Two Trees of Valinor

The **Two Trees of Valinor** were **Telperion** and **Laurelin**, the Silver Tree and the Gold Tree that brought Light to the Land of the Valar in ancient times. They were destroyed by Melkor and Ungoliant, but their last flower and fruit were made by the Valar into the Moon and the Sun.

## History

### Creation and characteristics

The first sources of light for all of Arda were two enormous Lamps, Illuin, the silver one to the north and Ormal, the golden one to the south. These were cast down and destroyed by Melkor. Afterward, the Valar went to Valinor and Yavanna sang into existence the Two Trees, silver Telperion and golden Laurelin. Telperion was considered male and Laurelin female. The Trees sat on the hill Ezellohar located just outside the western gates of Valmar. They grew in the presence of all of the Valar, watered by the tears of Nienna.

Each tree was a source of light: Telperion's silver and Laurelin's gold. Telperion had dark leaves (silver on one side) and his silvery dew was collected as a source of water and of light. Laurelin had gold-trimmed leaves and her dew was likewise collected by Varda.

The Count of Time and the Years of the Trees began with the first light of Telperion. One "day" lasted twelve hours. Each Tree, in turn, would give off light for seven hours (waxing to full brightness and then slowly waning again), so that at one hour each of "dawn" and "dusk" soft gold and silver light would be given off together.

### Destruction

A jealous Melkor enlisted the help of the giant spider-creature Ungoliant (an ancestress of Shelob) to destroy the Two Trees. Concealed in a cloud of darkness, the two of them struck during a high feast. The Unlight of Ungoliant devoured the roots, while Melkor came onto Ezellohar, striking both Trees with his black spear. The sap of the Two Trees poured like blood upon Ezellohar where insatiable Ungoliant sucked it up, devouring whatever life and light remained before draining the Wells of Varda.

After Melkor and Ungoliant fled, Yavanna came onto Ezellohar, only to find that the Trees were dead, and their light lived on only within Fëanor's three Silmarils, which he refused to break to restore the Two Trees.

Yavanna sang and Nienna wept, yet they eventually succeeded only in reviving Telperion's last flower (to become the Moon) and Laurelin's last fruit (to become the Sun). These were assigned to lesser spirits, Tilion and Arien, respectively.

However, the true light of the Trees, before their poisoning by Ungoliant, was said to now reside only in the Silmarils. It is said that according to the Second Prophecy of Mandos, after the breaking of the Earth, the light of the Silmarils will be used by Yavanna to rekindle the Two Trees, which will light all the world.

## Legacy

The imagery of the Two Trees is used by the Eldar in their arts, either in poetry (like Elemmírë's *Aldudénië*) or crafts. Especially renowned were the images wrought by Turgon, named Glingal and Belthil.

The Two Trees of Valinor existed at a time when the only other sources of light were the stars (which had been created for the Elves' benefit by Varda from the dews collected from the Two Trees). When three Elven ambassadors were brought to see Valinor for themselves, in order that the Elves might be convinced to come to Valinor, it seems that the Two Trees affected them most significantly.

In particular Thingol seems to have been motivated in the Great Journey by his desire to see the Light of Valinor again (until he found contentment in the light he saw in Melian's face). Also in later times, the Elves would be divided between the *Calaquendi* who had seen the light of the Trees, and the *Moriquendi* who had not, with the former group explicitly superior in many ways.

In the Second and Third Ages, the White Trees of Númenor and of Gondor, whose likeness descends from that of Telperion, had a mostly symbolic significance. They stood both as symbols of the kingdoms in question, and also as reminders of the ancestral alliance between the Dúnedain and the Elves.