Elves
| Origin&History | Great Journey | Three Ages Of Bliss | Their Nature | Religion | Important Elves in LOTR |
The first Elves
awoke by Cuiviénen,
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
Cuiviénen in the first days; Ingwë,
Lord of the Vanyar,
and Olwë, brother of King Elu Thingol.
Origins
and Early History
In the far
eastern land of Cuiviénen, 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 Oromë, 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.
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 Oromë was sent back to Cuiviénen 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, Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë, to travel to Aman with Oromë, 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
Ingwë, and most of the peoples of Finwë and Elwë 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.
Oromë 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 Finwë.
The Teleri, led
by Elwë and his brother Olwë,
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 Lenwë.
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 hind comers, 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 Elwë was lost for a time in Nan Elmoth, and they
encountered Ossë,
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 Ossë. 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 Círdan 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 Alqualondë, and beneath
the tower of Avallónë
on the Lonely
Isle of Tol
Eressëa. 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 Ilúvatar.
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 Oromë would still ride at
times across the darkling lands.
The Nature
of the Elves
Both Elves and
Men are the Children
of Ilúvatar, 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 ageing1 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
Elentári, the spouse of Manwë;
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.
