Q. Valacirca pn. “Sickle of the Valar”

Q. Valacirca, pn. “Sickle of the Valar”

A constellation of seven stars (S/48), the Elvish version of the constellation of the Great Bear (SI/Valacirca), known as the Big Dipper by Americans or the Plough in Britain. It is a compound of Vala and the noun circa “sickle”.

Conceptual Development: A constellation of Seven Stars is mentioned in the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/114). In the Qenya Lexicon, the name ᴱQ. Telpea Kalka “*Silvern Sickle” is given to the Great Bear (QL/47). The name “Sickle of the Gods" for this constellation emerged in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/212), and its Quenya name ᴹQ. Valakirka appears in The Etymologies from the same period (Ety/KIRIK). The Quenya name Valacirca did not appear in the tales themselves until Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (MR/71).

References ✧ LBI; LT1I; MR/71, 388; MRI/Valakirka; PE17/22; S/48; SA/val; SI/Sickle of the Valar, Valacirca

Glosses

Variations

Elements

Vala “(Angelic) Power, ‘God’, Authority” ✧ S/48; SA/val (val-)
circa “sickle” ✧ S/48

ᴹQ. Valakirka pn. “Sickle of the Gods”

See Q. Valacirca for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/KIRIK, OT

Glosses

Elements

Vala “Power, God”
kirka “sickle” ✧ Ety/KIRIK
ᴹ√BAL “*power” ✧ Ety/KIRIK

Cognates


ᴱQ. Telpea Kalka pn. “*Silvern Sickle”

See Q. Valacirca for discussion.

References ✧ PME/47; QL/47

Elements

telpea “silvern” ✧ QL/47
kalka “sickle” ✧ QL/47