Dates: Immortal; existed before the creation of Arda�
Pronunciation: e'roo Meaning: 'The One' Other Names: Il�vatar Titles: The One Called 'The One', and more commonly known in Middle-earth as Il�vatar.
Eru was the creator of the Ainur, and through their Music founded the realm of Arda.

o Ainur -- The Holy Ones

Meaning: 'The Holy Ones' Pronunciation: eye'noor ('eye' as in the English word) Note: 'Ainur' is a plural term; the singular form is 'Ainu'.

"There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Il�vatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought..." First words of the Ainulindal�

The primordial spirits, who existed with Il�vatar, and with Him created the world through the Music of the Ainur. After the creation of Arda, many of the Ainur descended into it to guide and order its growth; of these there were fifteen more powerful than the rest. Fourteen of these great Ainur became the Valar, or Powers of Arda. The fifteenth, Melkor, turned aside from that path and became the first Dark Lord. The many lesser Ainur that accompanied the Valar into Arda are known as Maiar.

Origins of the Ainur

The Ainur were the first, and mightiest, beings created by Il�vatar in the depths of time before the beginning of the World. The Ainur were the 'offspring of [Il�vatar's] thought', and each was given understanding only of that part of the mind of Il�vatar from which he or she came. The exception to this was Melkor, the greatest of the Ainur, who had a part of the gifts of all the others. The Ainur were 'kindled with the Flame Imperishable', which can be taken to mean that they were granted free will by their creator. Il�vatar instructed them in the arts of music, until he brought them together to make the Music of the Ainur; the great song that created the Vision of Il�vatar and ultimately the real World.

The Ainur and the World

Through the Music of the Ainur, Il�vatar created a Vision of the World; he showed it to the Ainur, and explained much of its nature and destiny to them - so the Ainur have much knowledge of the World, but are not omniscient. Then, Il�vatar granted the World true being. Melkor and many of the other mighty Ainur desired to descend into it and form it in readiness for the coming of the Children of Il�vatar (that is, Elves and Men). These became the beings known as the Valar and the Maiar. Those Ainur who entered the World at its beginning remain bound to it until its end. Though Melkor was eventually thrown into the Void by the others, he is prophesied to return before the end. Little is known of the ultimate future of the Ainur, even by themselves, but it is said that, after the great battle at the end of the World, they will make a Second, even greater, Music with the Children of Il�vatar.

The Line of Melian

Among the many Ainur that entered the World long ago, there was one of the order of the Maiar named Melian. Alone of all the Ainur, she wedded one of the Children of Il�vatar, King Elu Thingol of Doriath. From her, a strain of the Ainur entered the bloodlines of the Elves and Men, passed down through generation after generation, and was still present at the time of the War of the Ring. Elrond was Melian's great-great-grandson, and Aragorn, too, was her descendant, though through many more generations than Elrond.

o Valar The Powers of the World Race: Ainur Pronunciation: va'lar Meaning: 'The Powers' Titles: (Gods, Great Ones, Lords of the West, The Powers, Powers of Arda, Powers of the World) Note: 'Valar' is a plural term; the singular form is 'Vala'

'Valar' is the name given to the fourteen powerful spirits who took physical form and entered Arda after its creation to give order to the world and combat the evils of Melkor. They dwelt originally on the Isle of Almaren, but after its destruction long ages before the Awakening of the Elves they removed to Aman and there founded the realm of Valinor.

Lords of the Valar and Queens of the Valar (Valier)

* Manw� S�limo
* Varda Elent�ri
* Ulmo
* Yavanna Kement�ri
* Aul� the Smith
* Nienna
* Orom�
* Est� the Gentle
* Mandos (N�mo)
* Vair� the Weaver
* L�rien (Irmo)
* V�na the Ever-young
* Tulkas Astaldo
* Nessa

This table shows the fourteen Valar in 'due order' (i.e. in descending order of power). Names shown in bold indicate one of the eight Aratar, the mightiest of the Valar. These are the names of the Valar as they were known to the Eldar in Valinor. In Middle-earth, they were known by other names of Sindarin origin; for example 'Elbereth' for Varda or 'Araw for Orom�. Their names among Men are said to be legend.

The Valar in the Beginning of Arda

The Valar where in origin the greatest of the Ainur who witnessed the Vision of Il�vatar and so descended into E� to fulfill the vision and create Arda. It seems that, in the first beginnings of the World, the four mightiest spirits came down into it; Manw�, Ulmo and Aul� to prepare it for the coming of the Children of Il�vatar, and Melkor to claim it for his own domain. There was conflict between Manw� and Melkor, and Manw� called many other spirits into the World to aid him in his struggle. Among these were the other Valar, and those of lesser order known as Maiar. Melkor then withdrew for a time from Arda to some other hidden place in the deeps of E�.

In time, Manw� and his followers began to achieve their purpose, and make the World ready for the coming of the Children. Seeing this, Melkor grew jealous, and returned to do battle over the fate of Arda. The Earth then saw great upheaval as the rival powers struggled over its destiny (it is thought that the Misty Mountains were raised at this time). Slowly, though, and with great hardship, the Valar succeeded in shaping the World, although everything they created was in some way marred by Melkor.

The Nature of the Valar

Like the Elves, those Valar who chose to enter the World at its beginning are bound to it until it reaches its destined end; they may not return to the Timeless Halls of Il�vatar. As spirits, the Valar have no fixed physical form, although they often took the shapes of the Children of Il�vatar. They could, though, assume any form they chose, or cast aside their shape altogether and travel formless and invisible through Arda.

o Maiar Lesser Ainur of Arda

Race: Ainur Pronunciation: my'arr (The final 'r' should be pronounced; 'rr' is used here to emphasize this)
Note: 'Maiar' is a plural term; the singular form is 'Maia'

Of the many spirits that descended into Arda at its beginning, those of lesser stature than the Valar, though they were still powerful, were known as Maiar. Each of the Maiar was attached to the 'people' of a particular Vala. So, for example, the Maiar Oss� and Uinen, as spirits of the sea, belonged to the people of Ulmo, while Curumo, the Maia who came to Middle-earth as Saruman, belonged to the people of Aul� the Smith.

In the Third Age, there were still Maiar in physical form to be found in Middle-earth. The most important of these were Saruman, Sauron (originally also of Aul�'s people), and Ol�rin, known as Gandalf, who belonged to the people of L�rien.

* Ilmar� -- handmaid of Varda
* E�nw� -- Banner-bearer and herald of Manw�
* Oss� and Uinen -- Guardians of the Inner Seas
* Melian -- Servant of both V�na and Est�
* Ol�rin -- Servant of L�rien but also went to house of Nienna

o Of the Enemy

o Melkor -- Mightiest of the Dwellers in Arda

Dates: Descended into Arda at its beginning, banished from the World at the end of the First Age
Race: Ainur Meaning: '(He Who) Arises in Might' Titles: Bauglir, Dark Lord Other Names: Morgoth Bauglir
Note: 'Melkor' is the true name of the first Dark Lord, and is used for him from his beginning until his theft of the Silmarils. Events of that period are described in this entry, but for events after his return to Middle-earth at the beginning of the First Age, see the entry for Morgoth Bauglir.

Said to have been the mightiest dweller in Arda, Melkor was of the same order of the Valar and equal in power to Manw� himself, who was Melkor's brother in the mind of Il�vatar. While the Valar descended into Arda to order and govern wisely, though, Melkor sought power for himself alone, and sought to bend all things to his own will.

All that the Valar made, Melkor looked to destroy; long before the Elves awoke, he threw down the Lamps of the Valar, destroying their dwelling in Almaren. They removed to Valinor, and fearing for the coming Elves, made war on Melkor and imprisoned him for three ages. By the time he was released, the Elves had come to Valinor; Melkor turned back to his evil ways; slaying Finw� and stealing the Silmarils, he destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor and fled back to his ancient fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth.

* Balrogs -- Demons of Fire. (Originally Maiar)

* Sauron -- Maia how was corrupted by Morgoth; he right hand man.

* Orcs -- Bred by Morgoth from captured Elves. His and Sauron's chief fighting force.
Meaning: Derives from Old English, 'demons' Other Names: Goblins, Glamhoth, Yrch Little is known for certain of the beginnings of the Orcs, the footsoldiers of the Enemy. It is said that they were in origin corrupted Elves captured by Melkor before the beginning of the First Age. In appearance, Orcs were squat, swarthy creatures. Most of them preferred the darkness, being blinded by the light of the Sun, but the kinds bred later in the Third Age such as the Uruk-hai could endure the daylight.

* Dragons -- Mighty reptilian creatures who ranked among the most feared of the servants of the Dark Lord. Of the origins of dragons, no tale tells; the first of them to be seen was Glaurung, Father of Dragons, who first issued from Angband in the middle of the First Age. After Glaurung came many others to strike fear into Elves and Men for the next three ages; among them were Ancalagon the first winged dragon, Scatha who dwelt in the cold northern wastes, and Smaug, last of the great dragons. Dragons have powers of intelligence and speech, and many are also able to cast the dragon-spell, a bewildering confusion that affects any who gaze into the eye of the creature. The dragons were not destroyed at the end of the Third Age; some are said to have survived to our own time, but the great worms and drakes of the Elder Days are no more. Orcs - Warring servents of the Dark Lords. There were three types:

-- Urul�ki -- Breathed fire; no flight

-- The Fire-Drakes -- Breathed fire; could fly

-- The Cold Drakes -- Probably no fire; could fly

o Elves The Elder Children of Il�vatar

Dates: The first Elves awoke some four ages (very roughly 19,000 years) before the beginning of the First Age
Other Names: Eldali�, Eldar, The Elder Children of Il�vatar, The Firstborn, People of the Stars, Quendi

The first Elves awoke by Cuivi�nen, the Water of Awakening in the far east of Middle-earth, long Ages before the Rising of the Sun or Moon. Unlike Men, the Elves were not subject to illness or death, and at the time of the Lord of the Rings, there were still at least two Elves in Aman who had awoken by Cuivi�nen in the first days; Ingw�, Lord of the Vanyar, and Olw�, brother of King Elu Thingol.

Origins and Early History

In the far eastern land of Cuivi�nen, on the shores of the Inland Sea of Helcar and beneath the mountains of the Orocarni, the Elves awoke under the starlight of the Years of the Trees. The Valar at first knew nothing of their coming, but they were soon discovered by the spies of Melkor, who sent his creatures to watch them and harass them. How long they existed in this perilous and unprotected state is not known, but the legends of those times, of the Hunter and of a dark Rider, were preserved in Valinor by the Eldar that came there. It is known that many of the ancient Elves were captured by Melkor and imprisoned in Utumno - it is generally thought that these hapless beings were the origins of the race of Orcs.

The Valar discovered that the Elves had awoken when Orom�, hunting in the lands of Middle-earth, heard their singing voices. He named them Eldar, the People of the Stars, but the Elves' own name for their kind was Quendi, those who speak with voices. Because of the horrors of Melkor, many of the Elves were at first suspicious of the Vala, but (after briefly returning to Valinor to tell the other Valar of his discovery) he remained with them and protected them for a time. Concerned for the safety of the Elves in Middle-earth, which was at that time under the control of Melkor, the Valar left Valinor and made war against the Dark Lord: this was the Battle of the Powers, which saw Melkor taken as captive back to Valinor.

The Great Journey

After the defeat of Melkor, the Valar debated the fate of the Elves - whether they should be left to dwell in Middle-earth, or brought to Valinor to be kept under the direct protection of the Valar. It was decided to bring them to the land of the Valar, and Orom� was sent back to Cuivi�nen to summon them. When he returned, though, he found that the Elves feared the Valar, and were reluctant to make the journey. Three ambassadors were chosen, Ingw�, Finw� and Elw�, to travel to Aman with Orom�, and help the Elves decide on their course. These three were filled with awe by what they saw there, and by the light of the Two Trees, and counseled their people to follow the summons.

The followers of Ingw�, and most of the peoples of Finw� and Elw� agreed, and set out on the Great Journey westwards across the wide lands of Middle-earth. These were the peoples later known as the Three Kindreds, the Vanyar, the Noldor and the Teleri. Not all the Elves obeyed the summons; those who refused are known as Avari, the Unwilling.

Orom� led the peoples of the Three Kindreds out of the east of Middle-earth. The Vanyar were the least numerous, and the most eager to reach Aman, and they came first on the Journey, followed by the Noldor of Finw�.

The Teleri, led by Elw� and his brother Olw�, were the greatest host, and many were uncertain and doubtful. Not a few of these people left the Journey and remained in Middle-earth. The most notable of those who turned from the Journey were the Nandor, who were led away down the Vales of Anduin by Lenw�.

At last, the Vanyar and the Noldor reached the shores of the Great Sea, in the regions between the Bay of Balar and the Firth of Drengist (regions later known, at least for the most part, as the Falas). Ulmo brought a great island to the shores, and on it transported the Elves to Aman.

The Teleri were the hindcomers, though, and arrived in Beleriand too late to embark on Ulmo's island. They dwelt for a while on the banks of the Gelion in eastern Beleriand, but later spread to the shores. In this time, two events of historical importance occurred - their lord Elw� was lost for a time in Nan Elmoth, and they encountered Oss�, a Maia of the Sea.

Many of the Teleri wished to remain in Beleriand, some to seek for their lost lord, and others because of desires stirred in their hearts by Oss�. When the time came for Ulmo to return to Beleriand to take the Teleri to Valinor, then, many of them remained behind. These people became known in after years as the Sindar, the Grey-elves, and those who dwelt by the shores under the lordship of C�rdan became known as the Falathrim.

Melkor Chained: Three Ages of Bliss

Now came three ages of glory and bliss for the Elves, both east and west of the Great Sea. In Valinor, the Vanyar and the Noldor, and those of the Teleri who completed the Journey, dwelt with the Valar and learned from them. They dwelt in the jeweled city of Tirion in the Pass of Light, and at the Swanhaven of Alqualond�, and beneath the tower of Avall�n� on the Lonely Isle of Tol Eress�a. While the Two Trees still gave light to the realm of the Valar, three ages passed, and the Elves of Valinor became the wisest and noblest of all the Children of Il�vatar. Meanwhile, in Beleriand, the Sindar dwelt beneath starlight. While most of Middle-earth still slept, awaiting the coming of the Sun and Moon, Melian the Maia brought life to the forests and plains of Beleriand under Thingol's rule, and Orom� would still ride at times across the darkling lands.

The Nature of the Elves

Both Elves and Men are the Children of Il�vatar, and so have much in common, but there are also great differences between the two peoples. Of these, the most significant is that Elves are 'immortal', at least while the World lasts; they do not suffer ageing or disease, and if they are slain or wither with grief, they are reincarnated in the Halls of Mandos in Valinor. Although, unlike Men, the Elves must remain in the world until its ending, they are not bound to Middle-earth. They may if they wish take the straight road, and sail into the Uttermost West, a road that is barred to mortals. Elves also have far clearer sight and perception than Men; they are naturally aware of many things that are hidden from the Younger Children, but these gifts are not without limit.

Religion

The Elves never had any distinct 'religion' in the sense that Men would understand the word; indeed, the High Elves had traveled to Valinor and lived with the Valar (or 'gods') themselves for many ages before Men came into the world. Of all the Valar, they most revered Varda Elent�ri, the spouse of Manw�; and Lady of the Stars. In Middle-earth, they called her Elbereth, Star-Queen, and sang to her across the wide ocean Belegaer. Great respect was also given to Ulmo, especially during the First Age when he aided the Elves against Morgoth.

o Dwarves The Children of Aul�

Dates: Made by Aul� in ancient days Other Names: Children of Aul�, Gonnhirrim, Khaz�d, Masters of Stone, Naugrim, Stunted People

"Baruk Khaz�d! Khaz�d aim�nu! Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!" The battle-cry of the Dwarves The Lord of the Rings Appendix F I: Of Other Races: Dwarves

Unlike Elves and Men, the Dwarves are not Children of Il�vatar; they were created by Aul� the Smith, though Il�vatar granted them life. Aul� made seven Fathers of the Dwarves, and these slept through many ages until after the Awakening of the Elves. Almost all the Dwarves that appear in Tolkien's works were descended from the eldest of the Seven Fathers, Durin the Deathless.

Like Aul� their maker, the Dwarves delighted in smithcraft and stoneworking; they mined and worked metals throughout the mountains of Middle-earth. The Dwarves kept themselves apart from the other races; their language, Khuzdul, was a closely guarded secret, and they told their true names to none but themselves (all the Dwarf-names in Tolkien are in the tongues of Elves or Men, not true Dwarf names).

Origins of the Dwarves

The first Dwarves were made long ages ago by Aul� the Smith. He had dimly perceived the coming Children of Il�vatar, and desired to make Children of his own to teach his many skills and arts. Aul�'s work was doomed, though, because he did not have the power to grant independent life to his creations - that power belonged to Il�vatar alone. When the Dwarves were completed, though, the voice of Il�vatar spoke to Aul� and agreed to grant them true life, and include them in His plan for Arda. Il�vatar would not allow the Dwarves to awaken, though, until after the Firstborn (the Elves), and so Aul� set them to sleep far apart from one another, deep underground, until the time came for their awakening.

The History of the Dwarves Before the First Age

Il�vatar promised Aul� that he would awaken the Fathers of the Dwarves 'when the time comes'. We must assume that he did so shortly after the Awakening of the Elves at Cuivi�nen (at approximately between 17,000 and 18,000 years before the beginning of the First Age). It seems that not long passed after their awakening before Durin the Deathless, eldest of the Fathers, founded Khazad-d�m (later called Moria) in the Misty Mountains. Certainly it was well established as their chief citadel by the time the first Dwarves crossed the Blue Mountains into Beleriand. This event is dated only as 'during the second age of the Captivity of Melkor', which would place it (approximately) between 13,000 and 16,000 years before the beginning of the First Age.

The Dwarves had no settlement in Beleriand itself, but they built two mighty citadels in the Blue Mountains; Gabilgathol to the north and Tumunzahar to the south. These fortress-cities are better known by the Elvish versions of their names: Belegost and Nogrod. The Dwarves also laid the long road that ran westwards out of the Blue Mountains and along the course of the River Ascar, crossing into East Beleriand at Sarn Athrad.

The Dwarves in Beleriand

For the Elves dwelling Beleriand, the first appearance of the Dwarves in the Blue Mountains was a startling revelation - until that time, the Elves had thought themselves the only speaking peoples in the World. Throughout the long ages, the Elves and Dwarves developed a mutual respect which, if not quite friendship, was far from enmity. After their return to Middle-earth at the beginning of the First Age, the Noldor became closest in friendship with the Dwarves - both peoples revered Aul�, and both had a love of craft and making that made them natural allies.

Of all the Elves of Beleriand, though, it was not a Noldor but a Sindarin Elf who became most trusted and respected by the Dwarves. This was E�l, the Dark Elf of Nan Elmoth, who traveled often to the dwarf-cities in the Blue Mountains, and who took also his son Maeglin during his youth.

The Nature of the Dwarves

Aul� made the Dwarves at a time when the World outside Aman still lay under the dominion of Melkor, and so he made them sturdy and hard to survive the dangers and hardships of that time. In nature, the typical Dwarf is stubborn and secretive. Though they make loyal and good friends, they are also a proud and stern race. They do not suffer grievance or insult, and their enmity is long-lasting. They are said, though, to be quick to learn new skills.

Probably the best known aspect of the Dwarvish character, though, is their strong instinctive skills in the working of metal and stone, no doubt derived from Aul� their maker, the Vala whose province these things were. In ancient times, they were said to have preferred working with copper and iron, though in later days they wrought gold and silver, and the mithril they found in the Mines of Khazad-d�m.

Dwarvish Mortality

Though they live much longer than Men (usually around 250 years), Dwarves are mortal creatures. What happens after their death, though, is a mystery. The Elves have said that the Dwarves return to the stone from which they were made, but the Dwarves have a different belief. According to Dwarvish tradition, they are gathered by Mahal (their name for Aul�) in a part of the Halls of Mandos set aside for them. After the end of the World and the Last Battle, they say, they will aid Aul� in the rebuilding of Arda.

o Men The Afterborn Children of Il�vatar

Dates: Awoke I 1 Other Names: The Afterborn, Apan�nar, Atani, Big Folk, Big People, The Children of the Sun, Engwar, F�rimar, The Followers, The Heavy-handed, Hildor, The Inscrutable, The Mortals, The Night-fearers, The Second People, The Self-cursed, The Sickly, The Strangers, The Usurpers, The Younger Children of Il�vatar

The youngest of the races of Arda (with the possible exception of Hobbits), the first Men awoke in the far eastern land of Hild�orien as the Sun first rose and the Noldor returned from Valinor. Seeing the sunrise, many of the first Men set out westwards, and so came eventually to Beleriand after some three hundred years of wandering. Men are unique in possessing the Gift of Men, Death, by which they leave the world after an allotted time and go beyond it.

Ents -- The Shepherds of the Trees

Dates: Originated shortly after the Elves
Meaning: Ent is in fact an Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'giant', and so is likely to have been given to this race by Men

Other Names: Onodrim, Shepherds of the Trees

A race of giant, tree-like people whose purpose was to protect the forests of Middle-earth. By the end of the Third Age, the great forests had dwindled, and so had the Ents, but they were still to be found in Fangorn Forest.

Hobbits -- The Little People

Dates: Date of origin unknown. First recorded in III 1050
Cultures: Bree-hobbits, Bucklanders, Shire-hobbits Other Names: Halflings, Holbytlan, Little People, Periannath
Meaning: 'Hole-builders', from the ancient Northern word, holbytlan See The History of 'Hobbit' below

A mortal race almost certainly related to Men, though their origins are unknown. Their most distinguishing feature was their short stature; even the tallest Hobbits rarely exceeded four feet in height.

Originally a widespread people, hobbits were found in much of the north of Middle-earth and down the Vales of Anduin. As the Third Age passed, the Hobbits moved north and west, eventually founding the land of the Shire in III 1601.

All Original content from The Encyclopedia of Arda �Mark Fisher 1997-2004. All Tolkien Information �Tolkien Enterprises a division of the Saul Zaentz Company and New Line Cinema under license from Tolkien Enterprises d/b/a Saul Zaentz Company. All rights reserved.