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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

Dagor Dagorath

Timeline of Arda

The Days before days were the first of the three great time periods in Arda. They were part of the Valian Years and began after the Ainulindalë, preceding the Years of the Trees. Before the creation of the Two Trees of Valinor there were 3500 Years of the Valar, or 33,537 solar years, in the history of Arda.[1]

History[]

First War[]

Main article: First War

After the Ainulindalë, when the Valar came to Arda, they found it flat and entirely lifeless. Melkor also was among them, but he claimed Arda for himself alone. Manwë denied his claims, noticing that Arda was the labour of all the Ainur in equal measure. He called the many spirits, including Varda, to his own side from the deeps of to fight Melkor, and thus the First War ravaged the world. It was the first time when Arda was marred by Melkor's evil. He undid or marred whatever the Valar made, demolishing mountains they created, raising up their valleys and spilling their seas, ever hindering their plans. For many centuries, the Dark Lord prevailed, but news of the war reached the farthest deeps of Eä, where the many other Ainur remained. Among these spirits was Tulkas, who finally descended to Arda in YV 1500. Hearing his mighty laughter, Melkor fled before his anger in fear and escaped beyond the Walls of Night. Thus the First War ended in favour of the Valar, and Tulkas was counted among them. [1][2]

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"Tulkas fights Melkor", by Antonio Vinci

The Valar refashioned Arda for another four hundred Valian Years after the War, which lasted for 1500 Valian Years, and there was peace for a long time, since Melkor forsook Arda and brooded in the distant spaces beyond it for some time, holding a great hatred of Tulkas forever after. But still, there were many of his spies among the Maiar, who dwelt in Arda and admired Melkor's dark power and glory.[1][2]

Spring of Arda[]

Main article: Spring of Arda

The initial shape of Arda, chosen by the Valar, was of a symmetrical continent. Needing luminance, the Valar found and collected the misty light veiled on the barren ground. The Valar concentrated this light into two large lamps, Illuin and Ormal. Then the Vala Aulë erected two great columns: one in the north, Helcar, and another in the south, Ringil. Varda filled them with light, and when Manwë blessed them, the world was lit by these Two Lamps, thus beginning the Spring of Arda, when the first living things started to grow and flourish, in YV 1900. Arda had peace for a long time and became filled with trees and herbs, beast and birds, and all the lands were green and blossom under the blessed radiance of the Lamps. The Valar dwelt in the middle of the world where the light of the Lamps mingled, at the island of Almaren amid the Great Lake.[1][2]

TN-Illuin Lamp of the Valar

"Illuin: Lamp of the Valar", by Ted Nasmith

But Almaren was not the only kingdom built in this time: far to the north, the evil Maiarin spirits gathered, and Melkor entered Arda once again, unseen to the Valar. In secret, while the Valar rested from their labours, Melkor raised the vast Iron Mountains and built his fortress Utumno beneath them. While Manwë ordained a great feast, at which Tulkas fell asleep, Melkor assailed and destroyed the Two Lamps. Thus, the Spring came to an end, and Arda was again marred, because the Lamps' fall forever spoiled the perfect symmetry of its surface. Afterwards, four main continents were created: Aman in the far west, Middle-earth in the middle and far south, and Land of the Sun in the far east. The site of the northern Lamp later became the inland Sea of Helcar, of which Cuiviénen was a bay.

The Valar settled in their second kingdom, Valinor in the West and raised the Pelóri to protect it. In YV 3500, Yavanna created the Two Trees to light the western corner of Arda, beginning the new Valian count of time: the Years of the Trees.[1][2] The Spring of Arda lasted for 1600 Valian Years in total, or 15,331 solar years.[1]

Timeline[]

Year Events
YV 1 After the Ainulindalë the Ainur enter .

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.

Translations[]

Foreign Language Translated name
Afrikaans Dae voor dae
Armenian Օրեր նախքան օրեր
Asturian Díes antes de díes
Azerbaijani Günlər əvvəl günlər
Bosnian Dani prije dana
Bulgarian Cyrillic Дни преди дни
Catalan Dies abans de dies
Chinese 古老的时代
Croatian Dani prije dana
Czech Dny před dny
Danish Dage før dage
Dari روز ها قبل از روز ها
Dutch Dagen vóór dagen
Esperanto Tagoj antaŭ tagoj
Estonian Päevad enne päevad
Faroese Dagar áðrenn dagar
Filipino Mga araw bago ang mga araw
Finnish Päiviä ennen päiviä
French Jours avant jours
Galician Días antes de días
Georgian დღეები დღეების წინ
German Zeitalter vor den Tagen
Greek Μέρες πριν από μέρες
Gujarati દિવસો પહેલાના દિવસો
Hebrew ימים לפני ימים
Hindi दिन से पहले दिन
Hungarian Napok napok előtt
Icelandic Dagar fyrir dagar
Irish Gaelic Laethanta roimh laethanta
Italian Giorni prima di giorni
Japanese 古代の日々
Javanese Dina-dina sakdurunge
Kannada ದಿನಗಳು ದಿನಗಳ ಮೊದಲು
Kazakh Күндер алдындағы күндер (Cyrillic) Künder aldındağı künder (Latin)
Korean 고대 시대
Kyrgyz Cyrillic Байыркы күндөр
Latvian Dienas pirms dienām
Lithuanian Dienos prieš dienas
Macedonian Cyrillic Денови пред денови
Malaysian Hari-hari sebelum hari-hari
Maltese Ġranet qabel jiem
Mongolian Cyrillic Өдрүүд өмнө өдрүүд
Nepalese दिनहरू अघिका दिनहरू
Norwegian Dager før dager
Occitan Jorns abans los jorns
Persian روزها قبل از روزها
Polish Dni przed dniami
Portuguese Dias antes de dias
Punjabi ਦਿਨ ਅੱਗੇ ਦਿਨ
Romanian Cu zile înainte de zile
Russian Дни прежде дней
Sardinian Giornadas in antis de dies
Serbian Дане пре дана (Cyrillic) Dane pre dana (Latin)
Sicilian Giorni prima di giorni
Sinhalese පුරාණ දවස්
Slovak Dni pred dňami
Slovenian Dnevi pred dnevi
Spanish Días antes días
Swedish Dagar innan dagar
Tajik Cyrillic Рузхо пеш аз рузхо
Tamil நாட்களுக்கு முன் நாட்கள்
Telugu రోజుల ముందు రోజుల
Turkish Günlerden önceki günler
Turkmen Günlerden öňki günler
Ukrainian Cyrillic Дні перед днями
Urdu دنوں سے پہلے دن
Uzbek Кунлар олдин кунлар (Cyrillic) Kunlar oldin kunlar (Latin)
Venetian Giorni prima di giorni
Welsh Dyddiau cyn dyddiau
Yiddish טעג איידער טעג

References[]

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