Types of Elves

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Eldar

The Eldar are those who accepted the summons. Their name, literally Star People, was given to them by Oromë in their own language.

All of the Minyar became the Vanyar (Fair Elves - referring to their golden-blond hair).
Half of the Tatyar became the Noldor (Deep Elves - referring to their knowledge).
More than half of the Nelyar became the Teleri (Those who come last) or as they referred to themselves the Lindar (The Singers).
Those of the Teleri who refused to cross the Misty Mountains and stayed in the valley of Anduin were called the Nandor (Those [Elves] who turn back).
Those of the Nandor who later entered Beleriand were called the Laiquendi (Green Elves or Green People).
The other Nandor who stayed around Anduin became known as the Tawarwaith, living in the forests of Wilderland, also called the Silvan or Wood Elves. They were joined there by those Avari who eventually passed to the West.
Those of the Teleri who reached Beleriand by the Great Sea but chose not to cross to Aman were later called the Sindar (Grey Elves).
Many of the Teleri (Sindar) chose to remain behind in order to look for their lord Thingol, who disappeared near the end of the journey. These later inhabited Doriath and were named the Iathrim (People of the Girdle), referring to the magical 'Girdle of Melian' that surrounded the kingdom.
Those of the Teleri (Sindar) who came to the shores of the Great Sea but decided to stay there or arrived too late to be ferried were called the Falathrim (People of the Shore).
Those of the Teleri (Sindar) who chose to remain behind and populated the lands to the north-west of Beleriand were called Mithrim (Grey People), giving their name to the region and the great lake there. Most of them later merged with the Noldor who returned to Middle-earth, especially those of Gondolin.
Those of the Teleri who reached Aman were called Amanyar Teleri or Falmari (People of the Waves).
The Vanyar, the Noldor, and those of the Teleri who reached Valinor are called the Calaquendi (Elves of Light) because they saw the Two Trees. In the language of the Noldor in Aman all other Elves were called the Moriquendi (Elves of Darkness) in recognition of the fact that they did not see (and did not desire) the Light of Valinor, but later the Sindar were counted among neither of these groups.

Most of the Noldor returned with Fëanor to Middle-earth before the raising of the Sun. These became known as the Exiles. In Beleriand they were divided by the place of dwelling, namely Hithlum, Gondolin, Dorthonion, Nargothrond and the March of Maedhros.

After the War of Wrath the greater part of the surviving Noldor and Sindar (mostly mingled into a single people) returned into the West to dwell in Tol Eressëa. Many remained still throughout the Second and Third Ages, entering the realms of Lórinand and Eryn Galen of the Wood Elves or establishing the kingdoms of Lindon, Eregion and Imladris.

Sited from Wikipedia

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Vanyar

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Vanyar are the fairest and most noble of the High Elves. They are the smallest of the three clans of the Eldar, and were the first to arrive in Aman. According to legend, the clan was founded by Imin, the first Elf to awake at Cuiviénen, his wife Iminyë, and their twelve companions; but it was Ingwë, the first Vanya to travel with Oromë to Valinor, who became their king. They speak Quendya, a dialect of Quenya found only in Valinor.

The name Vanyar (singular Vanya) means "(the) Fair" in Quenya, referring to their golden hair (the original meaning of the word "Vanya" approximating as "light/pale"). They are sometimes known, particularly amongst themselves, by their original name Minyar, meaning "the First". The word "vanya" in Quenya is also listed as a verb meaning "to leave/depart/vanish", which may have either arisen due to the almost complete disappearance of this clan early on in Elven history, or given rise to the noun "Vanya(r)" in later times. However, it is unclear if this is the case, and it appears that Tolkien may have dropped the use of "vanya" as a verb in his later conceptions of Quenya.

History of Vanyar

According to the Elven legend Cuiviényarna, the Vanyar are descendants of Imil, the first Elf to awake at Cuiviénen, his wife Iminyë, and six other pairs of Elves who were awoken by them. Imil's companions, Tata and Enel, later awoke groups of nine and twelve pairs respectively, and Imil decided that since his group was now the smallest and each group that he and his companions discovered was larger than the last, he would now choose third rather than first in order to make up the numbers. However, only a further two groups were discovered, leaving Imil's group of fourteen by far the smallest of the three Elven clans.

When the Elves were discovered by Oromë, each clan chose an ambassador to return with him to Valinor to verify his claims of its greatness. The Minyar (Imil's companions) sent Ingwë. Upon his return, his people were swayed by his testimony and adopted him as their king (appropriate, as the name Ingwë means chieftan in Quenya), and he led them with Oromë to Aman. Ingwë has since been reckoned the High King of all Elves, and became known as Ingwë Ingweron, the "Chief of Chieftains", and his people were known by the rest of the Eldar as the Vanyar. He dwells with them on the slopes of Taniquetil, beneath the halls of Manwë.

After arriving in Aman, the Vanyar were rarely seen even by other Elves. Very few individual Vanyar are named besides Imil, Ingwë, and his sister (or possibly niece) Indis, the second wife of Finwë (the king of the Noldor) and the mother of Fingolfin and Finarfin, the latter of which founded the only house of Noldorin Elves to sport golden Vanyarin hair. After her husband was killed by Melkor in his attack on Formenos, she returned to her people, along with her daughter Findis.

The pure Vanyar were only seen in Middle-earth once after their departure, when Ingwë's son Ingwion led an armed host of his people from Valinor to fight in the War of Wrath. They returned to Aman, along with most of the Eldar living in the now largely destroyed Beleriand, at the end of the First Age.

Though no pure Vanyar ever set foot in Middle-earth after the Great Journey, save for those who fought in the War of Wrath, it was through Indis, the second wife of Finwë (the king of the Noldor) and the mother of Fingolfin and Finarfin, that some descendants of the Vanyar did come to Middle-earth, notably bringing their features such as their distinguishing golden Vanyarin hair.

Quendya Dialect

As the favoured Elves of Manwë, the Vanyar would have been more closely involved with the Valar and Maiar than the Noldor and Teleri, which presumably would have prompted at least some differences in their culture. The Vanyarin dialect of Quenya, known as Quendya, would seem to suggest this, incorporating as it does several words derived from Valarin which are not found in the Noldorin dialect, such as tulka ("yellow, from Valarin tulukha(n)), ulban ("blue", presumably from the same root as Valarin ulu/ullu meaning "water"), nasar (red, original Valarin not given) and miruvózë (from mirubhôzê, from which is also derived miruvor, the cordial of Rivendell in The Lord of the Rings). Vanyarin Quenya also retains a distinct accusative case for noun inflections, which was dropped from the exilic Noldorin variety.

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Noldor

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor (meaning those with knowledge) were those of the second clan of the Elves, the Tatyar, who came to Aman. According to legend, the clan was founded by Tata, the second Elf to awake at Cuiviénen, his spouse Tatië and their 54 companions, but it was Finwë, the first Noldo to come to Valinor with Oromë, who became their king, and led most of them to Valinor. They spoke Quenya in Valinor, but the Exiles who returned to Middle-earth used Sindarin.

The Noldor were called Golodhrim or Gódhellim by Sindarin-speakers and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa; they are also known as Deep Elves. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin.[1] They were the Second Clan of the Elves in both order and size, the other clans being the Vanyar and the Teleri. They typically had grey eyes and dark hair (except for those who had Vanyarin blood, most prominently the members of the House of Finarfin).


History of the Noldor

Noldor in Valinor
The Noldor are accounted the greatest of the Elves and all the peoples in Middle-earth in lore, warfare and crafts. In Valinor "great became their knowledge and their skill; yet even greater was their thirst for more knowledge, and in many things they soon surpassed their teachers. They were changeful in speech, for they had great love of words, and sought ever to find names more fit for all things they knew or imagined."[2] They were beloved of Aulë the Smith, and were the first to discover and carve gems. On the other hand, the Noldor were also the proudest of the Elves; and, by the words of the Sindar, "they needed room to quarrel in".[3] Their chief dwelling-place was the city of Tirion upon Túna. Among the wisest of the Noldor were Rúmil, creator of the first writing system and author of many books of lore. Fëanor, son of Finwë and Míriel, was the greatest of their craftsmen, "mightiest in skill of word and of hand",[2] and creator of the Silmarils.

The Noldor earned the greatest hatred of Melkor, who envied their prosperity and, most of all, the Silmarils. So he went often among them, offering counsel, and the Noldor hearkened, being eager for lore. But Melkor sowed lies, and in the end the peace in Tirion was poisoned. Fëanor, having rebelled against Fingolfin his half-brother, was banished, and with him went Finwë his father. Fingolfin remained as the ruler of the Noldor of Tirion.

But Melkor had yet other designs to accomplish. Soon after with the aid of Ungoliant he slew the Two Trees, and coming to Formenos he killed Finwë, stole the Silmarils and departed from Aman. Fëanor then, driven by the desire of vengeance, rebelled against the Valar and made a speech before the Noldor, persuading them to leave Valinor, follow Melkor to Middle-earth and wage war against him for the recovery of the Silmarils. He swore a terrible oath to pursue Melkor and claimed the title of the High King; but though the greater part of the Noldor still held Fingolfin as King, they followed Fëanor to be not separated from their kin.


Exile to Middle-earth
The Noldor led by Fëanor demanded that the Teleri let them use their ships. When the Teleri refused, they took the ships by force, committing the first kinslaying. A messenger from the Valar came later and delivered the Prophecy of the North, pronouncing Doom on the Noldor for the Kinslaying and rebellion and warning that if they proceeded they would not recover the Silmarils and moreover that they all will be slain or tormented by grief. At this, some of the Noldor who had no hand in the Kinslaying, including Finarfin son of Finwë and Indis, returned to Valinor, and the Valar forgave them. Other Noldor led by Fingolfin (some of whom were blameless in the Kinslaying) remained determined to leave Valinor for Middle-earth. Prominent among these others was Finarfin's son, Finrod.

The Noldor led by Fëanor crossed the sea to Middle-earth, leaving those led by Fingolfin, his half-brother, behind. Upon his arrival in Middle-earth, Fëanor had the ships burned. When the Noldor led by Fingolfin discovered their betrayal, they went farther north and crossed the sea at the Grinding Ice which cost them many lives. With the Two Trees destroyed by Melkor, the departure of the Noldor out of the Undying Lands marked the end of the Years of the Trees, and the beginning of the Years of the Sun when the Valar created the Moon and the Sun out of Telperion's last flower and Laurelin's last fruit.

Fëanor's company was soon attacked by Morgoth. When Fëanor rode too far from his bodyguard during the Battle under Stars, he was attacked by several Balrogs including their Lord Gothmog, who had issued forth from Angband, the enemy's fortress in the north. Despite a valiant fight, Fëanor he was mortally wounded and would have been captured and taken to Angband had it not been for the swift arrival of his sons. However Fëanor died whilst being taken back to his own people.

Because Fëanor had taken the ships and left the Noldor led by his half-brother on the west side of the sea, the royal houses of the Noldor were feuding, but Fingon son of Fingolfin, saved Maedhros, son of Fëanor, from Morgoth's imprisonment and the feud was settled. Maedhros was due to succeed Fëanor, but he regretted his part of the Kinslaying and left the High Kingship of the Noldor to his uncle Fingolfin, who became the first High King of the Noldor in Middle-earth. His brothers did not agree to this, and began to refer to themselves as the Dispossessed, because the High Kingship had passed them by.

In the north-west of Middle-earth the Noldor made alliance with the Sindar, the Elves of Beleriand, and later with Men of the Three Houses of the Edain. Fingolfin reigned long in the land of Hithlum, and his younger son Turgon built the Hidden City of Gondolin. The Sons of Fëanor ruled the lands in Eastern Beleriand, while Finrod Finarfin's son was the King of Nargothrond and his brothers Angrod and Aegnor held Dorthonion. Fingolfin's reign was marked by warfare against Morgoth and in the year 60 of the First Age after their victory in Dagor Aglareb the Noldor started the Siege of Angband, the great fortress of Morgoth. In the year 455 the Siege was broken by Morgoth in the Battle of Sudden Flame, in which the north-eastern Elvish realms were conquered. Fingolfin in despair rode to Angband and challenged Morgoth to single combat. He dealt Morgoth seven wounds but perished, and he was succeeded by his eldest son Fingon, who became the second High King of the Noldor in Beleriand.

In the year 472, Maedhros organised an all-out attack on Morgoth and this led to the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. Betrayed by the new-come Easterlings, the forces of the Noldor, Sindar and Edain were utterly defeated. Fingon the Valiant was slain; he was succeeded by his brother Turgon.

Morgoth scattered the remaining forces of the Sons of Fëanor, and in 495 Nargothrond was also overridden. Turgon had withdrawn to Gondolin which was kept hidden from both Morgoth and other Elves. In 510, Gondolin was betrayed by Maeglin and sacked. During the attack Turgon was killed; however, many of his people escaped and found their way south. Turgon had no sons, so Gil-galad, last surviving male descendant of Finarfin, became the fourth and last High King of the Noldor in Middle-earth.

Finally the Valar came down to Middle-earth and in the years 545-583 the War of Wrath was fought and Morgoth was cast into the Void. But Beleriand sank into the sea, except for a part of Ossiriand (Lindon), and a few isles. The defeat of Morgoth marked the end of the First Age and the start of the Second.

Second and Third Ages
Most of the Noldor sailed back to Aman at the End of the First Age; but some, like Galadriel daughter of Finarfin or Celebrimbor grandson of Fëanor, refused the pardon of the Valar and remained in Middle-earth. Gil-galad founded a new kingdom at Lindon, and ruled throughout the Second Age, longer than any of the High Kings except for Finwë. He was also accepted as High King by the Noldor of Eregion. But after a while Sauron had replaced his master Morgoth as the Dark Lord. With the aid of the Ruling Ring he fortified Mordor and began the long war with the remaining Elves. He attacked Eregion, destroying it, but was withstood in Rivendell and Lindon. With the aid of the Númenóreans, the Noldor managed to defeat him for a time.

However, in the year 3319 of the Second Age Númenor fell due to Ar-Pharazôn's rebellion against the Valar, in which Sauron had a great part. When Elendil with his sons escaped to Middle-earth and established the realms of Arnor and Gondor, Sauron tried to conquer Gondor before it could take root. Both Elendil and Gil-galad set out for Mordor in the Last Alliance of Men and Elves and defeated Sauron in the Battle of Dagorlad and finally in the Siege of Barad-dûr. There Gil-galad perished, and so ended the High Kingship of the Noldor. No new High King was elected, as no one claimed the throne; for this reason, the High Kingship of the Noldor was said to have passed overseas, to the Noldor of Valinor, ruled by Finarfin, the third son of Finwë who had never left. In Middle-earth of the descendants of Finwë only Galadriel and Elrond Half-elven remained.

In the Third Age, the Noldor in Middle-earth dwindled, and by the end of the Third Age the only big communities of Noldor remaining in Middle-earth were in Rivendell and Lindon. Their further fate of fading utterly from the World was shared by all Elves.


High Kings of the Noldor

In Valinor:
Finwë, first High King
Fëanor, first son of Finwë; claimed the title after his father's death
Fingolfin, second son of Finwë; held to be the High King by the majority of the Noldor
Finarfin, third son of Finwë; ruled the Noldor remaining in Aman
In Middle-earth:
Fingolfin, after Maedhros son of Fëanor gave up his claims
Fingon, first son of Fingolfin
Turgon, second son of Fingolfin.
Gil-galad, son of Orodreth, son of Angrod, second son of Finarfin and the last High King of the Noldor in exile.[4]
It is not known exactly how Finwë became High King: he may have been a descendant of the Noldorin primogen "Tata", or simply have been accepted as leader based on his status as ambassador to the Valar. The Noldor had many princely houses besides that of Finwë: Glorfindel of Gondolin and Gwindor of Nargothrond, while not related to Finwë, were princes in their own right. These lesser houses held no realms, however: all the Noldorin realms of Beleriand and later Eriador were ruled by a descendant of Finwë.

The Mannish descendants of Elros (the Kings of Arnor) now claimed the title High King, although there is no indication that this referred anything other than a High Kingship over the Dúnedain. As descendants through the female line Elros and his brother Elrond were not considered eligible, and Elrond indeed never claimed Kingship.

It is perhaps notable that Galadriel, the last of the House of Finwë in Middle-earth (other than the Half-elven) and Gil-galad's great-aunt, likewise never claimed a king title let alone the title of High Queen. Indeed the only known Elven Kingdom in Middle-earth after the Second Age was the Silvan realm of Mirkwood, ruled by the Sinda Thranduil.

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Teleri

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Teleri (meaning Those who come last, singular Teler) were the third of the Elf clans who came to Aman. Those who came to Aman became known as the Falmari. The Teleri were the ancestors of the Valinórean Teleri, and the Sindar, Laiquendi, and Nandor of Middle-earth.

The third clan was the largest of the three houses of the Elves, and most of the Avari originally belonged to this clan.

In ancient times they named themselves Lindar, or "Singers", because they were known for their fair voices. They were also called Nelyar ("Thirds").

The Sindar of Beleriand called themselves simply Edhil, which means Elves, and is related to the Quenya word Eldar of the same meaning.

According to legend, the Teleri were descended from Enel, the third Elf to awake in Cuiviénen, his spouse Enelyë and their 72 companions, but it was Elwë, the first of the Teleri to come to Valinor, who became their king.

The Teleri were sundered from the first two clans, the Vanyar and the Noldor, first because some, after seeing the Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains), dispersed from the journey; these elves would become known as the Nandor and/or Silvan Elves. Of those who did pass through Eriador and over the Ered Luin, many would tarry behind in the east of Beleriand searching for their lost king Elwë (later known as Elu Thingol), and the first two clans were ferried across to Valinor on a huge island. The Maia Ossë kept them company while they waited, and became their friend.

Later when Ulmo returned with the island ferry, the Teleri had grown to love the sea. Ossë convinced Ulmo to anchor the island in the bay of Eldamar, off the shores of Aman, and persuaded many of the Teleri to remain in Middle-earth. The Teleri long remained on this Lonely Isle, and their language changed in different ways from that of the Vanyar and Noldor. Much later the Teleri learned to build ships, and finally made it to Aman.

The Teleri refused to join the Noldor in leaving Valinor, and many of them were cruelly slain in the Kinslaying at their chief city of Alqualondë, or Swan Harbour. For this reason few or none of the Teleri joined the host of the Valar which set out to capture Morgoth for good. It is recounted that the Teleri eventually forgave the Noldor for the Kinslaying, and the two kindreds were at peace again.

Their tongue, known as Telerin or Lindalambë (tongue of the Lindar), was considered by some to be a dialect of Quenya, but the Teleri themselves considered it to be an independent language, which seems more reasonable considering that Quenya and Telerin are about as far apart as Italian and Spanish. It was much more conservative than Quenya, and was the closest to Common Telerin (from which Sindarin and Nandorin were also derived), and even to Common Eldarin of the later Elvish languages.


Teleri Kings

Enel & Enelye
Elwë First True King
Dior, grandson of Elwë
Olwë King of the Falmari, brother of Elwë.

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Sindar

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar (meaning Grey People, singular Sinda, although the latter term was not generally used by Tolkien) are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin. The King of Doriath, Elu Thingol was the King of the Sindar.

The Sindar were happy in Middle-earth, but once the desire for the Sea was aroused in them, they could not be content until they sailed to Eldamar. Although less learned and powerful than the Caliquendi and less interested in crafts than the Noldor, they were extremely gifted in music, and their voices were very fair.

The Sindar are "grey" perhaps because they were not Elves of the Light, never having actually set foot in Valinor, but neither were they Avari, since they did accept the invitation and set out on the journey (and therefore were technically counted among the Eldar). They are sometimes referred to as Elves of the Twilight. The term grey may also refer to Elu Thingol's grey cloak. The term Sindar is actually not Sindarin in origin: it is the Quenya name devised by the Noldorin exiles. It may also be related to Lindar, the Telerin name for themselves. The name that the Sindar used for themselves was simply Edhil ("Elves", singular Edhel). When the Teleri left for Aman, they called themselves the Eglath, the Forsaken Ones.

The Teleri were the greatest host of the Eldar. They had two kings, the brothers Elwë Singollo (or Elu Thingol as he was later known in the Sindarin tongue) and Olwë. When the Teleri reached Beleriand during the Great Journey from Cuiviénen, Thingol went wandering in the forests as was his wont. In the forest of Nan Elmoth he met Melian, one of the Maiar. They fell in love, and with Melian, Thingol stood spellbound in Nan Elmoth for several years.

In the meantime, Olwë and many of the Teleri could not delay longer, and went to Aman without Elwë and his following. Elwë's followers stayed in Beleriand, to search for their king. At long last he awoke from the spell and set up a kingdom in the midst of Beleriand: Eglador (Land of the Forsaken, or Land of the Elves. The etymology is not clear.). The Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost in the Ered Luin (Blue Mountains) were contracted to aid in the building of the city of Menegroth (the Thousand Caves).

Other Teleri also stayed behind: these were the friends of Ossë the Maia, who had fallen in love with the shores of Middle-earth, and did not wish to depart. Their leader was Círdan, and they established cities at Eglarest and Brithombar. They were known as the Falathrim, or Elves of the Falas (Shore). They were not part of the realm of Eglador, but still took Thingol as their King.

Yet other stray bands of Teleri settled in Nevrast and Hithlum to the north of Eglador, although these did not form any realms.

The Teleri of Eglador, the northlands (Mithrim), and the Falas were collectively known as the Sindar, or Grey Elves, in later days, because they developed a civilization all its own, which almost equalled that of the Calaquendi or Light Elves of Valinor.

A last group of Teleri in Beleriand were the Laiquendi or Green Elves: they were descended from the Nandor, which had split from the Great Journey before the Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains), and gone south along the Great River (Anduin). A part of them, under Denethor son of Dan, crossed the Blue Mountains eventually, and settled in Ossiriand, or as it was later known Lindon (land of the singers). They remained a people apart for long, although many of them removed to Thingol's realm after Denethor was killed.

Just before the arrival of the Noldorin exiles, the Dark Lord Morgoth returned to his old stronghold of Angband, and his activities increased. Thingol had Melian use her magic to create a girdle of bewilderment around Eglador, so that nobody could enter without the king's permission. Ever after it was known as Doriath (Land of the Fence). Thingol remained High King of the Sindar and nominal Overlord of Beleriand, although especially the Noldor following of the sons of Fëanor usually ignored his commands.

The language of the Sindar diverged from common Telerin over the long ages they were sundered from their kin, and became known as Sindarin. By the time the Noldor arrived in Beleriand, the languages had become mutually unintelligible, but the Noldor were quick to learn it. In the Second and Third Age, Sindarin became known as the Noble Tongue, and became the Elvish tongue used in daily speech throughout Middle-earth (helped by the decree of Thingol, who forbade the use of the Noldorin language in his realm). It was also adopted for daily use by the Númenóreans, and remained somewhat in use in the Realms in Exile of Gondor and Arnor.

Sindarin eventually replaced Noldorin Quenya as the language used by the Noldor in Beleriand, even in predominantly Noldorin settlements, with the exception of Gondolin, where Turgon revived Quenya. Elsewhere, Quenya survived as a language of knowledge, taking the same role as Latin today.

The Peredhil, Elrond and Elros, were partially of Sindarin Elven descent, as their mother Elwing was the daughter of Dior, the son of Lúthien, the daughter of Thingol and Melian.

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Laegrim

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the term Green-elves is a translation of the Quenya word Laiquendi (Sindarin form was Laegrim). These were Elves of Nandorin race who passed westward into Beleriand over the Ered Luin or Blue Mountains and came to reside in Ossiriand, The Land of Seven Rivers. It is also said that the Green-elves of Ossiriand were named so due to their forest-like attire which was green.


History and Origin

The Green-elves can be traced to the Telerin Elves of the host of Olwë, who coming upon the Great River Anduin and seeing the seemingly impassable peaks of the Hithaeglir or Misty Mountains, forsook the westward journey and became a separated people. These Elves followed Lenwë (in their language Denweg) down the banks of the Anduin and once again became separated. Of the fate of many of these elves, that story is uncertain. What is certain though is that many wondered into the lands of Eriador, between the Eastern slopes of the Ered Luin and the Western side of the Hithaeglir. These Elves became a wild and simple people in comparison to the Calaquendi or the Sindar of Menegroth. As Morgoth's treachery began to extend eastward over the Blue Mountains, the simplistic weapons of the scattered Elves of Eriador were no match for the servants and beasts of Morgoth. Through the mediation of the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains and those passing to and from the Misty Mountains, some Elves of Eriador came to hear of the might and power of King Elu Thingol's realm in Menegroth. Hearing of the peaceful territories of the King, Denethor, son of Lenwë, collected as many of his scattered people as he could and finally ventured westward over the Ered Luin, where he was accepted by the King as ancient kindred (King Elu Thingol being in fact Elwë, brother of Olwë) and were given Ossiriand to reside in. Although there are some instances where the Green-elves of Ossiriand did participate in the battles and strife concerning Morgoth (the First Battle of Beleriand for example), they were for the most part a simple, peaceful, and reclusive people.

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Silvan

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the best known Silvan Elves are the Elves of northern Mirkwood and Lothlórien. In the First Age the Elves of Ossiriand, or Laiquendi, were also referred to as wood-elves.

Silvan Elves (more properly called "Tawarwaith") are of Nandorin descent but also mixed with Avari, Sindar and Noldor and governed by Sindarin rulers. Examples of these rulers are Thranduil king of northern Mirkwood, Amdír, and his son, Amroth, the last Sindarin prince of Lórien before the rule of Galadriel and Celeborn (of Noldorin/Telerin and Sindarin descent, respectively).

Silvan Elves are described as being less wise than other Eldar, and some of them almost are indistinguishable from the Avari, those who never joined the Great Journey.


The War of the Last Alliance

According to notes made by Tolkien after the publication of Lord of the Rings and found in Unfinished Tales, Oropher, the Sindarin king of the Silvan Elves of Mirkwood, or Greenwood the Great as it was then known, raised a large force as part of the Last Alliance to overthrow Sauron. During the first assault on Mordor, he disregarded Gil-galad's tactical plan and led a reckless charge in which he was slain along with two-thirds of his troops. Rule of the Silvan Elves and field command of their remaining strength passed to Oropher's son Thranduil the father of Legolas.


Mirkwood

The Silvan Elves of Mirkwood are described as distrustful of Dwarves, but friendly to Men, with whom they trade. In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins has to rescue the Dwarves of Thorin Oakenshield's company from these Elves. Later in the book they are one of the Five Armies in the Battle of Five Armies.

Legolas of the Fellowship of the Ring, although he lived among them and presented himself as one of the Silvan folk in The Lord of the Rings, was not one of them. As a son of the Elven-king Thranduil, who had originally come from Doriath, Legolas was actually a Sindarin Elf. This is complicated by the fact that a small minority of Sindarin Elves ruled the predominantly Silvan Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood, a minority to which Legolas belonged. The Sindarin minority in that realm, who should have been nobler and wiser than the Silvan Elves, can be seen as having "gone native" at the end of the First Age: after Morgoth was defeated and all of the grand Elf-kingdoms of Beleriand were destroyed, they can be seen as going back to "a simpler time" in their culture.


Lorien

The Silvan Elves of Lórien are also called the Galadhrim, literally "tree-folk". After the departure of Amroth in the T.A. 1981, they were ruled by Celeborn and Galadriel. At the time of the War of the Ring they spoke an accent or dialect of Sindarin which had changed so much that Frodo Baggins, who spoke Sindarin, could not understand them. Additionally, few Elves of Lórien could speak Westron, so that Haldir, one of the few that could, had to accompany them on their way to Caras Galadhon.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvan_Elves"

[Vanya Calathiel]

Avari

The Avari are Those who Refused the Summoning of Oromë, or simply The Unwilling. Half of the Avari came from the largest tribe, the Nelyar, but most of the Nelyar went on the journey.[1] Half of the Tatyar remained as well.

After the Separation the Avari became divided even more than the Eldar, though little of their history became known to the Elves and Men of the West of Middle-earth. At least six kindreds existed, and they continued to call themselves 'Quendi',[2] considering those who went away as deserters. Some of these tribes later also journeyed westward, intermingling with the Nandor, and a few even reached Beleriand, though usually remaining in unfriendly relationship with the Sindar.