Dates

Immortal; entered Arda at its foundation

Race

Division

Valar (Aratar)

'Order'

Fëanturi (Masters of Spirits)

Family

Described as a sibling of Nienna and Lórien

Settlements

The Halls of Mandos

Pronunciation

noorroofa'ntoorr ('rr' indicates that the r sounds should be distinctly pronounced)

Meaning

Uncertain¹

Other names

Mandos, Námo

Titles

Doomsman of the Valar

Indexes:

About this entry:

Updated 17 September 2025
This entry is complete

Nurufantur

An old name for Mandos

(Ilúvatar)

Nienna

Nurufantur
(Mandos)

Vairë

Olofantur
(Lórien)

Fëanturi

A name in old traditions for the Vala whose true name was Námo, but whom histories record most usually as Mandos, the Doomsman of the Valar. This name comes from an old form Nuru, representing the personification of Death (a suitable association for the keeper of the Halls of Mandos). Nurufantur was also Mandos' identity as one of the two Fëanturi or Masters of Spirits. His counterpart was Olofantur, the Vala of dreams and visions better known as Irmo or Lórien.

Notes

Actually we do have a direct interpretation of the name Nurufantur in The Etymologies (in volume V of The History of Middle-earth), where it is translated as 'lord of Death-cloud' (from nuru 'death' and fantur 'cloud-lord'). However, this early interpretation does not seem to have been retained. Building on later usage, we might take fantur as related to Fëanturi, 'Masters of Spirits'. On this reading, Nurufantur would mean something like 'spirit-master of death', while his brother Olofantur would be 'spirit-master of dreams'.

Nurufantur

An old name for Mandos

Notes

See also...

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