Creation of Arda

Before there was anything else, there was Eru Ilúvatar.



Within the void, Ilúvatar taught the Ainur how to make music. From his thoughts, he brought into creation the Ainur (angelic beings); the Valar, Maiar, and Melkor. They sung for time uncounted until Ilúvatar sought to make music together.



The song they conceived would come to be known as the Ainulindalë; a song detailing the creation of the universe known as Eä. It consisted of three themes that Melkor, too proud to share anything, broke the harmony of. Upon hearing the final theme, the Ainur could not comprehend what Ilúvatar was singing. Ilúvatar immediately stopped the music and gave the Ainur a vision of what their song symbolized, the history of a whole world.



The Ainur became fascinated by this world, and asked Ilúvatar to put it into being. Ilúvatar spoke "Eä" and the universe was created. Four of the Ainur who possessed the greatest power formed a region within Eä which they called Arda, what we know today as Middle Earth.

The First War (Years of the Lamps 1-1900)

When the Valar arrived in Arda, Melkor claimed it for himself. They settled within Almaren in Middle-earth; an island upon an inland sea.



While the Valar formed Arda, Melkor undid or marred whatever they made, demolishing mountains they created, raising up their valleys and spilling their seas, ever hindering their plans.



Due to the Valar’s continued repairs, however, Arda's form became more stable over time—but never in quite the fashion that the Valar had intended.



1,500 years after the Valar entered Eä, Tulkas, the most warlike of the Valar, came to Arda. Fearing his yell and his strength, Melkor fled in terror.



400 years later, the Valar created the two lamps on the northern and southern edges of Arda beginning what was called the Spring of Arda.

The Spring of Arda (Years of the Lamps 1900-3500)

In 3400, Melkor returned to Arda. He raised the Iron Mountains in the north and began construction of the fortress of Udûn.



50 years later, along with the dark forces he had raised, Melkor toppled the Two Lamps and destroyed Almaren; the Valar’s dwelling-place. To prevent further destruction by Melkor, the Valar set most living creatures to a long-sleep and retreated to Aman, the continent to the far west.



The Valar raised a massive mountain-fence covering the entirety of the eastern coast of Aman so that Melkor could never reach them.

is a new project I am starting during breaks of my telling of LoTRO's epic story. It will be a comprehensive and easy to read detailing of how Middle Earth came to be. A lot of information research was done in large part thanks to the massive work done by The LoTR Wiki and the Tolkien Wiki. So massive thanks to them.Thearrived inand planted the, ushering in a new age and the awakening of the