Great had once been the forests of Middle-Earth, as they stretched from west to east and north to south, from hill to lake, from mountain to seashore. But the children of Eru were numerous, and they came with axes. Yavanna Kementári witnessed this and she lamented to her spouse Aulë, blaming foremost the Dwarves, for bringing such hurt to her own. But Aulë said to her: “In need of Olvar all the children of Ilúvatar will be.” And Yavanna could not bear the thought, thus she spoke with Manwë, who in prayer conveyed her sorrow to Eru Ilúvatar.
Ilúvatar pitied her, and to amend it he brought to life the Enyd, whom would roam among the many trees of Middle-Earth, to shepherd them and protect them from harm - and Yavanna was content.
But the Enyd, though powerful and in great number, could not hold back the dwindling fate of the forests, and Yavanna remained ill at ease. ‘Twere then in the days of Sauron Gorthaur’s return that Manwë summoned 5 blessed spirits into Middle-Earth to aid the Free Peoples. They were the Istari, and they were white and grey, brown and blue.
But Yavanna, who had endowed the spirit of Aiwendil, was restless, for while she had been content with Manwë for sending Aiwendil into Middle-Earth as one of the Five, she was still afeared of the fate of Kelvar, and of Olvar mostly. For many remaining forests were darkened, and Aiwendil’s purpose lay elsewhere. Hence, she summoned another of her own people, whom was known in Valinor as Calmatan, the Lampwright. He was a lesser spirit of Yavanna and Aulë, who indulged in the ways of both his peers. Many were the lamps he made across Valinor, and brightly did they reflect the light of Arien and Tilion, as if they burned with a light of their own - but in the making of light itself he held no power.
Yavanna bade him to move into Arda and take form there. She appointed him the task to oversee the wellbeing of Olvar and to mend where others marred by bringing light and cheer. He then fashioned himself a humble lantern, but fairer and stronger, and Varda blessed it with a light of its own. And Yavanna saw that it was good and she gave him parting words: I Anar caluva tielyassë. This was the Blessed Lantern, his greatest gift, through which shone a bright light if called upon by incantation, invoking the name of Varda. But by Manwë, Calmatan was forbidden to waylay the will of evil, save to escape it, nor was he to meddle in the affairs of the Five.
Thus, it passed that he came into Middle-Earth sometime after the coming of the wizards, and it is said he awoke first in the shape of a great tree, as one of the Enyd, and he walked under forest roofs for many long years, tasting mountain springs and delighting in the touch of tender earth beneath his feet, ere at last he came unto a group of Edain with axe in hand. It was only then that he chose the form of one aged among mortal men, brown in hue and green in raiment, carrying the Blessed Lantern. And to these men he relayed words of comfort and peace, and thus his task began.
