Ainulindale
First of all, there was Eru. Also known as the father of all things, Iluvatar. Continuing his existence in the Timeless Halls in a vast space, Eru closed his loneliness with the Ainur he created from the Flame Imperishable. The strongest of the Ainur was Melkor. He had different requests than others. He wanted to possess. His desire to learn and to possess led him to his quest in outer space. Wanting to find the Flame Imperishable and create his own way of life, Melkor searched but returned empty-handed from the great void. But his lengthy adventure in the void made him think and be alone with himself for a long time. The more he thought about it, the more independent he became from the other Ainur.
Eru then taught them all to sing. So they could all sing Ainulindale together. A magnificent composition composed by Eru. But no matter how beautiful the song was, Melkor tried to break the song’s harmony every time. He broke the notes and sang another song. And he sang with such confidence that some Ainur also began to sing his song. Enduring this turmoil for a while, Eru then introduced a second, stronger song to them. But Melkor did not stop. He continued to sing his own music with great confidence. His music now prevented others from singing. Then Eru stopped and introduced his third song. Slower, deeper, and full of sadness. But Melkor’s aggressive and repetitive music once again dominated. He was speaking louder. Angered by this confusion, Eru turned to Melkor, uttering one more last note, and said: “Even the difference you are trying to create is among my plans.” Then he left the Timeless Halls and blended into eternity. Melkor was ashamed of what he heard and tried to hide his hatred and anger. Then the Ainur curiously followed after Eru.
Eru showed them the illusion of Arda. And he said your music is made this. Every inch of land and all the life forms that exist in it are yours. One by one, Eru showed them the elements made up of what they were singing. Even the defeatist song of Melkor. Impressed by what they saw, the Ainur wanted it to happen. They begged Eru. Seeing their request, Eru answered and created Ea for them. He then said his only condition: Those who left may never return to the Timeless Halls until their purpose in the universe has been accomplished. The strongest of the Ainur who accepted this condition were called the Valar, and the others the Maiar.
Arda
The Valar and Maiar began to shape this all-earth and sea world, as in Eru’s illusion. The leader of the Ainur was Manwe, the King of the Valar. Melkor also came to Arda. Manwe’s malignant brother. His desire to possess was higher than ever before. He wanted to develop his talents and become the lord of the world of Iluvatar’s children.
The Valar formed a completely symmetrical flat earth surrounded by the sea. But Melkor declared war on all that was done, just as in the Timeless Halls. He tried to disrupt it. This caused a war between Melkor and the Valar. Melkor was so powerful that he nearly won the battle. However, Tulkas the Strong, the last to arrive from the Timeless Halls, managed to defeat Melkor and chase him into the voids of space. Melkor’s departure brought about a brief time of peace.
An island appeared in the middle of the war-torn Arda. The Valar decided to settle on this island, which they named Almaren. Then they built two towers, Illuin to the north and Ormal to the south, to give light to Arda. Thus began the Spring of Arda period, when Arda attained life forms such as flowers, insects, and animals.
But Melkor had returned. Melkor again challenged the Valar, building his fortress north of Arda, which he named Utumno. And this time, the poison he released was affecting others as well. At this point, some Maiar changed sides and sided with Melkor. The Balrogs joined him. One of the defectors was Sauron, the dark lord. Sauron’s original name was Mairon, The Admirable. Burning with the love of craftsmanship of iron and various metals, Sauron was with Aule and learned all the intricacies of production from him. Wanting more like Melkor, Sauron left Almaren for a time as a spy in the Valar and went to Utumno with his lord.
Taking power behind him, Melkor attacked and poisoned all of Arda with his creatures. Melkor also damaged Ulluin and Ormal and caused the island to remain in darkness again. The attack was so strong that it split the island into three. On the left was Aman, in the middle was Endor or Middle-earth, and on the right was the Land of the Sun. In the war, Almaren, the home of the Valar, was also destroyed. Homeless, the Valar went to Aman and founded Valinor, which would be called the Land of the Valar, where they would spend their entire lives. They planted 2 trees on the island to give light to Aman: Telperion and Laurelin. Life began anew in Aman with the radiant trees. Flowers grew, and animals were born. During this process, Endor, or Middle-earth, was left without light in Melkor’s hands.
While the Valar produced beauty in Aman, Melkor did not stand still. Melkor, who built a second stronghold called Angband next to Utumno, was thus able to fend off attacks from the west with this fortress.
Valar and Maiar
The Valar owed their labor in Aman to the attributes they had been blessed with by Eru. Manwe, King of the Valar, was the lord of the winds. Eagles guarded Middle-earth for Manwe, who built his home on Taniquetil, the highest point of the universe. Manwe married Varda, the Vala who brought light into the universe. She had made Illuin and Ormal and Telperion and Laurelin. She was the one who would fill space with stars and put the sun and moon in the future.
Ulmo was the king of the seas. He was one of the main architects of Arda. Ulmo lived in his palace under the sea, Ulmanon. Aule, The Smith, aka The Maker, was a blacksmith. His irrepressible interest in breeding had driven him to create dwarves. Jealous of his father Eru’s Elves, Aule secretly made dwarves from him. But he could not escape his father’s eyes. His father allowed Aule’s children to stay. However, Aule had to put them to sleep until the day they woke up, as the time had not yet come. Aule’s wife, Yavanna, was The Fiver of Fruits. Yavanna was the creator of the flowers and animals that made Aman beautiful. Seeing the dwarves her husband had brought to life, Yavanna feared for the safety of the creatures she had given life to and went to Manwe and told him what she had thought. Thus the Ents were born. The Ents, the production of Yavanna, would be the sentinels of the forests.
Orome, the Great Hunter, and the Lord of Forests had their own forests in Valinor but were also visiting Middle-earth. His wife, Vana, The Ever Younger, was Yavanna’s younger sister. Vana loved everything. She used to bloom on the paths she walked. Her love for Laurelin, the Golden Tree, would help the sun rise in the future.
Mandos was the director of Jude of the Dead, Halls of Mandos. Souls who have completed their lives in Arda go to the Halls of Mandos and await their final fate. His wife, Vaire, the Weaver, was busy writing the whole story of the world to the Halls of Mandos.
Irmo, aka Lorien, Master of Dreams and Illusions, was the brother of Mandos. The two were known as the Master of Spirits, aka Feanturi. Irmo’s wife was Este. The Valar of Rest. Este was the Valar who healed the living beings and cared for them.
And then there was Tulkas, the Champion of the Valar. He would always be remembered as Melkor’s greatest foe. His wife, Nessa, the Dancer, was Orome’s sister. Nessa was known for her unstoppable speed and love for certain creatures, such as deer.
And finally, Nienna, Lady of Mercy, Mandos, and Lorien’s sister. Nienna, She Who Weeps, was saddened by the suffering and tragedies in the world. Gandalf the Gray, his most influential disciple, would go to Middle Earth in the third age to fight against evil.
Sources and Further Information
- Tolkien, J.R.R & Tolkien, Christopher. “The Silmarillion,” Houghton Mifflin Company (2004)
- Tolkien, J.R.R & İpek, Çiğdem Erkal “Translator”. “Yüzüklerin Efendisi,” Metis Yayınları (2007)
- Tolkien, J.R.R & Tolkien, Christopher. “The Children of Húrin,” HarperCollins (2007)
- Tolkien, J.R.R & Tolkien, Christopher. “Beren and Lúthien,” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2017)
- Tolkien, J.R.R & Tolkien, Christopher. “The Fall of Gondolin,” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2018)
- Orta Dünya – Legendarium Türkiye, YouTube
- Yüzüklerin Efendisi – Orta Dünya, YouTube
- Nerd of the Rings, YouTube