Eönwë
Herald of Manwe. Eonwe and Ilmare were the chiefs of the Maiar, high servants of the Valar. Eonwe was perhaps the most skilled warrior in all of Arda, for he was called "the greatest arms in Arda."
Circa 542 of the First Age, Earendil the Mariner reached the Undying Lands seeking aid from the Valar in the war against Morgoth that was going on in Middle-Earth across the Sea. Eonwe welcomed Earendil to Valinor, and he summoned all the great Powers of Arda to hear Earendil's plea for aid. Manwe eventually decided to answer the call of war and defeat Morgoth, and Enowe was sent to fight in the War of Wrath across the Sea. Eonwe led the Vanyar to war. While in Middle-Earth, Eonwe did not only win countless victories in the war, but he also began teaching the men who were faithful to the Valar, and he became instrumental in their cultural development.
By 587 of the First Age, Morgoth had been defeated and the War of Wrath was won. Eonwe took the two remaining Silmarils from Morgoth, and he took them into his own possession for safe keeping. The Silmarils were stolen by the Sons of Feanor but Eonwe did not pursue them and refused to allow them to be executed for their deeds.
After Morgoth had been banished from the world at the end of the First Age, Sauron sought to be pardoned for his own evil deeds by Eonwe. Eonwe told Sauron that he did not have the power to pardon him, and that he would have to go to the Undying Lands and go to Manwe for judgement if he wanted to be fully cleansed of his evil. Sauron refused and went into hiding in the east for many generations to come, but he would eventually emerge as a new dark lord.
Notice: In an earlier version of the legendarium, Eonwe was called Fiönwë and was the son of Manwe. The idea that the Valar would have children was abandoned in later versions of the tale.
Circa 542 of the First Age, Earendil the Mariner reached the Undying Lands seeking aid from the Valar in the war against Morgoth that was going on in Middle-Earth across the Sea. Eonwe welcomed Earendil to Valinor, and he summoned all the great Powers of Arda to hear Earendil's plea for aid. Manwe eventually decided to answer the call of war and defeat Morgoth, and Enowe was sent to fight in the War of Wrath across the Sea. Eonwe led the Vanyar to war. While in Middle-Earth, Eonwe did not only win countless victories in the war, but he also began teaching the men who were faithful to the Valar, and he became instrumental in their cultural development.
By 587 of the First Age, Morgoth had been defeated and the War of Wrath was won. Eonwe took the two remaining Silmarils from Morgoth, and he took them into his own possession for safe keeping. The Silmarils were stolen by the Sons of Feanor but Eonwe did not pursue them and refused to allow them to be executed for their deeds.
After Morgoth had been banished from the world at the end of the First Age, Sauron sought to be pardoned for his own evil deeds by Eonwe. Eonwe told Sauron that he did not have the power to pardon him, and that he would have to go to the Undying Lands and go to Manwe for judgement if he wanted to be fully cleansed of his evil. Sauron refused and went into hiding in the east for many generations to come, but he would eventually emerge as a new dark lord.
Notice: In an earlier version of the legendarium, Eonwe was called Fiönwë and was the son of Manwe. The idea that the Valar would have children was abandoned in later versions of the tale.
References
The Silmarillion: "Of the Maiar," passim; "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath;" "Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor;" "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," passim
All Pages Copyright © 2010, The Middle-Earth Encyclopedia