The Silmarillion

Oromë leads the hosts of the Vanyar and the Noldor to the shores of the Hither Lands. They speak with Ulmo, whose music cures the Elves of their fear of the raging waters. Ulmo raises a sunken island and moves it like a boat from one shore to the other. The Elves arrive at the feet of the Mountains of Aman and enter Valinor.

The Teleri remained in Middle-earth, having missed the summons of Ulmo. They wait for Elwë, make Olwë their lord, and then learn about the sea from Ossë and Uinen. They become the Elves who most love the water.

After a long time, Ulmo returns to collect the Teleri and this saddens Ossë, who convinces some of the Teleri to remain behind in his lands. They become the Falathrim (the Elves of the Falas), Middle-earth’s first mariners. The family of Elwë also remain behind, hoping to find him, and they become the Eglath, the Forsaken People. When Elwë is freed from his spell, he returns to them.

Olwë leads his Elves to the Bay of Eldamar, followed by Ossë. Ulmo always believed that the Elves should have remained in Middle-earth, and he also knows how much the Teleri love the sea. He anchors the moving island to the Valinor shore, though this annoys the other Valar and Finwë. This island becomes known as Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle.

Though the Elves have their space within Valinor, they still wish to see the stars occasionally. The Valar create a green hill for the Elves (named Túna), and the Elves build the city of Tirion upon it. Yavanna gifts the Elves a tree cut from Telperion, the Galathilion. They plant a seed from Galathilion in Tol Eressëa and name it Celeborn.

Manwë and Varda love the Vanyar while Aulë prefers the Noldor. He teaches the Noldor fantastic skills and soon they begin to exceed their master, shaping “earth-gems” (26) into many forms. Finwë is the Noldor king. His sons are Fëanor (whose mother was Míriel Serindë), Fingolfin, and Finarfin (whose mother was Indis of the Vanyar). Fëanor had seven sons: Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Caranthir, Curufin, and Amrod and Amras (who were twins). Fingolfin had three children: Fingon and Turgon (his sons) and a daughter named Aredhel the White. Finarfin’s sons were Finrod, Orodreth, Angrod, and Aegnor, while his daughter was named Galadriel.

The Teleri finally travel to the land of Aman when Ulmo sends Ossë to them, who provides the Elves with boats drawn by swans. Eventually, the Elves leave Tirion upon Túna for Manwë’s mountain home. Finwë is king of Tirion, Olwë is the king of Alqualondë, and Ingwë is “the High King of all the Elves” (27). Fëanor and his sons travel often, visiting Aulë and Oromë.

The Three Kindreds of the Elves are finally in Valinor, and Melkor remains in chains. This period of extended peace and harmony is named the Noontide of the Blessed Realm. The Elves invent writing and continue to improve their skills. Fëanor is born to Finwë and Míriel, after which she decides never to have another child, as the process sickened her. She is sent away to Irmo by Manwë to heal, though Finwë is sad that she will miss the first years of her son’s life. When Míriel lies down to sleep, her spirit leaves her body and never returns, though her body “remained unwithered” (28), and Finwë often returns to sit beside her. He turns his attention to his son, and Fëanor grows up to become one of the most skilled, learned, and impressive Elves. Fëanor marries Nerdanel. Though they have seven sons together, they eventually become estranged.

Finwë takes a second wife, Indis the Fair, who was “in all ways unlike Míriel” (28). Fëanor is displaced by this and has “no great love” (28) for either of his brothers. Many Elves would later blame this split for many of the dark things that came to pass.

The Noontide of Valinor was “drawing to a close” (29). Melkor completes the “term of his bondage” (29) and is brought before Manwë’s throne. Melkor sees the beauty around him and becomes angry and envious. He begs for pardon and promises to help the Valar in their works. Manwë pardons Melkor, though he remains restricted to Valmar. After a period in which Melkor demonstrates his good behavior, he is allowed to venture beyond. Even though Manwë is convinced of Melkor’s reformed nature, Ulmo and Tulkas are not, but they say nothing.

Melkor hates the Elves because they are “fair and joyful and because in them he saw the reason for the arising of the Valar, and his own downfall” (29). He feigns love for the Elves, and the Noldor (including Fëanor) listen to the teachings he has to offer, learning things that “it would have been better for them never to have heard” (29).