She is the lover of all things that grow in the earth, and all their countless forms she holds in her mind, from the trees like towers in the forests long ago to the moss upon stones or the small and secret things in the mould.
J.R.R. Tolkien: The Silmarillion: Valaquenta
When I read Tolkien’s depiction of Yavanna in The Silmarillion for the first time, her image as the Fruit Giver and “the lover of all things that grow in the earth” stayed for a long time. There is something reverent about a figure whose power is related to plants and vegetations, for they rule the very things that both represent and provide nourishments for all lives on earth. Sure, the term ‘Mother Nature’ has probably become overly ubiquitous at this point, but the powerful image behind what this figure represents endure.
Interestingly, the first time I read The Silmarillion was during the early semesters of my study, which I did in the province of Yogyakarta, in the central region of Java. If you think this is irrelevant, it is only because I realized who she resembled as I read Yavanna’s further depiction as a tall, green-clad woman: a spiritual figure revered by the culture around Mount Merapi, the volcano not far from where I resided. The one who was responsible for all the things that grow and flourish despite having a close proximity with the source of fiery destruction.
The revered lady Nyi Gadung Melati.
The Valar and the Cosmology of Mount Merapi
To better understand the connection between Yavanna and Nyi Gadung Melati beyond their “protector of plants” thing, we have to understand the cosmology of Mount Merapi and how its guardians bear similarities with the concept of Valar.
The abundance of volcanoes in Java have contributed to their religious, spiritual, and folkloric importance in Javanese cultures. In Yogyakarta, Mount Merapi is seen as a part of sacred cosmological axis: a straight invisible line that connects the power of the sea in the south and the volcano in the north. This axis has been seen as a connection between various important elements (air, water, fire, soil, and wind) and a representation of spiritual path, and even contributed to the spiritual aspect of the political legitimacy adopted by Yogyakarta Sultanate. The people of Java, especially those living in the villages around various mountains (including active volcanoes) also see their relationships with these mountains using the macrocosm-microcosm concept: that in the mountain cosmology, the human nature is the reflection of the larger universe.
Mount Merapi’s importance, just like many other volcanoes, is drawn and percived from its terrifying power and the fertility of the soil it provides. It is surrounded by folklore, traditional customs, and aspects of religious beliefs; from locals referring to the mountain with honorific address and polite language, to Yogyakarta Sultanate conducting an annual ceremony called Labuhan Merapi, complete with offerings, to appease the spirits. A part of traditional belief concerning Merapi views it as a world where various guardians reside in it, each with specific powers that affect all forms of life and the surrounding environment.
Merapi’s “supernatural guardians” echo the Valar in this sense. They are not seen as individual gods, and more like emissaries for the creator figures. They do not deprive the Children of Iluvatar or the earth’s inhabitants from their free will, and they do not do things like directly kill or bring them back to life. Each has specific power and mostly serves as the respected elders and guides, and there are stories of how they appear in specific forms in front of people to warn or guide them.
To name a few, there are Eyang Sapu Jagad, who determines whether the mountain shall erupt or not. Eyang Megantara is the one who controls the weather. Kartodimejo is the protector of animals, Eyang Antaboga prevents the mountain from “sinking into the earth”, and Kiai Sapu Angin controls the direction and strength of the wind. Obviously, none of them are identical to the Valar except for how they are viewed as a part of traditional belief. However, I found that Nyi Gadung Melati, one of Merapi’s supernatural guardians, has a striking similarity to Yavanna, to the point that I had to write a specific post for them.
Protector of Plants, and Beyond
Among all the Merapi’s supernatural guardians, Nyi Gadung Melati seems to have the most distinctive depiction. Just like Yavanna, she is often described as a tall, beautiful woman clad in green. They also have similar roles as guardians of plants and vegetations, and they love things that grow in the earth. Their names also contain elements of the plants. Yavanna’s name came from Quenya word yávë (“fruit”), while Nyi Gadung Melati’s contains words for a type of tuber plant (gadung, or Dioscorea hispida) and jasmine.
The roles of Yavanna and Nyi Gadung Melati also extend beyond their love for vegetations, considering the importance of plants for all the living forms around them. Yavanna cares for both olvar and kelvar, or the living forms that are rooted in place and capable of moving. Nyi Gadung Melati is also sometimes described as sharing the task of Kartodimejo, caring for the wellbeing of both plants and animals in the mountain, and some local tales mentioned how she sometimes appears in dreams to warn people about the impending eruptions.
Yavanna also contributes to a cultural practice in a form of making lembas, the Elven waybread. The Elves who know and keep the secrets of making these special loaves are called the Yavannildi, for the grains to make the bread came from Yavanna. Meanwhile, Nyi Gadung Melati has long become a part of various traditional customs; from ceremonies with offerings to respecting taboo by not damaging certain ponds, springs, or parts of the forest.
Finally, there is a more profound connection between their protective powers over plants and the healing of the world after devastations. Yavanna not only sang the Two Trees into existence, but also supported all the plants in contention against Morgoth and saved the last fruit and flower after Morgoth destroyed the Two Trees, which was important in fashioning of the Sun and the Moon. When the world was plunged into the long period of darkness after the Two Trees were destroyed, she put all the living creatures she loved to the “Sleep of Yavanna”, where they slept and did not grow or age until light should come again.
I cannot see the Sleep of Yavanna without thinking about Nyi Gadung Melati’s roles in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, which echoes both destruction and regeneration as various life forms slowly return. Her spiritual role as a guardian of plants and vegetations seem to be at odds with the destructive nature of her realm. However, if we take into account the traditional view toward the cosmology around Mount Merapi, it is simply a part of “keeping the balance” between all the sacred elements that form the world.
One interpretation of the Cosmological Axis in Yogyakarta is the representation of a pathway human beings have to walk on to reach enlightenment and wisdom. As all the sacred elements in both the mountain and the sea balance each other to support life (which, yes, includes volcanic eruptions), humans have to understand the spiritual balance required to reach this stage of spirituality. Just like how Yavanna doesn’t (and cannot) work alone. When Yavanna sang the Two Trees into existence, they received the blessed rain from Manwë and Ulmo, who represent the air, wind, and water. When she saved the last fruit and flower from the destroyed Two Trees, she was helped by Nienna, who kept them alive with her compassionate tears, and Aulë, the Great Smith, who fashioned vessels for them to create the Sun and the Moon.
Seeing the widespread devastation after eruption gives all grey, eerily silent, and dreary look, as if the entire world grieves with everything affected. However, just like the Sleep of Yavanna, it is only a matter of time before life begins again, vegetations slowly grow back, and animals and people return. The feared destructive power shifts into the life-giving one, keeping the soil fertile and reminding everyone about the eternal balance that makes the world turn.
The Giver of Fruits, indeed.
Sources
Tessa, Adhis. ‘Pemanfaatan Tiga Worldview dalam Peran Patron Sosial Bagi Penguatan Resiliensi Komunitas Tanggap Bencana Merapi’. Jurnal Masyarakat dan Budaya, 23. 2 (2021): 195-214
Tolkien, J.R.R. 1999. The Silmarillion (ed. Christopher Tolkien). London: HarperCollins
Triyoga, Lucas Sasongko. 2010. Merapi dan Orang Jawa: Persepsi dan Kepercayaannya. Jakarta: Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia
The Lore Master: Blog Tolkien Indonesia 
