Oh, he is. The Maiar are “lesser Ainur” in Tolkien’s cosmology. They’re “of the same order as the Valar but of less degree.” “Ainur” is kind of an umbrella term, the way “angel” is in Christianity.
Melkor, now known as Morgoth after being cast out, was once a Valar, but his cruelty and evil make him the foe of all of Arda. Mairon, a Maiar of Aulë, actually started down his own path of evil as a lieutenant of Morgoth, becoming Sauron.
And here I thought he was Maiar.
Oh, he is. The Maiar are “lesser Ainur” in Tolkien’s cosmology. They’re “of the same order as the Valar but of less degree.” “Ainur” is kind of an umbrella term, the way “angel” is in Christianity.
Melkor, now known as Morgoth after being cast out, was once a Valar, but his cruelty and evil make him the foe of all of Arda. Mairon, a Maiar of Aulë, actually started down his own path of evil as a lieutenant of Morgoth, becoming Sauron.
Sleepy yet?
No, and I already knew all of this. Spend some time in jail with the Silmarillion, and you’ll know all the names. 🤣
Lol! Yeah, I can imagine. But for me, I didn’t need the boredom of jail to read the Silmarillion.