Valian Years

History of Arda
Ainulindalë Valian Years Days before days Years of the Trees Years of the Sun Ages of Awakening First Age Second Age Third Age Fourth Age Fifth Age Sixth Age Seventh Age Dagor Dagorath
Timeline of Arda

The Valian Years referred to the measurement of time prior to the destruction of the Two Trees, encompassing both the Years of the Trees and events before the Two Trees first bloomed.

History

Days before days

Main article: Days before days

The Days before days began shortly after the Music of the Ainur, when the Valar descended into Arda. After they entered the world, it was still lifeless and had no distinct geographical features. However, Melkor claimed Arda for himself alone, and there were the First War that ravaged until the coming of Tulkas whose prowess urged Melkor to retreat.

Spring of Arda by Karen Wynn Fonstad from The Atlas of Middle-earth

When the Valar finally repaired damage made by Melkor, they chose the initial shape of Arda; it was of a symmetrical continent lit by the Two Lamps: one in the continent's north, and one in the south, made out of the misty light that veiled the barren ground. The Valar concentrated this light into two colossal vessels, Illuin and Ormal. Then Aulë the Smith forged great towers, one in the north, Helcar, and another in the south, Ringil. In the middle, where the light of the Lamps mingled, the Valar dwelt at the island of Almaren, their first kingdom. Thus the Spring of Arda flourished upon the earth.

The Two Lamps shone until they were destroyed by an assault of Melkor. Arda was again darkened, and the Lamps' fall spoiled the perfect symmetry of Arda's surface, and thus the Spring came to an end. Separate continents were created: Aman in the far West, Middle-earth, or Endor, in the centre from the north to south, and the Land of the Sun in the far East. At the site of the northern Lamp later formed the inland Sea of Helcar, of which Cuiviénen was a bay. After that the Years of the Trees began when Yavanna grew the Two Trees of Valinor. However, Middle-earth was still covered in the darkness and Melkor dominated it residing in his stronghold Utumno.

Melkor destroying the Lamps, by William Thomy

Years of the Trees

Main article: Years of the Trees

After Yavanna created the Two Trees upon the hill Ezellohar, Valinor bathed in their blessed light and the Valar managed to restore some semblance of the Spring upon their lands. But the light of the Trees never reached Middle-earth where Melkor established his dominion corrupting its lands from his seat in Utumno. Of the Valar, only Oromë and Yavanna at times visited Middle-earth, and the latter healed marring of living things made by Melkor while the former tirelessly hunted down the Enemy's monsters.

For a thousand Valian Years the Valar dwelled in Aman until they held a council at the Ring of Doom where the future coming of the Children of Ilúvatar was discussed. After that Varda fashioned the new stars for a next fifty years until she completed her work setting the Valacirca at northern skies as a challenge to Melkor, and then the Elves soon awoke in Cuiviénen. Valar did not know about them until Orome discovered them during one of his rides. Upon his returning to Valinor and reporting about the Elves, Manwë decided to make war upon Melkor. After Utumno was besieged and destroyed, and Melkor imprisoned in the Halls of Mandos, the Valar offered the Elves to live with them in Aman. After the Great Journey of the Eldar, they settled in the West and dwelled there in peace until Melkor was released from his bondage.

Melkor and Ungoliant by John Howe

All following events led to the Darkening of Valinor for Melkor turned back to evil. Through his lies, there was strife among the Elves, especially the Ñoldor, and after Melkor escaped from Valinor he obtained the support of Ungoliant. Together, they killed the Two Trees and plunged the kingdom of the Valar into Darkness. Moreover, Melkor stole Fëanor's gems the Silmarils and slew his father, the Ñoldorin King Finwë. This resulted the rebellion of the Ñoldor instigated by Fëanor, and he led his people from Aman to Middle-earth for revenge.

Valian Years came to an end when the Valar, grieving upon the death of the Trees, witnessed how Yavanna managed to grow one last flower of Telperion and one last fruit of Laurelin. The former became Moon while the latter Sun, and both items were settled in the heavens thus giving light to the World, and with the first rising of the Sun at the end of the First Age, the new count of time began, the Years of the Sun. It was a time when the Sun first rose in the west that Men, another race of the Children of Ilúvatar, awoke in Middle-earth.

Timeline

Days before days

Year	Events
YV 1	After the Ainulindalë the Ainur enter Eä. The First War of the Valar against Melkor begins. Arda is marred.
1500	Tulkas enters Arda, and Melkor flees, hiding in the Outer Darkness. The First War ends.
1900	The Valar settle at Almaren and create the Two Lamps, Illuin and Ormal. The Spring of Arda begins: the first plants and forests grow, and animals are awakened.
3400	Manwë ordains a great feast, at which Tulkas weds Nessa Melkor passes over the Walls of the Night and returns to Arda, raising the Iron Mountains and delving Utumno.
3450	Melkor overthrows the Two Lamps, and Almaren is destroyed. The Spring of Arda ends. Yavanna sets most living things into the Sleep.
3500	The Valar settle in Valinor in the West, raising the Pelóri. Melkor dominates Middle-earth. Yavanna creates the Two Trees on Ezellohar to give a new light to Arda. The Years of the Trees begin.

Years of the Trees

Year	Events
Before the First Age
YT 1	After the creation of the Two Trees of Valinor, with Telperion's first blooming the count of Time begins. The Valar dwell in bliss in Valinor beyond the Mountains of Aman, and all Middle-earth lay in a twilight under the stars. Melkor sleeps in Utumno, while Oromë hunts the Enemy's beasts throughout Middle-earth. Melkor raises the Misty Mountains to hinder his efforts.
1000	The Valar hold council, for Yavanna and Oromë report that Melkor might rise once more in power. They discuss the Children of Ilúvatar. Varda begins to fashion new Stars, and organize them and those already wrought into constellations, over the next fifty years.
Years of the Trees of the First Age
1050	Varda creates the Great Stars, setting the Valacirca in the north as a challenge to Melkor. The first 144 Elves (Minyar, Tatyar and Nelyar) awake in Cuiviénen. Thus the First Age begins. Melian travels to Beleriand after ascending Taniquetil to see the stars.
1080	The first Orcs are bred by Melkor, for his spies discovered the awakened Elves, afflicting them with horror.
1085	Oromë discovers the Elves, and calls them Eldar. The Eldar are afraid of Oromë, and blame him for Melkor's work.
1086	Oromë rides back to Valinor and brings message to the Valar. Oromë returns to Middle-earth to stay with the Elves.
1090	Manwë resolves to make a great war upon Melkor. Over the next two years Melkor is defeated by the Valar and flees into Utumno.
1092	The Valar partially destroy Angband and begin the long Siege of Utumno.
1099	The Siege of Utumno ends. Tulkas captures Melkor and chains him with Angainor.
1100	Utumnno is completely destroyed. Sauron evades his master's downfall and hides in Angband. Melkor is brought back to Valinor and imprisoned in Halls of Mandos for three ages. The Chaining of Melkor begins.
1101	The Valar summon the Elves through Oromë.
1102	The Elves refuse to leave Middle-earth. Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë go to Valinor as ambassadors.
1104	Ambassadors return to Cuiviénen and invite the Elves to return with them to Valinor.
1105	The first Sundering of the Elves: the Vanyar under Ingwë, Ñoldor under Finwë, and Teleri under Elwë, depart for Valinor. The Avari, under Morwë and Nurwë, stay in Cuiviénen.
1115	Second Sundering of the Elves: The host pass Greenwood the Great and come to the River Anduin. Some Lindar wish to stay there. Terrified by the Hithaeglir, a part of them go south led by Lenwë.
1125	The Vanyar and Ñoldor arrive in Beleriand.
1128	The host of the Teleri arrive in Beleriand.
1130	Elwë is lost in Nan Elmoth and finds Melian the Maia.
1132	Ulmo brings a mobile island (Tol Eressëa, and the Vanyar and Ñoldor are ferried to Valinor on it. The Teleri seek for the lost Elwë. Olwë leads the Teleri and meets Ossë and Uinen.
1133	The Vanyar and Ñoldor arrive in Aman. The Elves begin the building of Tirion on the hill Túna inside the Calacirya pass.
1140	Tirion is completed. The Vanyar travel into Valinor, taking up abode on the slopes of Taniquetil.
1142	Yavanna gives the tree Galathilion to the Ñoldor.
1149	Finwë urges Ulmo to bring the Teleri to Aman. Ossë persuades the Teleri to stay with him and teaches them shipcraft. Some Teleri stay in Beleriand and establish the havens Brithombar and Eglarest. Círdan becomes their lord.
1150	The kinsfolk of Elwë are left behind, calling themselves "Eglath", the Forsaken People. Olwë and the most part of the Teleri leave Beleriand.
1151	Olwë and his people are called the Falmari upon arrival in Aman on Tol Eressëa.
1152	Elwë wakes from his trance and dwells with Melian in the forests of Beleriand. He is later called Elu Thingol and rules over his remaining Teleri kin, the Sindar.
1161	The construction of the Falmari's Alqualondë begins with the help of Finwë and the Ñoldor.
1165	The last of the Vanyar leave Tirion. The Ñoldor strengthen their friendship with the Falmari.
1169	Fëanor, son of Finwë and Míriel is born. The Ñoldor are taught smithing by Aulë, delighting in jewels and other labours.
1170	Birth of Fëanor, death of Míriel.
1182	Doom of Manwë concerning the espousals of the Eldar.
1185	Finwë weds Indis.
1190	Fingolfin, second son of Finwë born.
1200	Second Age of Chaining of Melkor Lúthien born in the Forest of Neldoreth.
1230	Finarfin, third son of Finwë born.
1250	Fëanor devises new letters, called Tengwar. The Dwarves meet the Sindar in Beleriand.
1280	Finarfin weds Eärwen daughter of Olwë.
1300	Turgon son of Fingolfin is born. Finrod son of Finarfin is born. Daeron contrives his Runes.
1320	Orcs first appear in Beleriand. Dwarves make weapons for the Sindar.
1350	Denethor and the Nandor befriend Thingol and the Sindar.
1362	Galadriel is born. Aredhel is born in Tirion.
1400	Melkor sues for pardon and is released from prison in the Halls of Mandos.
1410	Melkor dwells in Váli-màr and befriends the Ñoldor.
1449	Fëanor begins the making of the Silmarils.
1450	The Silmarils are made and Varda hallows them.
1469	Idril daughter of Turgon is born.
1450 to 1490	Melkor spreads lies among the Ñoldor.
1490	The Valar summon Fëanor who threatens Fingolfin with his sword. They exile him to Formenos and Finwë follows.
1492	Melkor appears before the doors of Fëanor and is rejected. He departs Formenos and meets Ungoliant.
1495	Ungoliant destroys the Two Trees of Valinor. Melkor slays Finwë in Formenos and steals the Silmarils. Fëanor rebels against the Valar and arrives in Alqualondë, demanding the swanships of the Teleri. The Flight of the Ñoldor begins.
1496	Mandos appears before the Ñoldor and delivers the Doom of Mandos. Finarfin and some of the Vanyar repent and head back to Valinor. His children, however, continue to follow Fëanor.
1497	Girdle of Melian set in the Kingdom of Doriath. The betrayal of Fingolfin and his people by Fëanor in the Burning of the ships at Losgar. Death of Amrod son of Fëanor. (1 version only) Dagor-nuin-Giliath is fought. Fëanor is wounded by Gothmog and dies. Maedhros meets with Melkor and is captured.
1498	Maedhros is chained on Thangorodrim.
1500	Creation of the Moon and Sun. Fingolfin and his people cross the Helcaraxë and enter Beleriand. Battle of the Lammoth and death of Argon son of Fingolfin.
Years of the Trees end. Years of the Sun begin. First Age continues.

Other version of the legendarium

Unlike other reckonings of time created by J.R.R. Tolkien to set his legendarium, the Valian years did not have a complete and definitive form. In the 1930s and 1940s Tolkien handled a length of the Valian year fluctuated slightly around a number of 10 solar years. In the notes to The Annals of Aman, Tolkien stated a single Valian year lasts 1,000 Valian days. Each of these Valian days is divided into 12 Valian hours, with each Valian hour having a duration equivalent to 7 solar hours. Thus, a single Valian year would last 84,000 solar hours. As a single solar year is approximately 8,766 hours, it was easy to calculate the precise equivalence of 9.582 solar years for each Valian year.

However, in the 1950s , J. R. R. Tolkien decided to use a much larger measurement, 144 solar years for each Valian year (this concept was included in his Appendix D to The Lord of the Rings as the duration of yén, or Elvish "great year"). Furthermore, one Valian Day equals one solar year, and one Valian hour equals one solar month. This new value extended the time line already established by the author: the duration of the Flight of the Noldor, which was 5 Valian years, went from signifying around 50 solar years to being converted in about 700 solar years.

Some studies suggest that these new durations would be too long if applied directly to existing dates, so the new definition should be understood as a new measure that is completely different from the previous one, and therefore not applicable to the dates noted in previous drafts of Tolkien's writings. Other authors are of the opinion that Tolkien describes time as flowing more slowly in Aman, such that a Valian year would "feel" like the passage of a single solar year, despite having a much longer "real" duration.