The Music, The Lamps and the Trees: Eä

The Music, The Lamps, and the Trees

The Beginning of Eä​

Tolkien's works on Eä begin with ​The Music, and the ages of the Lamps and the Trees.

​The Music of the Ainur

Eru Ilúvatar started a music in which the world was created. Some Ainur were​ given lead roles (the Valar) and the others were Maiar. Melkor—whom Ilúvatar had given the "greatest power and knowledge" of all the Ainur—broke from the harmony of the music to develop his own song. Some Ainur joined him, while others continued to follow Ilúvatar, causing discord in the music. This happened three times, with Eru Ilúvatar successfully overpowering his rebellious subordinate with a new theme each time. Ilúvatar then stopped the music and showed them a vision of Arda and its peoples. The vision disappeared, and Ilúvatar offered the Ainur the opportunity to enter into Arda and govern the new world.

Many Ainur accepted, taking physical form and becoming bound to that world. The greater Ainur became the Valar, while the lesser Ainur became the Maiar. The Valar attempted to prepare the world for the coming inhabitants (Elves and Men), while Melkor, who wanted Arda for himself, repeatedly destroyed their work; this went on for thousands of years and, through waves of destruction and creation, the world took shape.

​Tolkien describes this in the Ainulindalë.

Credit to Wikipedia for parts of the essay.

After the destruction​ of the Lamps, the Valar settled down in Aman, which was named Valimar. The city of Valinor was their home, and Yavanna (a Valar) created the Two Trees to light the world. Varda (another Valar) caused stars to shine, awakening the elves. Melkor captured a few of the weakest elves, and in his biggest crime ever, destroyed and manipulated the elves into the first orcs. In a huge and very destructive war to protect the elves, the Valar tracked down and took Melkor back to Valinor, to be imprisoned.

The Trees

The series of creating and destroying continued through the Years of the Lamps.

The Valar fought to create a safe space for the Children of Ilúvatar, Elves and Men. Melkor sought to destroy all safe spaces. the Years of the Lamps ended when Melkor destroyed the Lamps that lit the world, forcing the Valar to leave Middle-earth.

​

The Lamps

The Lamps and the Trees

Multiple Choice

How and when were the elves awakened?

• In the age of the Trees, Varda made stars shine to awake the elves

• In the age of the Stars, Yavanna made the Two Trees to awake the elves

• In the age of the Lamps, Manwë awoke the elves with magic

Multiple Choice

The greater Ainur became ___ and the lesser Ainur became ___

• Valar, Melkor

• Valar, Maiar

• Quenya, Eldar

• Melkor, Manwë

The Sundering of the Elves

The ​First Sundering of the Elves happened in the Years of the Trees, after Melkor was captured and held in Valinor.

The elves, also referred to as the Quenya or the Eldar, were given the choice to remain in Middle-earth (their homeland) or travel to Aman (where the Valar lived). After having witnessed the intensity of the war between the Valar and Melkor, the Eldar were unsure about any foreign entities. As such, the it was decided by the Elves to choose ambassadors, one from each kindred, to go to Valinor and report what they saw. The names of these representatives were Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë.

​Credit to the LOTR fandom for parts of the essay.

​The Different Types of the Elves

The three ambassadors returned within a year, reporting of the great wealth and wonder of Valinor. Those who accepted and then remained in Aman were the Vanyar; those who went to Aman but returned to Middle-earth were the Noldor; those who refused were the Teleri, including those who became the Sindar, ruled by Thingol and Melian. The Silvan Elves, those who stayed east of the Misty Mountains, were also considered Teleri and were ruled by Noldor or Sindar lords. All the Vanyar and Noldor, and later many of the Teleri, eventually reached Aman to stay.

Subject | Subject

Credit to Wikipedia for part of the essay.

Multiple Choice

Thingol and Melian ruled in Doriath, over the ___ elves.

• Quenya

• Eldest

• Sindarin

• Noldorin

Multiple Choice

Which was NOT a name for the continent or the city that the Valar lived in?

• Aman, a continent

• Valimar, a continent

• Valinor, a city

• The City of the Grey Shores, a city

Through slow manipulation and tricky words, Melkor wormed his way out of prison and started to corrupt the hearts of the Noldor.

This would eventually lead to the end of the Years of the Trees.