Crucial Events in the History of Arda – an Essential Chronology

Yavanna, learning of this, fears for her own creations and shares with Manwë her worries. Manwë sees then clearer some of the music and tells Yavanna that whilst singing she already made her precautions creating the Tree-herders herself and the Eagles with Manwë.

Back in Valinor the Valar hold council and Oromë tells of the Firstborn and Melkor, and it is decided to make war against the latter. During that war the landscape endures many changes, but at last Utumno’s gates are broken and Melkor captured and set in prison in the fastness of Mandos.

After their victory the Valar hold another council where they decide to summon the Quendi to Valinor. First only representatives of each race go, for many of the Quendi fear the Valar, and when the ambassadors come back and recommend that they do indeed move to Valinor, many are still unwilling to leave that which they know, and the Quendi are parted.

In the meantime Melkor allies himself with Ungoliant, and when Fëanor is once more allowed in Valinor at the time of a feast, they come and ruin the Two Trees, Ungoliant making an ever thicker darkness. After that, Melkor steals the Silmarils from Fëanor and kills Finwë, his father.

On discovering this Fëanor finally decides to leave Valinor, and with him goes the majority of the Noldor – including Galadriel. Before they leave, he and his sons take the Oath of Fëanor, and after that most of the leaving Noldor take part in the Kinslaying where many of the Teleri are killed in order to get their ships. Upon all those who leave is laid the Doom of the Noldor.

When the Moon had travelled through the sky for seven days, the vessel of the fruit of Laurelin was finished, and Arien guided the Sun into the sky for the first time. It is said that at the first sunrise men awoke for the first time in the eastern lands of Middle-earth, and the first thing they saw was the light of the new Sun. Because of this men were known to the Elves as the Children of the Sun. Those men that eventually found their way into Beleriand would become the fathers of the Edain. And so the First Age of the Sun began.

Passing through many dangers she reached Tol im-Gauroth with the help of Huan the hound. Together they defeated Sauron, with the strength of Huan and the magic of Lúthien. Soon Beren and Lúthien continued on to Angband. Through the power of Lúthien, they passed the gates of Angband and Carcharoth, the great wolf that guarded them. Then coming before the dark throne of Morgoth, Lúthien wove a spell that put Morgoth and his court to sleep. Beren then took the Iron Crown and cut a Silmaril from it. As they fled back to the gates, they discovered that Carcharoth barred their escape. Beren held up the Silmaril to protect them, but the wolf bit off his hand and consumed the jewel with it. Then the wolf went mad as his innards were consumed with burning, and he ran howling into the south. For the Silmarils had been blessed by Varda and any unclean flesh that touched them would be withered and burnt.

Lúthien then healed Beren and they travelled back to Doriath to the halls of her father. When they heard that Carcharoth had entered Doriath, Beren set out with the king to hunt the wolf. They were successful, the Silmaril was recovered and the wolf slain. But Beren had been mortally wounded and died. Lúthien soon wasted of grief. When their spirits were gathered to the halls of Mandos, Lúthien sang a song of such beauty and power, that it moved the heart of Mandos himself. She was granted a special fate, to return to Middle-earth with Beren and become mortal. There they dwelt in happiness for a time on Tol Galen, the green island in the River Adurant.

Elwing sat by the mouths of Sirion in sorrow, for she did not go with him. When the Sons of Fëanor learned that Elwing still lived, and had possession of the Silmaril, they demanded to have it. Elwing refused, and the sons of Fëanor attacked the Havens. Through the power of Ulmo Elwing escaped and came to Eärendil in the shape of a white sea-bird bearing the Silmaril on her breast. It is said that through the power of the jewel, Eärendil was able at last to find the way to the Undying Lands. There he stood before the Valar to beg for their aid in the war against Morgoth.

The Valar listened to his plea, and they sent a mighty force led by Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, to Middle-earth to do battle with Morgoth. In the tumults of the battle that followed, the lands of Middle-earth were changed, Beleriand and the lands to the north were destroyed and sunk beneath the sea. Morgoth was taken prisoner and his armies almost completely destroyed. Very few of his Orcs, Balrogs, and Dragons survived. The Silmarils in his Iron Crown were recovered and Morgoth shut beyond the confines of the world. And so ended the First Age of the Sun.

Yet the war continued on a smaller scale, for Saruman, former Head of the Istari, had been defeated both by the Rohirrim and the Ents. He fled from his stronghold Orthanc and went northwards, to the Shire, where he began to order all things to his liking. When Frodo Baggins and his companions eventually returned, they incited the Hobbits to rebellion, and Saruman met his doom at the hands of Gríma Wormtongue. The Third Age came to an end with the passing of the Ringbearers over the sea on 29 September 3021.

The Fourth Age also marks the fading of the Elves. It is very probable that the death of Queen Arwen in the following year means the passing of the last descendant of the Noldorin Elves in Middle-earth; at least most representatives of that Eldarin race, as well as many of the Sindar, have by then sailed into the West.