Elves

The Elves were the first inhabitants of Middle-earth and the Lands of Arda.



Creation
The Firstborn, the Elder Children of Ilúvatar, conceived by Eru alone in the third theme of Ainulindalë, the eldest and noblest of the speaking races of Middle-earth. They awoke by Cuiviénen in the starlight of the Sleep of Yavanna, and there they were visited by Oromë, who loved them, and by Melkor, who captured some of them and bred them into Orcs.

Division of the Elves
Early in the First Age the Elves were divided into two groups - the Eldar, who accepted the summons of the Valar, undertook the Great Journey, and were ennobled by their life in Aman; and the Avari, who refused the summons and became the lesser Silvan Elves. The Elves flourished in the First Age, but the Eldarin realms of Beleriand were destroyed by Morgoth, and in later ages their power waned. In the Second and Third Ages some Elves still lived in Wandering Companies, traveling through the broad lands they loved, but many were gathered in Elven-realms and refuges such as Lindon, Imladris, the Woodland Realm, and Lorien, were Eldarian lords ruled over Silvan populations. Buy by the end of the Third Age the Dominion of Men was at hand, and the Elves who remained in Middle-earth dwindled and became a secret people. Yet in Eldamar the Eldar live nigh to the Valar unitl the End of the World.

Characteristics
Elves were the fairest of all earthly creatures and resembled the Ainur in spirit. They have leaf-shaped ears, pointed relative to Men. They were about six feet tall and somewhat slender, graceful but strong and resistant to the extremes of nature. Their senses, especially of hearing and sight, were much keener than those of Men. Elves apparently did not sleep, but rested their minds in waking dreams or by looking at beautiful things. The Eldar, and perhaps all Elves, could talk directly from mind to mind without words.

The Elves possessed skills and knowledge that appeared as 'magic' to men.

Although they could be slain or die of grief, Elves were not subject to age or disease. Elves could recover from wounds which would normally kill a mortal Man. However this also made the Elves less flexible in terms of adjusting to an otherwise fallen, ever-changing world.

An Elf who lost his life went to the halls of Mandos, whence he could go elsewhere in Valinor but not return to Middle-earth. The date of an elf's death is the death of the physical body. The fate of Elves is bound to Ea, and they cannot leave the Circles of the World until the End, when they will join with the Ainur in the Second Music before the throne of Ilúvatar.

An exception to this was Glorfindel.

Nature
Elves loved all beautiful things, but especially the wonders of nature, above all the waters of Ulmo and the stars of Elbereth that shone on them at their awakening. Their curiosity and desire for knowledge was insatiable; one of their great achievements was to teach the Ents to talk. As their own name for themselves (Quendi, 'the speakers'), imparently in honor of the fact that when they were created they were the only living things able to speak. Oromë was the first who called them the (Eldar, 'Star People') because they were born under the stars, but the name is generally considered to exclude the Avari. They were by nature good and abhorred all works of evil, although they could be seduced by evil that seemed fair.



Associations
At first the Elves of Middle-earth welcomed Men, but after the treachery of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad the two races were estranged, except for the Edain and their descendants. There were three marriages between the Edain and the Eldar, and apparently others between the Edain (especially the Dunedain of Dol Amroth) and lesser Elves. The Elves (except for the Noldor) never had much to do with the Dwarves; the hunting of the Noegyth Nibin by Elves of Beleriand and the murder of Thingol and sack of Doriath by Dwarves of Nogrod were perhaps the earliest of the many events that alienated the two race.

Known Elves
Some important Elves:

Half-elven:
 * Imin, Tata, and Enel - the first Elves that awoke in Cuiviénen
 * Iminyë, Tatië, and Enelyë - the wives of Imin, Tata, and Enel respectively
 * Ingwë (High King of the Vanyar and High King of all the Elves)
 * Elwë (called Elu Thingol, King of Doriath and High King of the Sindar)
 * Olwë (Brother of Thingol, King of Alqualondë and High King of the Teleri)
 * Finwë (First High King of the Ñoldor)
 * Fëanor (Crafter of the Silmarils, second High King of the Ñoldor, greatest of the Elves)
 * Finrod Felagund (King of Nargothrond, elder brother of Galadriel, Anrod, and Aegnor)
 * Galadriel (Lady of Lórien, greatest Lady of the Ñoldor)
 * Celeborn (Lord of Lórien)
 * Celebrimbor (forger of the Rings of Power)
 * Gil-galad (High King of the Ñoldor during the Last Alliance of Elves and Men)
 * Círdan (wisest of the Sindar)
 * Glorfindel (elf of Gondolin that after his death returned to Middle-earth
 * Legolas (also called Greenleaf, one of the Nine Walkers)
 * Lúthien (daughter of Thingol, wife of the Man Beren, fairest of all Children of Ilúvatar)
 * Thranduil (also called 'The Elvenking', king of the Elves in Mirkwood, father of Legolas)
 * Fingolfin (Fourth High King of the Noldor, second son of Finwë)
 * Turgon (King of Gondolin)
 * Idrial (Servant of Galadriel)
 * Dior Eluchil (son of Beren and Lúthien, Thingol's heir)
 * Elros (first High King of Númenor)
 * Elrond (Master of Rivendell)
 * Arwen (Queen to King Elessar)
 * Elladan and Elrohir (The sons of Elrond and brothers of Arwen)