THE UNDYING LANDS
The Valar built a new kingdom called Valinor on the continent of Aman in the west. Beyond the gates of their city of Valimar they grew the Trees of Light.
These mighty trees filled all the Undying Lands of Aman with a blessed light. Meanwhile, Middle-earth and the rest of Arda was plunged into the Ages of Darkness. Melkor ruled as master of Middle-earth from his heinous realm of Utumno. He also built his second stronghold of Angband, and placed it under the command of his loyal disciple, Sauron.
After the destruction of the Great Lamps and the First Kingdom of Almaren, the Valar went west to the continent of Aman, where they built a second kingdom called Valinor, meaning ‘Land of the Valar’. There they each took a part of that land and raised mansions and created gardens, but also built Valimar, the ‘Home of the Valar’, a walled city with domes and spires of gold and silver that was filled with the music of many bells.
On a hill just outside the western golden gates of Valimar, the Valar grew two huge, magical trees. These were the tallest trees that ever grew and were called Laurelin the Golden and Telperion the White. Nearly the size of the Lamps of the Valar, these Trees of Valinor gave off a brilliant glow of gold and silver light. The waxing and waning of each Tree’s blossoming gave a means by which the days might be measured, and their light nourished all who lived within the glowing presence.
We learn from Tolkien’s early drafts of the chronicles, in the ‘Annals of Valinor’, that the Ages of the Trees began one thousand Valarian Years after the creation of Arda; that is, the Tenth Valarian Age, or ten thousand mortal years after the Creation. We also learn that the Ages of the Trees were nearly twenty Valarian Ages, or twenty thousand mortal years, in duration.
There is, however, a complicating factor in Tolkien’s chronology of Arda because the Ages of the Trees apply only to the Undying Lands. We are told that upon arriving in Aman, the Valar raised up a great wall in the form of the Pélori Mountains to keep out Morgoth and all his minions. These mountains, the tallest in the world, did indeed protect Valinor from invasion, but they also shut in the Light of the Trees.
Consequently during the Ages of the Trees we are dealing with parallel systems of time. So, while the Undying Lands were basking in the glory of the Trees, Middle-earth underwent two epochs, each lasting ten thousand mortal years: the Ages of Darkness and the Ages of the Stars.
In the Undying Lands, the Ages of the Trees were divided into two eras. The first ten Valarian Ages, or ten thousand mortal years, of the Ages of the Trees were known as the Years of Bliss in Valinor. During this time the Valar and Maiar prospered. The Eagles were created by Manwë, the Ents were conceived by Yavanna, and the Dwarves were conceived by Aulë. Blissful indeed were the times in Valinor, while beyond the walls of the Pélori Mountains, Middle-earth endured the terror and evil of Melkor’s dominion during the Ages of Darkness.
During the next ten Valarian Ages, we learn much more of events in Valinor and Middle-earth. This second era of the Ages of the Trees was called the Noontide of the Blessed, but upon Middle-earth it was called the Ages of the Stars. This was the time when Varda, the Queen of the Heavens, rekindled the stars above Middle-earth and caused the Awakening of the Elves.
In time, when news reached the Undying Lands of Melkor’s attempts to slay and corrupt the Elves, the Valar made a council of war. The Valar and the Maiar came into Middle-earth and drove Melkor’s legions wailing before them.
This was called the War of Powers and in that war were many battles and duels wherein the Valar utterly destroyed Utumno. Thereafter, Melkor was held captive in Valinor and bound with unbreakable chains. This time was known as the Peace of Arda, and lasted through most of the remaining Ages of the Trees in Valinor and Ages of Stars on Middle-earth.
These were the great years for the Elven race, for without the hateful wrath of Melkor, these chosen people prospered and grew ever more powerful. After the War of Powers, the Valar summoned the Elves to come and live with them in the Land of Light. This was the mass migration called the Great Journey of the Eldar, those Elves who answered the call of the Valar.
The Great Journey was the theme of many an Elven song, for the time was long, and the Eldar were divided into diverse races. Those who reached the Undying Lands were of three kindreds: the Vanyar, the Noldor and the Teleri. For those chosen people, the Valar gave a part of the Undying Lands called Eldamar, the ‘Elven-home’, and it was a wonder to behold. Many were its mansions, but the finest were in the Vanyar and Noldor capital of Tirion, and the Teleri cities of Alqualondë on the coast and Avallónë on the Isle of Tol Eressëa.
On the shores of the Undying Lands the Teleri built Alqualondë, which is ‘haven of swans’, and the ships of these Elves were like swans with eyes and beaks of jet and gold. Beneath the arch of sea-carved stone that is the gate of Alqualondë, the Teleri set sail their swan ships, sing fair songs, and listen to the murmuring sea on the shore.
In the Undying Lands, the Noldor and Vanyar Elves built the first and greatest city in Eldamar. This was Tirion of the white towers and crystal stair, and it was set on the hill of Túna in Calacirya, the Pass of Light. The city was placed so that not only could the Elves live in the Light of the Trees and look out on the sea, but also, from under the shadow of Túna and the tall towers, could view the glittering stars that are so dear to their hearts.
After the Ages of Chaining, Melkor came before the Valar to be judged. He seemed to have changed, and claimed to have repented, so Manwë, the Lord of the Valar, ordered his chains to be removed. But the Valar were deceived for Melkor only seemed to be fair and good; in secret he plotted their downfall. First he sowed strife among the Elves, and then in alliance with the Great Spider Ungoliant he made open war on the Valar. He came with Ungoliant to the Trees of the Valar and struck them with a great spear, and the Spider sucked the light and life from the Trees so they withered and died. All of Valinor was made hideously black with the Unlight of Ungoliant, and Melkor laughed with villainous joy because, for a second time, he had put out the great Lights of the World.
After the destruction of the Trees of the Valar, Melkor slew Finwë, the Noldor king, and took the Silmarils from him. In great wrath the Noldor pursued the evil Vala, and, despite the warning by the Valar, they made their way back to Middle-earth. Some went in ships, which they took from the Teleri, but a great number, led by Fingolfin, crossed Helcaraxë, the Grinding Ice. This was the northern narrow gap of sea and ice between the Undying Lands and Middle-earth. In that crossing many an Elf lord and lady fell into the sea or perished beneath collapsing towers of ice.
