varda, two of the most powerful spirits, stands upon the top of Taniquetil.<ref name="Valaquenta" group=T/> Yavanna, the Vala of Earth, Growth, and Harvest, resides in the Pastures of Yavanna in the south of the land, west of the Pelóri. Nearby are the mansions of Yavanna's spouse, Aulë the Smith.<!--<ref name="Of Aulë and Yavanna" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977|loc=ch. 2 "Of Aulë and Yavanna"}}</ref>--> Oromë, the Vala of the Hunt, lives in the Woods of Oromë to the north-east of the pastures. Nienna lives in the far west of the island. Just south of Nienna's home, and to the north of the pastures, are the Halls of Mandos<!--redirects here-->; he lives with his spouse Vairë the weaver. To the east of the Halls of Mandos is the Isle of Estë, in the lake of Lórellin<ref name="Valaquenta" group=T/> within the Gardens of Lórien.{{sfn|Fonstad|1991|pp=1–4 Aman, 6–7 Valinor}}

In east-central Valinor at the Girdle of Arda is Valmar, the capital of Valinor (also called Valimar, the City of Bells), the residence of the Valar and the Maiar in Valinor. The first house of the Elves, the [[Vanyar]], settles there as well. The mound of Ezellohar, on which stand the [[Two Trees of Valinor|Two Trees]], and Máhanaxar, the Ring of Doom, are outside Valmar.<ref name="Of the Beginning of Days" group=T/> Farther east is the Calacirya, the only easy pass through the Pelóri, a huge mountain range fencing Valinor on three sides, created to keep [[Morgoth]]'s forces out. The city of the Noldor (and for a time the Vanyar Elves also) is Tirion, built on the hill of Túna, inside the Calacirya mountain pass; it is just north of Taniquetil, facing both the Two Trees and the starlit seas.<ref name="Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië" group=T/>{{sfn|Fonstad|1991|pp=1–4 Aman, 6–7 Valinor}}

In the northern inner foothills of the Pelóri, far to the north of Valmar, is [[Fëanor]]'s city of Formenos, built after his banishment from Tirion.<ref name="Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977|loc=ch. 7 "Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor"}}</ref>