Years of the Trees

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 Years of the Trees, or the Days of Bliss (of Valinor), were the second of the three great time periods in Arda that followed the Days before days and preceded the Years of the Sun. They were known to be comprised of several Ages and lasted in total around 1,500 Valian Years or 14,373 solar years. The final third of the Years of the Trees marked the start of the First Age of Arda when the Children of Ilúvatar became active in Middle-earth.

The first 1495 Years of the Trees were called the Noontide of the Blessed Realm, while the last five years after the Trees died were known as the Long Night (of Valinor).

History

The Two Trees of Valinor during the Years of the Trees, by Roger Garland

Shortly after the destruction of the Two Lamps, Yavanna made the Two Trees, named Telperion and Laurelin in the land of Aman, where the Valar now lived. The Trees illuminated Aman, leaving Middle-earth in darkness, save the light of the stars.

The Elves awoke in Cuiviénen in the middle of Middle-earth, and were soon approached by Oromë of the Valar and by Melkor. Many, though not all, of the Elves were persuaded to go with Oromë on the Great Journey westwards towards Aman. Along the journey several groups of Elves tarried, notably the Nandor and the Sindar. The three clans that arrived at Aman were the Vanyar, Ñoldor, and the Teleri.

The Valar had captured Melkor and placed him in chains in Aman. After he appeared to repent and was released, he sowed great discord among the Elves, and stirred up rivalry between the Ñoldorin King Finwë's two sons Fëanor and Fingolfin. With the help of Ungoliant, he slew Finwë and stole the Silmarils, three gems crafted by Feänor that contained light of the Two Trees, from his vault, and destroyed the Trees of the Valar themselves.

Bitter at the Valar's inactivity, Feänor and his house left to pursue Melkor, cursing him with the name 'Morgoth'. A larger host, following Fingolfin, followed. They reached the Teleri's port-city, Alqualondë, and were forbidden to use the Teleri's boats to get to Middle-earth. The first Kinslaying thus ensued. A curse was then put on the exiled Ñoldor by Mandos.

Feänor's host sailed on the boats, leaving Fingolfin's behind — who crossed over to Middle-earth on the Helcaraxë in the far north, losing many.

Timeline

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 Amras 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.

Translations

Foreign Language	Translated name
Afrikaans	Jare van die Bome
Albanian	Vitet e Pemëve
Amharic	ዛፎቹ ዓመታት
Arabic	سنوات الأشجار
Armenian	տարվա ծառերի
Azerbaijani	Ağaclar İllər
Basque	Zuhaitzen Aroak
Belarusian Cyrillic	Гады дрэў
Bengali	গাছ বছর
Bosnian	Godina drveća
Bulgarian Cyrillic	Години на дърветата
Catalan	Anys dels Arbres
Cebuano	Mga tuig sa mga Kahoy
Chinese	双树纪元
Croatian	Godine drveća
Czech	Roky stromů
Danish	År af Træer
Dutch	Jaren van de Bomen
Esperanto	Jaroj de la Arboj
Estonian	Puude aastad
Faroese	Ár Træanna
Filipino	Taon ng mga puno
Finnish	Puiden vuodet
French	Années des Arbres
Frisian	Jierren fan de Beammen (Western)
Galician	Anos das Árbores
Georgian	ხეების ხანა
German	Jahre der Bäume
Greek	Χρόνια των Δέντρων
Gujarati	વૃક્ષો વર્ષ
Haitian Creole	Ane de la Pyebwa
Hebrew	שנים של עצים
Hindi	साल के पेड़ों के
Hmong	Xyoo ntawm tus ntoo
Hungarian	A Fák Évei
Icelandic	Ár af trjánum
Indonesian	Tahun pohon
Irish Gaelic	Blianta de na Crainn
Italian	Anni degli Alberi
Japanese	二本の木の時代
Javanese	Taun saka wit
Kannada	ಮರಗಳು ವರ್ಷಗಳ
Kazakh	Ағаштардың дәуірі (Cyrillic) Ağaştardıñ däwiri (Latin)
Korean	나무의 해
Kyrgyz Cyrillic	Дарактардын доору
Laotian	ປີຂອງຕົ້ນໄມ້
Latin	Annis de lignum
Latvian	Gadu Koku
Lithuanian	Metų medžių
Macedonian Cyrillic	Години на Дрвја
Malaysian	Tahun pokok-pokok
Maltese	Snin tas-siġar
Mongolian Cyrillic	Моддын жил
Norwegian	År av trærne
Pashto	د ونو د کاله
Persian	دوران دو درخت
Polish	Era Drzew
Portuguese	Anos das árvores
Punjabi	ਰੁੱਖ ਦੇ ਸਾਲ
Romanian	Ani de copaci
Russian	Эпоха Деревьев
Samoan	Tausaga o le Laau
Scottish Gaelic	Bliadhna de na Craobhan
Serbian	Година дрвећа (Cyrillic) Godina od stabala (Latin)
Sindhi	هن وڻ جو سال
Sinhalese	ගස් වසර
Slovak	Roky stromov
Slovenian	Let drevje
Spanish	Edades de los Árboles
Sundanese	Jaman tangkal
Swahili	Miaka ya Miti
Swedish	År av träden
Tahitian	Te matahiti o te mau tumu raau
Tajik Cyrillic	Сол дарахтон
Tamil	மரங்கள் ஆண்டுகள்
Telugu	చెట్లలో ఇయర్స్
Thai	ยุคแห่งพฤกษา
Turkish	Ağaçlar Çağı
Ukrainian Cyrillic	роки дерев
Urdu	درختوں کی سالانہ
Uzbek	дарахтлар Йил (Cyrillic) daraxtlar Yil (Latin)
Vietnamese	Năm của các cây
Welsh	Blynyddoedd y Coed
Yoruba	Ọdun ti awọn Igi
Yiddish	יאָרן פון די ביימער

References

See also

• The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels, Part One. The Grey Annals
• The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring, The Annals of Aman