The History of the Elves(I): Awakening and sundering
The evolution of one of the three great races of Middle-earth was plagued by great tragedies, losses, and extraordinary events.
The Elves were the most tragic characters in all of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium, and their story is that of a cursed race that fought against Evil and their destiny.
The elves awoke in Cuiviénen, a bay that belonged to the Inner Sea of Helcar, formed after Melkor collapsed the Lamps. Due to the darkness that reigned in Arda, the Valar created the stars, and it was at that moment the elves opened their eyes for the first time.
Contemplating the sky and singing to it, they gradually organized themselves into three differentiated clans: the Minyar, the Tatyar, and the Neylar (the ‘Firsts,’ the ‘Seconds,’ and the ‘Thirds’), all of them followers of the first three couples that awoke.
Over time these three clans grew, with the Minyar being the minority and the Neylar the majority. They developed language and culture and lived harmoniously with nature, to which they sang. Being immortal, the passage of years and decades was not yet part of their understanding.
At some point in those early years, Melkor (still hidden in Utumno) found and hated the elves. He decided to kidnap an unimaginable number of them, and legends say that through experiments, he perverted those elves and turned them into orcs.
The Valar were unaware of all the atrocities that occurred in the far east of Middle-earth (since they lived in Aman, at the westernmost tip of Arda and separated by a vast sea from Middle-earth).
They did not know of the existence of the Elves until Oromë discovered them and lived with them for a time. Later, the Vala returned to Aman and informed the rest of the much-announced birth of the First Sons of Ilúvatar, something they all already saw during the visions of the music they created among all the Ainur (of which kind were the Valar) together with Eru-Ilúvatar many eons ago.
They also knew from Oromë that the elves suffered the atrocities of Melkor, to whom they decided to make war and managed to capture him. After that, the Valar wanted the First Sons of Ilúvatar to go to live with them in Valinor.
They sent back Oromë, who nevertheless failed to convince the elves to undertake the journey to Aman. The elves did not trust the Vala since, in the distance, they had seen lights and rumblings of something they did not understand (what they saw was the war of the Valar against Melkor).
Despite this, the elves decided that a chosen one from each clan, as an ambassador, would travel with Oromë to see the promised land and return with information for the rest.
The chosen ones were Ingwë (of the Minyar clan), Finwë (of the Tatyar), and Elwë (of the Neylar).
They traveled to Aman together with Oromë, returning with their years later, amazed at what their eyes had seen. The Valar had not deceived them; there, the eternal paradise awaited them.
It was at that moment when the first great separation between the elves took place:
Those who began the great pilgrimage to Aman, crossing all Middle-earth, were called Eldar. The three clans of elves formed it.
Those who decided to stay in Cuiviénen refused to undertake the incredible journey we’re called Avari, which consisted of half of the Neylar and a little less than half of the Tatyar. The Minyar clan went entirely to Aman.
The pilgrimage was long, and not all the elves made it to the end, for some groups remained at various points in Middle-earth.
The three clans of the Elves, each guided and ruled by the ambassadors who had traveled to Aman, changed their names after setting out on the march:
The Minyar were called Vanyar and were governed by Ingwë.
The Tatyar were called Noldor, and their king was Finwë.
The Neylar were called Teleri and followed Elwë. However, their group was by far the most numerous, so they were also ruled by Olwë, brother of Elwë.
The groups of this clan were dispersed throughout Middle-earth, while Noldor and Vanyar all came to Aman.
In another article, we will talk about the great Teleri diaspora.