Elf/LotR

* Elves
* Avari
* Falmari
* Silvan
* Nandor
* Vanyar
* Noldor
* Teleri
* Sindar

The **Elves**, were the first and eldest of the Children of Ilúvatar, considered the fairest and wisest of the earthly race of Arda. They called themselves the **Quendi** (Quenya; IPA: [ˈkʷendi]; "the Speakers"; singular **Quendë** [ˈkʷende]), referring to how at their creation, they were the only living things they knew of who spoke.

Oromë referred to the Elves that chose to follow him during the Great Journey as Eldar (Q.: *"People of the Stars"*), because when they awake the stars were the only lights in the sky. Some, known afterwards as the Calaquendi (Elves of the Light), were brought by the Valar from Middle-earth to Valinor across the Sea, where they were taught by the Ainur. But after the Silmarils were stolen by Melkor, some of the Elves returned to Middle-earth, where they remained until the end of the Third Age.

Elves were immune to illness and not subject to age after reaching their prime. They could be killed only in violence or by extreme despair.

## Contents

* 1History
	+ 1.1Creation and awakening
	+ 1.2Discovery and sundering
	+ 1.3Life in Aman
	+ 1.4Revolt of the Ñoldor
	+ 1.5War of the Jewels
	+ 1.6Later days and decline
* 2Sunderings
* 3Characteristics
* 4Other writings
* 5Translations
* 6References

## History

### Creation and awakening

The Firstborn, the Elder Children of Ilúvatar, were conceived by Eru Ilúvatar alone in the third theme of Ainulindalë. They are the eldest and noblest of the speaking races of Middle-earth. They awoke at Cuiviénen, the Water of Awakening, in the far east of Middle-earth, in the starlight of the Sleep of Yavanna, as the Sun and Moon had yet to be created. The first Elves to awake were three pairs: Imin ("First") and his wife Iminyë, Tata ("Second") and Tatië, and Enel ("Third") and Enelyë.

According to legend, Imin, Tata, and Enel, and their wives joined up and walked through the forests. They came across six, nine, and twelve pairs of Elves, and each "patriarch" claimed the pairs as his folk in order. The now sixty Elves dwelt by the rivers, and they invented poetry and music in Middle-earth. Journeying further, they come across a band of Elves watching the stars, which Tata claimed as his. These were tall and dark-haired, the fathers of most of the Ñoldor. The ninety-six Elves now invented many new words. Continuing their journey, they found twenty-four pairs of Elves, singing without language, and Enel added them to his people. These were the ancestors of most of the Lindar or "singers", later called Teleri. They found no more Elves; Imin's people, the smallest group, were the ancestors of the Vanyar. All in all they numbered 144. Because all Elves had been found in groups of twelve, twelve became their base number and 144 their highest number (for a long time). None of the later Elvish languages had a common name for a greater number.

At first the Elves sang with grace and merriment without speech but soon they developed speech and spoke with words, so their first name for themselves was *Quendi* (The Ones Who Speak With Voices).

### Discovery and sundering

The Elves were content and dwelt long under the stars in woods near Cuiviénen. However, Melkor, the Dark Lord, became aware of them and their location before the Valar, and sent evil spirits to spy on and afflict them. Many spirits that harassed the Elves came in the form of great horsemen for the purpose of causing the Elves to fear the Vala Oromë, whom Melkor knew would likely be the first Vala to discover them. And so it was that, on one of his many journeys in the wilds of Middle-earth, Oromë came upon the Elves. Due to Melkor's foresight and malice, some Elves were afraid. Hiding and fleeing, some of these early Elves were taken by Melkor or his agents. These Elves were never seen again and were taken to Utumno, and were believed to be twisted and mutilated into the first Orcs. However, the Elves who stayed quickly learned that Oromë was far different from the evils that had been pursuing them. Oromë quickly came to love the Elves, and them and gave them the name *Eldar* (People of the Stars).

Oromë spent some time with them and then returned to Valinor to tell Manwë of his discovery. He then returned to live with Elves for a time, learning about them. Not long after, the Valar decided that, for the good of the Elves, that Melkor needed to be overthrown. The Valar made war upon Melkor and set a guard on Cuiviénen. The Elves knew nothing of the war save that the earth shook and thunderous lightning was seen in the north. After a long, grievous war, the Valar were triumphant, and Melkor was imprisoned. Oromë then returned to the Elves with a summons of the Valar to Aman. However, many of the Elves were afraid, as they felt and had seen rumor of the terrible power of the Valar as they made war against Melkor. As such, the it was decided by the Elves to choose ambassadors one from each kindred to go to Valinor and report back to their kindred what they saw. The names of these representatives were Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë.

When the three returned, they spoke to their people of the beauty and bliss of what they had seen and urged them to travel to Valinor and abide there. Thus began the Great Journey, also known as the Sundering of the Elves. All of the Elves agreed, save for the Avari, who chose to remain in Middle-earth. Led by Oromë, the Elven kindreds marched out of Cuiviénen but as they moved out of the forest area and saw the black clouds surrounding the north where Melkor had once lived, some grew afraid and turned back to Cuiviénen. The rest continued, albeit slowly, often stopping until Oromë returned, but were curious about what they saw.

The Vanyar and the Ñoldor, who were most eager to reach Valinor pressed on with the greatest speed and were the first to reach the coasts and to be taken to Valinor on an island that the Vala Ulmo guided across the Belegaer. The Teleri were the slowest of the groups as they were drawn to the forests and rivers they encountered in the western and southern parts of Middle-earth. This caused them to separate into several different groups, such as the Nandor who became Wood-elves of Wilderland and later Beleriand. Some of the Teleri who did not like the sea and, partly due to the disappearance of Elwë in Nan Elmoth for a time, drew back and settled in the wooded areas of Region and Neldoreth that later became Doriath. The Teleri that were drawn to the sea settled along the western shores later becoming the Falathrim ruled by Círdan, who founded the coastal cities of Eglarest and Brithombar. Eventually, most of the Teleri went into the west on Tol Eressëa, led by Olwë.

### Life in Aman

The Elves that came to Aman were enriched by the knowledge of the Valar and the bliss of their lands, and the three Elven clans developed their own cultures. The former ambassadors Ingwë of the Vanyar and Finwë of the Ñoldor became kings of their people and, as Elwë never returned to Valinor, his brother Olwë became King of the Teleri. The Vanyar were drawn to the Valar and the full light of the Two Trees of Valinor and settled at the foot of Taniquetil with their king Ingwë, who became High King of the Elves, revered by all Elves living in the mountain below Manwë. The Ñoldor, beloved by Aulë the Smith for their love of arts and crafts, built the great city of Tirion on Túna where Finwë, the High King of the Ñoldor, lived. The Teleri were drawn to the sea and some never left the island ferry of Tol Eressëa until Olwë their lord later built Alqualondë, with the help of the Ñoldor.

They developed writing and the arts of building, metallurgy, arts and crafts, and shipbuilding. Things like high culture, poetry, and many of the more subtle things were valued as well. For three ages, the Elves lived in total peace and bliss wandering the lands and beautifying its glory. Unfortunately, after three ages of imprisonment, Melkor completed his sentence. He feigned rehabilitation, and convinced Manwë that he was no longer a threat. However, his stay in prison had only increased his malice, and remembering that it was for the sake of the Elves that he had been overthrown, he sought to poison the peace of Valinor and bring ruin to the Elves. Adopting a fair and wise form, he began to cultivate the trust of those living in Valinor. Of the three Elven clans, Melkor saw the Teleri as being rather useless to him, and the Vanyar would have nothing to do with him, being content in their development. But the Ñoldor, desiring more knowledge, were willing to listen to him, and Melkor saw that, due to their creative skill, they were more potentially useful than the Teleri. And so Melkor began to teach them, and for a long while none of his evil was made manifest, for any who sought his aid and counsel benefited greatly from it. But with his genuine teachings came half-truths and disguised lies regarding the intentions of the Valar. Most harmful among these was the knowledge that Men, the Second Children of Illuvatar, would one day appear in Middle-earth. The Valar had not revealed this to the Elves, and after a time, rumors began to circulate amongst the Ñoldor that the Valar had brought them to Aman so that Men might inherit Middle-earth and usurp the glory that might have belonged to the Elves. Chief amongst these discontented Elves was Fëanor, the firstborn son of Finwë, King of the Ñoldor. Fëanor was gifted beyond virtually all of his peers in terms of beauty, skill, subtlety, and craftsmanship. It was he who had developed, amongst many other wonders, the system of letters used by the Ñoldor. But his greatest creation had been the Silmarils, three diamond-like gems in which the intermingled light of the Two Trees of Valinor had been captured.

However, despite Fëanor's capabilities (or perhaps because of them), he was exceedingly arrogant, and his actions were often rashly conducted. He hated and feared Melkor, but unwittingly provided his lies with their most prominent voice. Eventually, Melkor's lies and Fëanor's own vanity resulted in him drawing his sword against his half-brother Fingolfin. Erstwhile the Valar had been troubled by the unrest of the Ñoldor, but had simply watched and waited. Now however, with the peace of Valinor violated, they could no longer ignore the issue. Fëanor was brought to Máhanaxar and told to explain himself. With this, the lies of Melkor were at last laid bare, and he fled before the Valar could recapture him. However, for his actions, Fëanor was banished from Tirion for a time. Twelve years later, Manwë sought to heal the wounds between the Ñoldor at a festival held in Valmar, but Melkor and the Great Spider Ungoliant destroyed the Two Trees, darkening Valinor, killing Finwë, stealing the three Silmarils of Fëanor, and fleeing to Middle-earth.

### Revolt of the Ñoldor

When the tragic death of his father became known, the wrath of Fëanor could no longer be contained. He gathered all the Ñoldor in Tirion and beneath the Mindon Eldaliéva he urged the Ñoldor to return to Middle-earth in pursuit of Melkor and the Silmarils swearing an oath to war with Melkor, now known as Morgoth. After being banned by the Valar for the rebellion and the violent deeds of the House of Fëanor, the Ñoldor returned to Middle-earth as exiles to battle Morgoth, and to establish and rule realms of their own.

### War of the Jewels

The crimes of Melkor in Aman and the subsequent rebellion of the Ñoldor started a centuries-long war that would come to involve all the Elven kindreds of Middle-earth, as well as other races, directly or indirectly. During this time, five great battles were fought against Morgoth and although many were victorious for the Elves and their allies, the ultimate result was disastrous. Additionally, the doom that followed the Ñoldor as a result of the Kinslaying at Alqualondë was discovered by Thingol, the King of Doriath. This discovery all but destroyed the relationship between the Sindar and the Ñoldor. There were also other Elves and races such as the Petty-dwarves that resented the exiled Ñoldor for usurping their rightful place in Middle-earth.

Though for hundreds of years, the Ñoldor Elves fought and endured the forces of Morgoth with little military aid from the other Elven kindreds, a common fear and a common foe allowed for the Elves (especially the Ñoldor) to mingle with mortal Men, who had recently come into Beleriand from the east. The first of these were the Three Houses of the Edain. They were followed by the Easterlings, some of whom served Morgoth. At first, only the Ñoldor had dealings with Men, as the other Elves feared them, but over the generations, Men served the Ñoldor and gained their respect. After the Quest for the Silmaril, the blood of the Eldar and the Edain mingled with each other, first through the marriage of Beren and Lúthien, and then through Tuor and Idril. This union would create a bond that would enrich and ennoble both kindreds from then to later ages.

The terrible Oath of Fëanor created strife between the Elven kindreds, as even those not bound were drawn into it over the Silmaril recovered by Beren and Lúthien. The two brothers Celegorm and Curufin attempted to usurp the throne of Nargothrond after the loss of Finrod in the Quest for the Silmaril, but were thwarted by the hound Huan and Orodreth and expelled. It was because of this deed that the Ñoldor of Nargothrond lent little aid to the Union of Maedhros during the Nírnaeth Arnoediad. Twice in the latter half of the First Age, the Sons tried to take the Silmaril from those who inherited it. These acts of cruelty and violence against their Elven kin caused great loss of life and resulted in the deaths of all of them except Maglor, who forever wanders the coasts of Middle-earth singing about the suffering of the Ñoldor.

### Later days and decline

After the destruction of Beleriand in the War of Wrath, the remaining Ñoldor repented of their rebellion and many returned to Eldamar along with some of the Sindar. The Elves that chose to remain in Middle-earth founded new realms. Most of the Ñoldor lived in Lindon with Gil-galad, the High King of the Ñoldor. Hundreds of years later Celebrimbor, the last of the House of Fëanor, founded a new Ñoldorin realm called Eregion. The Sindar joined also with Gil-galad in Lindon and few went beyond the Misty Mountains into Wilderland, becoming leaders of the Silvan Elves in places such as Lothlórien and Greenwood the Great.

The Elven realms flourished for over one thousand years until SA 1200 when Sauron, under the guise of a messenger from the Valar named Annatar, appeared out of the east to offer knowledge to the Elves. Gil-galad mistrusted him and barred him from his kingdom. Sauron then approached Celebrimbor and the Elves of Eregion, and against Gil-galad's advice they accepted him and his knowledge.

With Annatar's help, Celebrimbor forged the Rings of Power, but Three Rings alone were made in secret by Celebrimbor and were not directly touched by Sauron's power. Then, Sauron forged the One Ring in order to control the others. The Elves discovered Sauron's plan and took off their rings. Celebrimbor sent the ring Nenya to Galadriel and sent Vilya and Narya to Gil-galad in Lindon.

Furious that the Elves had foiled his plans for domination, Sauron demanded the return of the rings and when they refused he prepared for war. For eight years, Sauron laid waste to Middle-earth in his war against the Elves, destroying Eregion and killing Celebrimbor. Eventually, with help of the Númenóreans, Gil-galad was able to lead the Elves to victory. Gil-galad then decided to abandon Eregion in favor of the new refuge of Rivendell, formed at the foothills of the Misty Mountains and he made his herald, Elrond, the Lord of Rivendell and his representative in Eriador. Lindon survived still as the greatest kingdom of Elves in Middle-earth. The rest of the Elves of Middle-earth who survived either moved to Lindon, sailed for the West, or continued to live in their lands under caution due to the continued threat from Sauron.

By the latter half of the Second Age, Men continued to spread and grow in Middle-earth. The Faithful from the Downfall of Númenór founded the great kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. Though Men were set to supplant them in Middle-earth, the Elves were powerful and numerous enough to join with Men one last time to defeat Sauron. Gil-galad led the second greatest host of Elves ever seen in Arda and formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men with Elendil, High King of all Dúnedain, and vanquished Sauron in SA 3441.

With the dominion of Men at hand, the Elves became less numerous and more secluded with many becoming wearier of the now mortal lands. Only the realms of Lindon, Lothlórien, and Rivendell survived as havens of Elven bliss. High Elves continued to live in Lindon but most sailed into the West after their king's death along with many Sindar. The last of the High Elves left Middle-earth after the final defeat of Sauron in the War of the Ring.

Elves living in Aman, including those who returned from Middle-earth in the Third and Fourth Ages, lived in a state of blissful happiness as they did before the Revolt of the Ñoldor. Elves that never chose to sail into the Utter West, instead choosing to remain in Middle-earth in places such as the Woodland Realm in the former Mirkwood, would probably become more and more secretive, less numerous, and hidden. Eventually, these lingerers would fade away entirely as their bodies were consumed by the power of their spirits.

## Sunderings

When the Elves were first summoned to Aman by the Valar, they became divided into two groups - the Eldar, who accepted the summons of the Valar and undertook the Great Journey, and the Avari, who refused the summons. During the journey some groups of the Teleri remained behind and never reached Valinor and for this reason they (along with the Avari) became known as Moriquendi, the 'Elves of Darkness'. The Elves flourished in the First Age, but the Eldarin realms of Beleriand were destroyed by Morgoth, and in later ages their power waned. In the Second and Third Ages some Elves still lived in wandering companies, traveling through the broad lands they loved, but many were gathered in Elven-realms and refuges such as Lindon, Rivendell, the Woodland Realm, and Lórien, where Sindar and Ñoldor lords ruled over Silvan populations. By the end of the Third Age the Dominion of Men was at hand, and the Elves who remained in Middle-earth dwindled and became a secret people. Yet in Eldamar the Eldar live nigh to the Valar until the End of the World.

## Characteristics

Elves, like Men, are Children of Eru Ilúvatar and thus are very similar to Men. But Unlike Men, they are immortal, as their bodies do not age; once they have reached maturity, so that they do not seem to become elderly or die of old age. But they can be killed by physical injury or they may come to death from wasting away if after long eons of life they lose the will to live. Some Elves in the First Age living near Angband died from a wasting disease, which was presumably issuing from Thangorodrim, Morgoth's fortress. The Elves came into existence before Men, and when Elves die they pass to the Halls of Mandos in Valinor.

Elves come of age at around fifty years old, and generally marry around this age. Elves who marry late or never are said to have strange fates. Elves can tell in the eyes and voice of another Elf whether they are married, and it is against an Elf's nature to take another's spouse by force; one so forced would reject bodily life and die. Because of the union of souls that occurs when Elves marry, and because of the eternal nature of Elven souls, they do not divorce or have multiple marriages. Elves have a taboo against incest, but marriage among second cousins is seen as acceptable. Whether this results in degradation from strong bloodlines is unknown.

Elves are (generally) unusually beautiful in face and body. There is little physical difference between males and females except that which is required for reproduction. They have far better vision and hearing than Men. They also have skills and abilities beyond what is possible for Men, and many can craft seemingly magical objects. In *The Silmarillion*, it is mentioned that the Elves are indeed closest in kin to the Ainur, given that Elves possess ethereal grace and various powers. Elves are light of foot, can travel long distances without leaving tracks, and often can walk lightly across snow where the boots of Men would sink. They do not require sleep, but are able to enter a waking meditative state to regain their strength which means they can be exhausted and tire. Although the Elves are more resistant to adverse environments and lack of food than Men, they can succumb to them thus Elves do require sustenance.

Culturally speaking, Elves put a great attention to details. In fact, part of the corporal expression of the Elves was the **mátengwië**, or **hwermë**, a "language of the hands" or a “gesture-code”. It was the first thing they paid attention to when speaking and their gestures could change depending even the fingers.

## Other writings

Elves appear also in other Tolkien's writings outside of the legendarium. For example, in *The Father Christmas Letters* among the friends of Father Christmas there are the *Red Gnomes*, the *Green Elves* and the *Snow Elves*.

The **Avari** were a branch of the Elven race in Middle-earth, the group of Moriquendi ('Elves of Darkness') who never journeyed to Aman, and their descendants. They were also known as **Avamanyar** (Quenya for 'Those who would not go to Aman'), as opposed to the Amanyar, 'Those of Aman', and Úmanyar, 'Not of Aman'.

## Contents

* 1History
* 2Other versions of the legendarium
* 3References
* 4See also
	+ 4.1Original clans
	+ 4.2The call to Aman
* 5Translations

## History

When Oromë found that Elves had awakened in Cuiviénen, he invited them to come with him to Valinor. All the Minyar and most of the Tatyar and Nelyar were persuaded and followed Oromë into the west on the Great Journey. The remainder of the Tatyar and Nelyar remained suspicious of the Lords of the west, seeing them only in their wrath, or they simply refused to depart from their own lands, and spread gradually throughout the wide lands of Middle-earth. They were after known in Quenya, the language of the Eldar that eventually reached Valinor, by the name *Avari*, meaning "the Unwilling", because they refused the summons.

Having never come to Valinor, the Avari remained wild folk, dwellers of forests. Little is known of them, as they do not appear in any of the tales, save some references to Avari creeping in the south of Beleriand in the First Age. Some of them merged with the Nandor and Sindar in Eriador and the Vale of Anduin. Also, it is speculated that the Avari were the first other sentient race encountered by the race of Men during their infancy and they probably taught them many of the basic crafts of civilization. Though the craft of the Eldar surpassed that of the Avari even more than that of the Avari surpassed primitive Men.

In *The War of the Jewels*, names of six tribes of Avari in their own languages are given, all being cognates of the Quenya term *Quendi* (*the Speakers*): **Kindi**, **Cuind**, **Hwenti**, **Windan**, **Kinn-lai**, **Penni**. They are the only certain Avarin words ever mentioned in the published Middle-earth material. It is speculated however that Dorwinion was an Avarin land, with **Winion** carrying the meaning "wine".

*The Silmarillion* suggests that Orcs might have been descended from Avarin Elves captured and corrupted by Melkor.

Eöl was called the 'Dark Elf' for how he shunned the daylight, preferring to stay within the dark woods of Nan Elmoth and walk at nighttime, but he was not of Avari descent, being related to Thingol.[*citation needed*]

## Other versions of the legendarium

In older versions of the legendarium, the name *Avari* was originally that of the later Eldar, then meaning "those that departed".

In other, relatively late writings, a brief idea was that the Avari did not come from the three clans, but from two other clans, led by Nurwë and Morwë. This idea was later dropped. In the final conception, the Elves were divided into three tribes.

The **Falmari**, also known as the **Sea-elves**, were those of the Teleri who departed from Middle-earth, migrating into the West where they remained.

## Contents

* 1History
	+ 1.1Origins
	+ 1.2Rebellion of the Ñoldor
* 2Etymology
* 3Translations
* 4References

## History

### Origins

During the Great Journey of the Elves of Cuiviénen, the Teleri had two lords: Elwë Singollo and his brother Olwë. While crossing Beleriand, however, Elwë became lost in the forests, wherefore many of the Teleri refused to continue into westward.

When Ulmo came to them with an island, the Teleri had come to love the sea. The island was brought towards the Bay of Eldamar. They settled on Tol Eressëa (the former island ferry) and later in Alqualondë, which they built on the shores of Aman between the Calacirya and Araman.

The High King of the Falmari was Olwë, and the Princess of the Falmari was Eärwen, Olwë's daughter.

### Rebellion of the Ñoldor

During rebellion of the Ñoldor led by Fëanor, the Sea-elves refused to join the rebellion and to yield their swanships. This led to the Kinslaying at Alqualondë.

## Etymology

The name ***Falmari*** means "Wave-folk", from the Quenya terms *fala* ("foam") and *falma* ("wave as it breaks").

The **Silvan Elves**, or **Tawarwaith** in Sindarin (also called **Wood-elves**, **Woodland Elves**, or **East-elves**) were a subgroup of the Nandor, ultimately of Telerin descent. As Úmanyar, they, like the Sindar, began the Great Journey but did not complete it. In the Third Age, most remaining Silvan Elves lived either in Lothlórien or the Woodland Realm.

Their kindred across history were ruled by Ñoldor or Sindar Elves.

## Contents

* 1History
	+ 1.1Origin
	+ 1.2The Woodland Realm
	+ 1.3Lórien
* 2Portrayal in adaptations
* 3Gallery
* 4Translations
* 5References

## History

"*These are not wicked folk. If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong, even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise. For most of them (together with their scattered relations in the hills and mountains) were descended from the ancient tribes that never went to Faerie in the West.*"
—*The Hobbit*, "Flies and Spiders"
### Origin

The Silvan Elves were of Nandorin background, descended from the followers of Lenwë, who were fascinated by the landscape East of the Misty Mountains and afraid to attempt to cross them. They thus abandoned the Great Journey, choosing instead to remain in the wide forests, where they became a scattered people. *The Silmarillion* also implies that many Avari joined these realms.[*citation needed*]

Little is known of the wanderings of the Nandor, save that they spread throughout the Vales of Anduin over a period of many centuries, some following the Great River southward, eventually settling at the Mouths of Anduin or instead turning north again into Eriador, where eventually Denethor gathered as many as he could and crossed the Blue Mountains into Beleriand. These were later known as the Green-elves of Ossiriand, and were welcomed by Thingol as long lost kin.

Some of the Nandor, however, stayed in the forested Vales, and these would become the Silvan Elves - hidden away in their woodland fastnesses and were to their estranged kin hardly distinguishable from the Avari, and indeed sometimes living in friendship with them. Their language had diverged to such an extent that it was barely intelligible to the Sindar and Ñoldor when they met the Silvan Elves again in the Second Age, though the languages were found to be obviously related. It was not until this renewed contact between the kindreds and the guidance of the Sindar and Ñoldor that the Silvan Elves again became an organised people and increased in wisdom. This however also led to the Silvan tongue being largely forgotten, Sindarin instead becoming the primary spoken language by the end of the Third Age, with the Silvan dialects only surviving in the names of places and people.

The renewed contact was caused by the destruction of Beleriand after the War of Wrath, for when the Second Age was young, the Silvan Elves welcomed those survivors of the calamity who, rather than crossing the Sea, re-joined their kindred east of the Misty Mountains . Indeed soon many of the Silvan Elves came to be ruled by these Sindar refugees, primarily in Lothlórien and the Woodland Realm.

### The Woodland Realm

Elves primarily of Silvan blood in Mirkwood were known to be distrustful of Dwarves but friendly to Men, with whom they traded. The Elves were typically known as a kind and noble people, the great spiders being the only creatures upon which they had no mercy. Mirkwood had been called "Greenwood the Great" until around the year TA 1050, when the shadow of Sauron fell upon it, and men began to call it Mirkwood. During his journey to the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo Baggins had to rescue the Dwarves of Thorin II Oakenshield's company from these Elves. These Elves had sent hosts to both the War of the Last Alliance , and in Bilbo's time, the Battle of Five Armies.

Legolas of the Fellowship of the Ring, although he lived among them, was not truly one of the Silvan folk. As a son of the Elven-king Thranduil, whose father Oropher had originally come from Doriath, Legolas was at least half of Sindarin heritage on his father's side (his mother's identity is unknown).

By the end of the Third Age, Sindarin had become the primary language of the Woodland Realm, Silvan being almost completely forgotten, so that in the early years of the Sindarin rule over the Silvan Elves, the Sindar for a time "deliberately" adopted the language and customs of the Silvan Elves, as "they wished to return to the simple life natural to the Elves before the invitation of the Valar had disturbed it".

### Lórien

The Silvan Elves of Lórien were the larger part of the Galadhrim or the Tree-people, who were a mixture of Elves of Nandor, Ñoldor, and Sindar descent. Most of the Sindar that came to Lórien were refugees from Beleriand, arriving early in the Second Age, and the Sinda Amdír became the King of Lórien. After Amdír was killed in the Battle of Dagorlad, his son Amroth became king.

After the destruction of Eregion, they were joined by many Sindarin speaking Ñoldor, led by Galadriel and Celeborn, who fled to Lórien through Khazad-dûm. Galadriel was of Ñoldorin descent, being the daughter of Finarfin, while Celeborn was of Sindarin descent of the Kingdom of Doriath. When Amroth was lost in the Third Age, Galadriel and Celeborn became known as the Lady and Lord of Lórien, but neither of them took the vacant kingship.

At the time of the War of the Ring, they spoke an accent or dialect of Sindarin which had changed so much that Frodo Baggins, who spoke some Sindarin, could not understand them. Additionally, few Elves in Lórien could speak Westron, so that Haldir, one of the few that could, had to accompany them on their way to Caras Galadhon.

## Portrayal in adaptations

In the film adaptions of *The Hobbit*, Beorn describes the Woodland Elves as being less wise and more dangerous than their kin. Most of the Silvan Elves are shown to have red hair, and some have brown. The Silvan Elves are shown to be highly skilled in combat, and very agile. A notable member, who was created for the films, is Tauriel.

The Silvan Elves are shown to be great in number when Thranduil unveils his entire army before the Battle of Five Armies. Their number is estimated to be at least 8,000 strong in the film. The army consists of spearmen, archers, and swordsmen.

The **Nandor** (Quenya; singular **Nando**) were Elves of Telerin descent, who left the Great Journey from Cuiviénen to Valinor as the Elves reached the Misty Mountains.

## Contents

* 1History
* 2Language
* 3Etymology
* 4Other versions of the legendarium
* 5Translations
* 6References

## History

The Nandor began under the Teleri Elf Lenwë, whose name in their language was *Denweg*. He led a group that turned south along the river Anduin, and disappeared from written history. Many years later a group of Nandor under Denethor, son of Lenwë, hearing of a great Elven realm crossed the Blue Mountains into Ossiriand. When they first arrived into Beleriand, the Nandor still called themselves *Lindai*, the old clan name for the Teleri, though it had become *Lindi* in their tongue. The Sindar welcomed them as kin and at first, called them *Lindil* after what the Nandor called themselves, Lindi. Eventually this became *Laegel*, which means Green-Elf. The Quenya translation of this is *Laiquendi*.

In later years, the Silvan Elves of Mirkwood and Lothlórien were descended from the Nandor (but most of their lords were not), as were the Elves who dwelt at Edhellond near Dol Amroth during the early days of Gondor.

## Language

The original Nandorin language gradually disappeared from Middle-earth after the end of the First Age, when Sindarin Elves merged with the Silvan folk and were taken as their lords. Nandorin/Silvan gradually became extinct, surviving only in place names such as "Laurelindórinan/Lindórinand" (old names for the land of Lothlórien) and proper names such as Amroth. The daily tongue of the Silvan elves became Sindarin, or Sindarin with some Silvan influences.

## Etymology

***Nandor*** is the Quenya term, meaning 'those who turn back'.

## Other versions of the legendarium

In early accounts the name of the Green-Elves was **Danians**, from the name of their first leader Dan (later changed in *Denweg*). The Danians lived both to the east and the west of Blue Mountains. In particular, the Danians that acrossed the Blue Mountains lived in Ossiriand and Denethor, the son of Dan was their lord. The geographical barrier of the mountains was the reason behind the split of the Danian language in two different dialects: the *Ossiriandic* (West Danian) and the *Leikvian* (East Danian).

The **Vanyar** (Q.: "Fair Ones"), singular ***Vanya***, also known as the **Fair-elves** or **Light-elves**, were the first and smallest of Three Kindreds of the Eldar. Under the leadership of Ingwë, the Vanyar were the first to set forth on the Great Journey and reach the shores of Belegaer; they sailed to Aman on the first voyage of Tol Eressëa and remained there permanently. Very few, if any, Vanyar remained in or returned to Middle-earth after the Great Journey.

## Contents

* 1History
* 2Description
* 3Etymology
* 4Relations
* 5Other versions of the legendarium
* 6Gallery
* 7Translations
* 8References

## History

Vanyar were descendants of Imin, the first Elf to awake at Cuiviénen, his wife Iminyë, and six other pairs of Elves who were awoken by them. Imin's companions, Tata and Enel, later awoke groups of nine and twelve pairs respectively, and Imin decided that since his group was the smallest and each group that he and his companions discovered was larger than the last, he then chose third rather than first in order to make up the numbers. However, only a further two groups were discovered, leaving Imin's group of fourteen by far the smallest of the three Elven clans.

When the Elves were discovered by Oromë, each clan chose an ambassador to return with him to Valinor to verify his claims of its greatness. The Minyar (Imin's companions) sent Ingwë. Upon his return, his people were swayed by his testimony and adopted him as their king, and he led them with Oromë to Aman. Ingwë was since reckoned the High King of all Elves, and became known as Ingwë Ingweron, the "Chief of Chieftains", and his people were known by the rest of the Eldar as the Vanyar. In Aman the Vanyar first dwelt in Tirion. Later, they came to love the full light of the Trees and wandered into Valinor or settled on Taniquetil. Ingwë dwelt with them on the slopes of Taniquetil, beneath the halls of Manwë.

After arriving in Aman, the Vanyar were rarely seen even by other Elves. Very few individual Vanyar are named besides Imin, Ingwë, his sister (or possibly niece) Indis, and Amarië, who was in love with Finrod Felagund. Indis became the second wife of Finwë, the High King of the Ñoldor and the mother of both Fingolfin and Finarfin, the latter of which founded the only house of Ñoldorin Elves to sport golden Vanyarin hair. After her husband was killed by Melkor in his attack on Formenos to attain the Silmarils , she returned to her people with her daughter Findis.

Unlike the Ñoldor, the Vanyar loved the light of Valinor so much that they never choose to return to Middle-earth, save when many of the Vanyar marched in the War of Wrath with the Host of Valinor. Though they preferred the peaceful light of Valinor, the Vanyar were skilled in the arts of war and were known for their fashioning of spears, thus they no doubt fielded a formidable army in the war. Ingwë's son Ingwion led an armed host of his people from Valinor to fight in the War of Wrath. They returned to Aman, along with most of the Eldar living in the largely destroyed Beleriand, at the end of the First Age.

## Description

The Vanyar were the fairest of all the Elves, hence their name "Fair Elves". Unlike other kindreds attracted to the sea or the building and forging of things, the Vanyar culture seemed to revolve about the Valar and Valinor. This is probably the reason why they chose to stay in Valinor proper, centered around Taniquetil, the seat of the rulers of Arda, and loved the light of Valinor best of all the other places in Aman. They greatly valued the wisdom of the Valar and were thus favored by Manwë and Varda, and always distrusted by Melkor. They were known to have had the greatest skill in poetry of all Elves, likened to Manwë, who loved them for it. Their hair was golden, and their banners were white.

## Etymology

The name ***Vanyar*** means 'Fair-ones' in Quenya, referring to their golden hair. The Vanyar often called themselves by their ancient name **Minyar** (meaning "Firsts"; singular *Minya*; adjectival *Minyarin*). This name did not refer to the Avari who remained in Middle-earth, since all of the Vanyar heeded the call of the Valar to come to Valinor.[*citation needed*]

## Relations

Galadriel was the granddaughter of Indis. It was to her Vanyarin blood that Galadriel owed her famous silver-golden hair.

## Other versions of the legendarium

In the earliest versions of J.R.R. Tolkien's mythology, two names used for the first tribe of the Elves were *Teleri* and subsequently *Lindar*. Both terms were later reused for the third tribe, initially called *Solosimpi*. Another term initially used for the Vanyar was ***Ingwi***, as they were the people of Ingwë, High King of the Elves.

The **Ñoldor** (Quenya: "Deep Ones", meaning "those with knowledge"), singular ***Ňoldo***, also known as the **Deep-elves**, were the second clan of those Elves who joined the Great March and came to the West.

According to legend, they were originally the **Tatyar**, meaning "Second Ones". This tribe was begun by Tata, the second Elf to awake at Cuiviénen, along with his wife Tatië and their 54 companions — but the first Ñoldo to come to Valinor was Finwë, who became their king and led most to the Undying Lands. However, fully half the Tatyar refused the call of the Valar, and thus became counted among the Avari. The Ñoldor who came to Aman spoke Quenya, or, more specifically, its Ñoldorin dialect.

They were also called **Deep-elves**, **Sword-elves**, **Aulendur** ("Servants of Aulë"), **Noldoli** or Gnomes, **Golodhrim** in Sindarin, and **Golug** in the Black Speech. The singular form of *Ñoldor* is *Ñoldo* and the adjective *Ñoldorin*. They were the Second Clan of the Elves in both order and size, the other clans being the Vanyar and the Teleri. They typically had dark hair, except for those of Vanyarin blood, most prominently the golden haired members of the House of Finarfin.

The Ñoldor were considered the greatest of the Elves in lore and craft. Fëanor was the greatest of their artisans, and their second and briefest-reigning King. When Melkor killed Finwë and stole the Silmarils, Fëanor renamed Melkor *Morgoth* ("Black Enemy"), and persuaded the Ñoldor to pursue Melkor to Middle-earth and wage the War of the Jewels against him.

## Contents

* 1History
	+ 1.1Years of the Trees
	+ 1.2Sundering of the Ñoldor
	+ 1.3Efforts against Morgoth
	+ 1.4In the Second Age
	+ 1.5After the Second Age
* 2High Kings
* 3Etymology
* 4Other versions of the legendarium
* 5House of Finwë
* 6Translations
* 7References

## History

### Years of the Trees

In Valinor, the Ñoldorin Elves were first ruled by High King Finwë. They became friends and students of the Vala Aulë, due to their love of craft and the knowledge he imparted to them. They built the city of Tirion and dwelled there with the Vanyar until they departed. Then Finwë's wife Míriel gave birth to her only son, Fëanor, and was spent in mind and spirit. Miriel's spirit passed to the Halls of Mandos, depriving Finwë of joy in Valinor. But Fëanor proved to be a mighty Elf lord; subtle in speech, and the most skilled craftsmen of the Ñoldor. When he was come to his prime, Fëanor wrought the Silmarils, the great jewels that contained the light of the Two Trees. But he was prideful and arrogant, and did not take kindly to his father's second marriage to Indis of the Vanyar. From her Finwë fathered two more children who would found their own houses; Fingolfin and Finarfin. This was the first cause of disunion in the House of Finwë, as Fëanor had little love for his half-siblings.

When Melkor was released from captivity, he sought to exploit that disunion in a bid to gain the Silmarils and estrange the Ñoldor from the Valar. He spread lies amongst the Ñoldor, claiming that the Valar were keeping them in Aman so they would not be able to rule the lands of Middle-earth, and that Fingolfin and Fëanor were plotting against each other. When Fëanor drew sword against Fingolfin, the Valar intervened and banished Fëanor from Valmar and Tirion to the mountain fortress of Formenos. Embittered by his son's exile, Finwë went with him, leaving the rule of the Ñoldor to Fingolfin. The Ñoldor grew restless as they began to hunger for the unguarded lands of Middle-earth.

### Sundering of the Ñoldor

Once Melkor destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor and slew Finwë, he also stole the Silmarils and fled to Middle-earth. An enraged Fëanor then spoke before all of the Ñoldor and gave an impassioned speech. He urged them to leave the land of the Valar and take up kingdoms in Middle-earth, where they could rule as they wished. Many of the royal line, including Galadriel, wished indeed to see Middle-earth and rule their own fair kingdoms. Fëanor and his sons then swore a terrible Oath to reclaim the Silmarils, with the promise of retribution for any who should withhold them. The Ñoldorin Host gathered, though the greater part followed Fingolfin, trusting his wisdom over Fëanor's arrogance.

The Ñoldor led by Fëanor marched north and demanded that the Falmari let them use their ships. When the Falmari refused, Fëanor and his host attacked the port of Alqualondë, which had been built by the Teleri, committing the first Kinslaying. Fëanor's host then took possession of the ships. Not long afterwards, the Ñoldor were confronted by Mandos, the Doomsman of the Valar. Mandos delivered the Prophecy of the North, pronouncing doom on the Ñoldor for the Kinslaying and warning that if they continued they would not recover the Silmarils and moreover that there would be great grief in the tragedy that would befall them. At this, some of the Ñoldor who had no hand in the Kinslaying, including Finarfin, returned to Valinor, and the Valar forgave them. Other Ñoldor led by Fingolfin, some of whom were blameless in the Kinslaying, remained determined to leave Valinor for Middle-earth. Prominent among these others was Finarfin's daughter, Galadriel.

Fëanor and his host crossed the sea to Middle-earth leaving those led by Fingolfin, his half-brother, behind. Upon his arrival in Middle-earth, Fëanor had the ships burned. When Fingolfin and his host discovered their betrayal, they went farther north and crossed the sea by means of the Helcaraxë. Many of them died while crossing the cruel hills of ice, including Turgon's wife Elenwë. The departure of the Ñoldor out of the Undying Lands marked the beginning of the First Age, and the years of the Sun. At last, the Host of Fingolfin arrived in Middle-earth, and their journey through the Helcaraxë was one of the greatest deeds of renown. Few deeds of the Ñoldor would ever surpass this, but the bitterness of the crossing had kindled fresh hatred for the House of Fëanor.

Fëanor's company was soon attacked by Morgoth. When Fëanor rode too far from his retinue during the Dagor-nuin-Giliath (year 1 of the First Age) he was slain by Gothmog and the other Balrogs.

Because Fëanor had taken the ships and left the remaining Ñoldor in Aman, the royal houses of the Ñoldor were feuding. But Maedhros, eldest son of Fëanor, had been captured by Morgoth. Fingon, son of Fingolfin, who remembered great friendship between himself and Maedhros, rescued him from the slopes of Thangorodrim. For this deed the Ñoldor rejoiced and their feud was ended. By right Maedhros had succeeded Fëanor as King, but in gratitude he renounced the Kingship to his uncle Fingolfin, who became the third High King of the Ñoldor. His brothers did not agree to this, and began to refer to themselves as the Displaced, because the High Kingship had passed them by. Nevertheless, the princes of the Ñoldor established great realms in Beleriand, and to many it seemed the words of Fëanor were justified. Here the Ñoldor were mighty and lordly, rather than at the bottom of the hierarchy in Valinor. And for a while there was peace between the Houses of Fingolfin and Fëanor. But the Sons of Fëanor was still bound by their Oath, which in turn was tied to the Curse of Mandos.

### Efforts against Morgoth

Fingolfin reigned long in the land of Hithlum, and his younger son Turgon built the hidden kingdom of Gondolin. Fingolfin's reign was marked by warfare against Morgoth and in the year 60 of the First Age the Ñoldor started the Siege of Angband, the great fortress of Morgoth. But in the year FA 455 the siege was broken by Morgoth (in the Dagor Bragollach), and Fingolfin perceived that the war against Morgoth was utterly futile. In his fury, Fingolfin rode to Angband and challenged Morgoth to single combat. Reluctantly, Morgoth came forth to duel him. Fingolfin dealt Morgoth seven wounds from which he never healed, but at last Fingolfin was slain, hewing Morgoth's foot with his last blow. Thorondor, Lord of the Eagles, scratched Morgoth's face and took Fingolfin's body. His eldest son Fingon succeeded him as High King of the Ñoldor.

In the year 471, Maedhros organized an all-out attack on Morgoth and this led to the Nírnaeth Arnoediad. The battle was a great disaster for the Ñoldor, and Fingon was slain. He was succeeded by his brother Turgon, but Fingon's son Gil-galad escaped to the Havens of the Falas.

Turgon had withdrawn to Gondolin and tried to keep the kingdom hidden from Morgoth. The city was so hidden that even some Ñoldor were unaware of its location, and Turgon was High King in name alone. In FA 510, Gondolin was betrayed by Maeglin and sacked. During the attack Turgon was killed; however many of his people escaped and found their way south. As Turgon had no sons, the Kingship passed back to Fingon's son Gil-galad, becoming the sixth and last High King of the Ñoldor.

Finally, the Valar came down to Middle-earth and in the year 583 the War of Wrath was fought and Morgoth was cast into the Void. However, Beleriand sank into the sea, except for a part of Ossiriand which became Lindon, and a few isles. The defeat of Morgoth marked the beginning of the Second Age. The Ñoldor were once again summoned to Valinor and the Curse of Mandos was laid to rest. Some departed because they had grown weary of grief, but many refused to leave the lands they had laboured in for so long. Moreover others refused out of pride, unwilling to relinquish their high status in Middle-earth. The last of the great leaders was Galadriel, who stayed due to her pride, reasoning that her family had never done any wrong and that she was mightier in Middle-earth.

### In the Second Age

Gil-galad founded a new kingdom at Lindon, and ruled throughout the Second Age, longer than any of the High Kings except for Finwë. He was also accepted as High King by the Ñoldor of Eregion.

Despite their prosperity and power, the Ñoldor were not at peace. While they had refused Valinor in favour of retaining their lordship in the lands of Middle-earth, they still desired the bliss that Valinor promised. It was the doom of Elves that, though immortal, in the land of mortals they felt the weariness of time and change. This weariness only grew as the years went by. In Valinor the lands were hallowed and enchanted, allowing the Elves to live in eternal bliss, but in mortal lands there was no such power to sustain them.

It was at this time that Annatar, Lord of Gifts, came forth with the offer of the very bliss that the Elves desired. Gil-galad, Galadriel and Elrond distrusted this mysterious figure and shunned him. But in Eregion, Annatar's teachings were held in awe by the Ñoldor Elves and they received him gladly. Their leader was Celebrimbor, the grandson of Fëanor himself, and he had inherited much of his grandfather's skill. Such was Annatar's knowledge that he was believed to be an emissary of Aulë, as he first proclaimed. Annatar taught Celebrimbor the art of crafting Rings of Power. In secret Celebrimbor forged the three greatest rings; Narya, Nenya, and Vilya. These rings were imbued with a spiritual power that could protect and preserve all things unstained, warding off the effects of time. Thus the desire of the Elves was fulfilled in the making of these rings. The three were secretly distributed to some of the High Elf Lords. Galadriel received Nenya, Gil-galad received Vilya and Narya was given to Círdan. But they were deceived, for Annatar had crafted the rings for a different purpose; to bind all the bearers together as slaves. Annatar was actually Sauron in disguise, and he treacherously forged a ruling Ring to govern all the other rings and their respective bearers. However, when Sauron placed the One Ring on his finger, the Elves suddenly became aware of him due to the powerful connection between the rings. They heard Sauron speak the dreaded words of doom, and the Elves understood that he would be master of their own minds. The Elves narrowly avoided this trap and took off their rings.

Knowledge of the craft of the Rings was lost once Sauron declared war, destroyed Eregion, and slew Celebrimbor.

By this time Sauron had deceived the Númenóreans and managed to return from Númenor to his refuge in Mordor. But in his absence he had overlooked the growing power of Gil-galad. In the meantime The Faithful Númenóreans, fleeing the destruction of their island, established the Realms in Exile, ruled by Gil-galad's friend Elendil. Sauron hated both the Númenóreans and the Ñoldor, and tried to destroy Gondor before it could take root, but was unable to take its capital, Osgiliath. Then Elendil and Gil-galad took counsel and formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, a mighty host of Ñoldor and Númenóreans.

This host set out for Mordor and defeated Sauron's forces in the Battle of Dagorlad and finally in the Siege of Barad-dûr. There Gil-galad proved mighty enough to duel with Sauron himself, and with Elendil's help they inflicted enough wounds on Sauron that the Dark Lord's mortal form was destroyed. But Gil-galad was burned to death by the heat of Sauron's hand, and so ended the High Kingship of the Ñoldor. No new High King was chosen, as Gil-galad left no heir and no one else had a strong enough claim. For this reason, the High Kingship of the Ñoldor was said to have passed overseas, to the Ñoldor of Valinor, ruled by Finarfin, the third son of Finwë who had never left. Afterwards Elrond, descended from Turgon through his daughter Idril, was reckoned as a leader of the Ñoldor, but remained only the Lord of Rivendell. Many Ñoldor died in the War of the Last Alliance, with most of the remainder sailing over the sea.

### After the Second Age

With Sauron defeated and the One Ring lost, the Elves were free to use the three rings to create their enchanted kingdoms. However, when the Istari arrived in Middle-earth at Mithlond, Círdan gave Narya to Gandalf to aid him in his labours, perceiving him to be the purest of heart. In at least two realms, Rivendell and Lothlórien, the bliss of the Eldar was preserved. Those Elves who dwelt within these regions again tasted the bliss of Valinor and did not feel the weight of time. Through the Third Age, the Ñoldor dwindled, and by the end of the Age the only Ñoldor remaining in Middle-earth were in Rivendell, Galadriel in Lothlórien and bands that lingered in the Grey Havens. The Three rings were free from any evil, having been made without Sauron ever seeing them. But since they were still made by the same art as the other rings, the Three were still bound to the One Ring. With the One Ring's destruction and Sauron's permanent defeat, the power of the three rings faded and the last of the Ñoldor Elves began to grow weary again. Eventually, Galadriel and Elrond took the ship for Valinor and departed Middle-earth and Lothlórien was abandoned. From the Fourth Age and beyond Rivendell was the only remaining Ñoldorin settlement left in Middle Earth, ruled by Elladan and Elrohir who remained behind when Elrond left.

## High Kings

1. Finwë, first High King
2. Fëanor, first son of Finwë
3. Maedhros, first son of Fëanor, who laid aside his claim and abdicated in favor of Fingolfin
4. Fingolfin, second son of Finwë
5. Fingon, first son of Fingolfin
6. Turgon, second son of Fingolfin
7. Ereinion Gil-galad, son of Orodreth

After Gil-galad's death, the High Kingship in Middle-earth under the Ñoldor came to an end. Of the descendants of Finwë, the descendants of Elros (the Kings of Arnor) did claim the title High King but there is no indication that this referred anything other than a High Kingship over the Dúnedain. It is unclear whether Elros and his brother Elrond were considered eligible at all, but Elrond never claimed Kingship, implying that they were not. However, at this point, the number of Ñoldor remaining in Middle-earth was few, and Elrond might have simply deemed the question moot.

According to *The Silmarillion*, Finarfin took the kingship of those Ñoldor who remained in Aman during the Exile, though whether he was considered a "High King" or not (either at the time of the Exile and after the War of Wrath) is unclear. Another possibility is that in Aman there was no High King other than Ingwë. Although Míriel had renounced her right to re-embody (as per the rules of the Statute of Finwë and Míriel), there is no reason that Finwë might not have done so (and, in fact, the text of *The Silmarillion* implies that eventually he did). Similarly, as lineal heir to Turgon, Eärendil the Mariner might have made a claim.

Much of this speculation stems from attempts to divine the rules of inheritance and succession for the Ñoldor. Among humans, the "divine right" implied by Tolkien follows the rules of primogeniture. On the other hand, Elves are immortal, and can reincarnate even if they are physically killed. Iron-clad rules for succession may simply not exist. Supporting this viewpoint is the controversy between Fingolfin and Maedhros. It can be read that Maedhros had, but gave up, the "right" to High Kingship; on the other hand, these might have simply been the two strongest contenders for the position. Asserting but giving up a right would automatically forestall claims from his younger brothers, and provide legitimacy to Fingolfin that Elves of every party would recognize.

## Etymology

***Ñoldor*** is a Quenya word meaning 'those with knowledge'. ***Lachend*** was one Sindarin name that other Elves gave them, which translates as 'flame-eyed'.

## Other versions of the legendarium

In the early versions of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, the name of the Ñoldor was **Gnomes** and then **Noldoli**. At this stage of development, the Gnomes were called by Men *Widris*, that means "wisdom" or "wise". They were still called Gnomes in early editions of *The Hobbit* and *Beren and Lúthien* (2017) reintroduces the use of Gnomes and Noldoli in the complete tale. Outside of the legendarium, a group of *Red Gnomes*, or *Red Elves*, is present in *The Father Christmas Letters*. The Gnomes also originally spoke Gnomish, a Welsh-like language that later became Sindarin.

The spelling *Ñoldor* is used in later writings, but even in earlier versions the name *Ñoldo* came from a Primitive Quendian stem \*NGolodō, which led to *NGoldo* (Ñoldo) in Quenya and ***Golodh*** in Sindarin. However, by the Third Age, Quenya as it was spoken in Middle-earth had voiced the "ng" phoneme as a regular "n", making the effective pronunciation during the Age as *Noldor*.

The family tree given above is correct in the placement of Orodreth and Gil-galad: Orodreth was Angrod's son, and Gil-galad was Orodreth's son, thus the grandson of Angrod and great-grandson of Finarfin, and brother to Finduilas. These are wrongly placed in the published *Silmarillion*. Argon, the third son of Fingolfin, does not appear in the published *Silmarillion* at all.

The **Teleri** (Quenya: IPA: [ˈteleri]; meaning *Those who come last*; singular **Teler**; IPA: [ˈteler]; adjectival **Telerin**; [ˈtelerin]) were the third of the Elf clans who came to Aman. Those who came to Aman became known as the Falmari. They were the ancestors of the Valinorean Teleri, and the Sindar, Laiquendi, and Nandor of Middle-earth.

The third clan was the largest of the three houses of the Elves, and most of the Avari originally belonged to them. In ancient times they named themselves **Lindar** (Q. IPA: [ˈlindar]; singular ***Linda***; adjectival ***Lindarin***; [ˈlindarin]), or "Singers", because they were known for their fair voices. They were also called **Nelyar** (Q. IPA: [ˈneʎar]; "The Third"; singular **Nelya**; adjectival **Nelyarin**; [ˈneʎarin]). The Sindar of Beleriand called themselves simply *Edhil*, which means *Elves*, and is related to the Quenya word *Eldar* of the same meaning. According to legend, the Teleri were descended from Enel, the third Elf to awake in Cuiviénen , his spouse Enelyë and their 72 companions, but it was Olwë, younger brother of the Telerin emissary Elwë, who became their king.

## Contents

* 1History
* 2Other versions of the legendarium
* 3References
* 4Translations

## History

The Teleri were sundered from the first two clans, the Vanyar and the Ñoldor, because they tarried behind searching for their lost king Elwë (later known as Thingol), and the first two clans were ferried across to Valinor on a huge island before. The Maia Ossë kept them company while they waited, and became their friend. Later when Ulmo returned with the island ferry, the Teleri had grown to love the sea. Ossë convinced Ulmo to anchor the island in the Bay of Eldamar, off the shores of Aman, and persuaded many of the Teleri to remain in Middle-earth. The Teleri long remained on Tol Eressëa, and their language changed in different ways from that of the Vanyar and Ñoldor. Much later the Teleri learned to build ships, and finally made it to Aman.

The Teleri refused to join the Ñoldor in leaving Valinor, and many of them were justly slain in the Kinslaying at their chief city of Alqualondë, or Swan Harbour, when they refused to supply the exiles with their swan ships, and started attacking the Ñoldor. For this reason few or none of the Teleri joined the host of the Valar which set out to capture Morgoth for good. It is recounted that the Teleri eventually forgave the Ñoldor for the Kinslaying, and the two kindreds were at peace again.

Their tongue, known as *Telerin* or *Lindalambë* (tongue of the Lindar), was considered by some to be a dialect of Quenya, but the Teleri themselves considered it to be an independent language. It was much more conservative than Quenya, and was the closest to Common Telerin (from which Sindarin and Nandorin were also derived), and even to Common Eldarin of the later Elvish languages.[*citation needed*]

## Other versions of the legendarium

In the early versions of J.R.R. Tolkien's mythology (*see* *The History of Middle-earth*), they were known as ***Solosimpi*** ("Pipers of the Shores"), while the names *Teleri* and *Lindar* were given to the clan of Elves known in the published version of *The Silmarillion* as Vanyar.

The **Sindar** (Q.: *"Grey Ones"*), singular ***Sinda***, also known as the **Grey-elves**, were a sub-group of the Telerin Elves, who chose to stay in Beleriand and thus did not complete the Great Journey to Aman. These Elves were likely considered "grey" by the Ñoldorin Exiles because they were neither Elves of the Light, having never set foot in the Undying Lands, nor Avari, or the Elves of Darkness, setting out on the journey and therefore counting among the Eldar. Eventually, the Sindar were reconsidered as Úmanyar, or the Elves of the Twilight, along with their Nandorin brethren, some of whom became the Laiquendi of Ossiriand.

They referred to themselves simply as ***Edhil*** (S.: *"Elves"*), singular *Edhel*.

## Contents

* 1History
* 2Spoken languages
* 3High Kings of the Sindar
* 4Translations
* 5References

## History

The Teleri were the greatest host of the Eldar. They had two kings, the brothers Elwë Singollo (or Elu Thingol as he was later known in the Sindarin tongue) and Olwë. When the Teleri reached Beleriand during the Great Journey from Cuiviénen, Thingol went wandering in the forests. In the forest of Nan Elmoth he met Melian, one of the Maiar. They fell in love, and with Melian, Thingol stood spellbound in Nan Elmoth for several years.

Olwë and many of the Teleri could not delay longer, and went to Aman without Elwë and his following. Elwë's followers stayed in Beleriand, to search for their king. At long last, he awoke from the spell and set up a kingdom in the midst of Beleriand: Eglador (Land of the Forsaken, or Land of the Elves). The Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost in the Blue Mountains were contracted to aid in the building of the city of Menegroth.

Other Teleri also stayed behind: these were the friends of Ossë the Maia, who had fallen in love with the shores of Middle-earth, and did not wish to depart. Their leader was Círdan the Shipwright, and they established cities at Eglarest and Brithombar. They were known as the Falathrim, or Elves of the Falas (Shore). They were not part of the realm of Eglador, but still took Thingol as their High King.

Yet other stray bands of Teleri settled in Nevrast and Hithlum to the north of Eglador, although these did not form any realms. The Teleri of Eglador, the northlands, and the Falas were also known as Sindar, in later days, because they developed a civilisation all their own, which almost equalled that of the Calaquendi.

A last group of Teleri in Beleriand was the Laiquendi: they were descended from the Nandor, who had split from the Great Journey before the Hithaeglir, and gone south along the Great River Anduin. A part of them, under Denethor, son of Lenwë, crossed the Blue Mountains, and eventually settled in Ossiriand, or as it was later known: Lindon. They remained a people apart for long, although many of them removed to Thingol's realm after Denethor was killed.

Thus the friends of Elwë Singollo, who remained waiting for him while he was lost in Nan Elmoth, the Falathrim, and the Laiquendi and the other Nandor who entered Beleriand were counted among the Sindar. Although they were Moriquendi Elves and thus never went to Aman, the Sindar achieved great wisdom during the Sleep of Yavanna, for they were guided by Círdan, Melian the Maia, and Elwë, who as Elu Thingol who had returned as a great overlord of Elves. Thingol's kingdom was to become the center of Sindarin power and culture. Many Sindar lived in Mithrim and the Falas, and some still wandered in the forests.

The Sindar were somewhat scorned but respected by the Ñoldorin exiles who returned to Middle-earth to found great realms and wage war against the Dark Lord Morgoth. The Sindar did not play a very active offensive role in the Battles of Beleriand in the War of the Jewels, although they did suffer heavily from the forces of Morgoth. Their overall relationship with the Ñoldor was a somewhat contentious one; the Ñoldor, for their part, held themselves in overall higher esteem than the Sindar, and were a bit contemptuous of the Sindar's relative lack of will to fight Morgoth. The Sindar often saw their cousins as arrogant trespassers, and many also at least somewhat blamed them for the return of Morgoth and all the misery it entailed. Although Thingol continued to claim overlordship over all Beleriand in practice most Sindar withdrew into Doriath behind the Girdle of Melian to escape Morgoth's power. With the ruin of Doriath and fall of the Falas, Sindar refugees escaped to the Isle of Balar or east into Eriador. At the end of the First Age and again at the end of the Second Age, many Sindar went over the Great Sea, and throughout succeeding ages, there was a steady migration of Sindar to the West. Those of the Sindar who remained in Middle-earth dwelt in Lindon or in Elven-realms such as the Woodland Realm. In later ages the Sindar were counted fully among the Eldar.

The Sindar were happy dwelling in Middle-earth, but once the desire for the Sea was aroused in them, they could not be content until they sailed to Eldamar in the Far West. Although less learned and powerful than the Calaquendi and less interested in crafts than the Ñoldor, they were extremely gifted in music, and their voices were very fair.

## Spoken languages

The Sindar spoke Sindarin; they invented the Cirth. The language of the Sindar diverged from common Telerin Elvish over the long ages they were sundered from their kin, and became known as Sindarin. By the time the Ñoldor arrived in Beleriand, the languages had become mutually unintelligible, but the Ñoldor were quick to learn it. In the Second and Third Age, Sindarin became known as the Noble Tongue, and became the Elvish tongue used in daily speech throughout Middle-earth (helped by the decree of Thingol, who forbade the use of the Ñoldorin language in his realm). It was also adopted for daily use by the Númenóreans, and remained somewhat in use in the Realms in Exile of Gondor and Arnor.

Sindarin eventually replaced Ñoldorin Quenya as the language used by the Ñoldor in Beleriand, even in predominantly Ñoldorin settlements such as Gondolin, although Quenya survived as a language of universal knowledge and ancient lore.