Mythgard Forums

I wonder, if uinen is connected to rivers by being the "coast-maia", how closely would very inland river spirits be connected to her? I'd think the river has as many or more ties with its source and the land around as it has with the sea. I could see river spirits in general being related/allied with Uinen though, but Goldberry is much more local right? This discussion was on ELotR too but I'm forgetting the details.

but tbh the whole "nature spirits" thing is a giant question mark for me.

I honestly don't think Tolkien would say the Maiar had children (though he might have at an early stage). I agree that there could be some kind of "relation" to Uinen, but probably not in that way. And yes, I also think the "nature spirits" are a mystery. Should we call them Maiar? Perhaps, but perhaps not. I don't think Tolkien is at all clear about that, and I'm not sure he wanted to be clear.

Absolutely, it's not a family, but it could look like a metaphorical "parenthood" if a Maia takes other spirits under their wing. Even in the literally genealogical mythologies, deities are linked conceptually, less to create familial bonds. Could Maiar and spirits have a relationship like the Ents and the Huorns? Some Maia could also go more "wild" / spirits could get nearly-Maia-status so it's not strict "classes"

The short answer is 'not officially, no'. Goldberry is the River-woman's daughter, and Uinen has her hair spread through all the waters of the world, but the only kinship (if any) between them would be that both the 'River-woman' and Uinen are followers of Ulmo.