The Valar  

 

Irmö 

Symbol: Eye of Truth 

Color (s): Silver 

Theme: Dreams, Visions and Seeing

Holy Time of Reverence: October

Title: The Dreamer, the Keeper of Sight

Association: Brother to Mandos and Nienna, Husband to Estë

It was Irmö that brought the Dream Plane to Elves so that they may see and speak to the Valar directly. For such, He is honored by all Elves, regardless of their culture or race. Called the Dreamer, He reigns over the state of slumber, using it to teach all creatures the lessons they otherwise have no opportunity to learn. Yet Irmö is a subtle teacher, always striving to have His wisdom need be sought after and thought about. Because His teachings require much thought and analysis, He is said to help the worthy train their intelligence and acquire Wisdom. A patron to the Elven Lore Keepers, Irmö is sought after when path to knowledge and inspiration is unclear. 

As the Keeper of Sight, Irmö is respected by Elves who have the power to see or perceive that which others do not. Fortune tellers, for example, are said to be blessed by Him, for He bestowed the gift of Sight upon them. It is important to note, however, that very few obtain Irmö's graces when it comes to seeing. The responsibility that comes with such gift is too great for most creatures, and terrible matters would ensue should such power fall into wrong hands. Thus, Irmö has no forgiveness for creatures that attempt to force His gift unto them. He is known to blind those foolish enough to force seeing. Many with His gifts will agree that at times it seems more a curse than a gift. Irmö is sympathetic to their cause, allowing them protection from physical harm and emotional anguish in return for their services in sharing what they have seen.

Irmö's blessings come solely in the form of visions. He deals with the ethereal and immaterial, thus he will never give an object or bless an object for an Elf who needs it. Instead, He will bless them with a vision of how to acquire that which they need. Elves are very careful when asking Irmö for visions, for they never know when His vision will strike. Unlike other Valar, Irmö rests almost exclusively in the Dream Plane, and thus does not always seek the Elf's whereabouts in Arda. There are tales of Elves falling into slumber in the middle of a battlefield simply because they have asked Irmö for a vision. Thus, Elves usually retire from the community when wishing to receive Irmö's blessings, and do not reappear until they have received it. This process may take hours or weeks, depending on the complexity of the vision they wish to receive. An exception is made for Elves with whom the other Valar wish to communicate. In those cases, visions will be received almost exclusively during nightly slumber. 

Priests of Irmö are rarely seen by Elves or other. They spend most of their time in meditation and dream, for that is where they may commune with Irmö best. They only descend unto Elven lands in times of need, or when Irmö wishes all to know of his teachings. Some suggest that Irmö does not need any priests, for he speaks to all Elves equally. But, a number of Elves follow His path, accepting the gifts of sight from Him. The priests help understand dreams and visions and are thus looked  for to aid in interpreting them.

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