The Darkening of Valinor

In the earliest days of Valinor, Yavanna, the Vala of growth and nature, brought forth her greatest works: the Two Trees of Valinor. Through her sacred songs of power, she created Telperion, the elder of the Trees, which bore lustrous silver leaves and shed a gentle white light from countless dew-like flowers. Following Telperion, she brought forth Laurelin, whose branches held masses of bright yellow flowers that shone with a fierce golden radiance.

The Two Trees established the cycle of light in Valinor, with each tree waxing and waning in a precise pattern that marked the passing of time. For seven hours, Telperion would shine at full strength while Laurelin waned, and then for seven hours Laurelin would blaze in golden glory while Telperion dimmed. During the mingling of their lights, both Trees shone together, creating periods of soft silver-gold illumination that the Eldar considered the most beautiful of all hours.

The holy light of the Two Trees blessed all of Valinor with unprecedented beauty and vitality. Their radiance strengthened the Blessed Realm, creating a paradise where evil could not easily enter. The light became infused into all things that grew or lived in its presence, most notably the Eldar themselves, who carried a reflection of this light in their faces. This blessing made Valinor a protected sanctuary where the Children of Ilúvatar could dwell in peace under the guardianship of the Valar.

After enduring three ages of imprisonment in the Halls of Mandos, Melkor approached the throne of Manwë with seemingly profound remorse for his past evils. The Elder King, unable to conceive of deliberate falsehood and seeing his brother's apparent humility, granted him pardon and freedom within Valinor. Melkor's feigned repentance was so convincing that even Tulkas, who had once wrestled him into submission, eventually relaxed his vigilance.

While appearing to aid the Valar with his knowledge and power, Melkor secretly plotted the destruction of their realm. He wandered freely through Valinor, offering counsel to any who would listen and studying the ways and works of the Valar and Eldar. His particular interest fell upon the craft of Fëanor and the methods used to create objects of power and beauty.

Melkor's most insidious work came in his corruption of the Noldor, the Deep Elves known for their craft and knowledge. He whispered lies and half-truths to them, stirring up pride, jealousy, and discontent. He planted seeds of suspicion between the Noldor and the Valar, and between Fëanor and his half-brothers, creating divisions that would later tear the peace of Valinor asunder. The Noldor began to speak openly of the Valar holding them captive and denying them the chance to rule realms of their own in Middle-earth.

Ungoliant began her existence as one of the ancient spirits that descended into Arda at its beginning. Over time, she rejected her original purpose and descended into darkness, taking the form of a monstrous spider that fed on light itself. Though her true origins remained mysterious even to the Wise, it was believed she had once served Melkor before abandoning him to pursue her own insatiable hungers.

In the far south of Aman, beyond the shores of Valinor proper, lay the shadowy region of Avathar. Here, where the light of the Two Trees did not reach, Ungoliant established her dwelling. She wove webs of darkness between the precipitous cliffs of the Pelóri Mountains, consuming any light that came near and growing ever more powerful in her solitude.

When Melkor sought an ally for his greatest act of vengeance against the Valar, he journeyed in secret to Avathar. Though Ungoliant initially feared and distrusted him, remembering their past dealings, Melkor promised her the light she craved most. He swore to let her consume whatever she wished in Valinor, including the light of the Two Trees themselves. This terrible pact sealed the fate of the Blessed Realm, as Ungoliant's endless hunger would prove to be the perfect weapon against the source of Valinor's light.

Melkor and Ungoliant chose their moment with cruel precision, attacking during the great feast of Manwë when all the Valar and most of the Eldar were gathered upon Taniquetil. This celebration marked a time of special joy in Valinor, for it had been many years since all the Children of Ilúvatar had come together in such harmony. The timing was perfect for their evil purpose, as the Trees stood largely unguarded while the inhabitants of Valinor celebrated far to the north.

As they approached the Trees, Ungoliant exercised her most terrible power: the weaving of Unlight. This was not merely darkness as an absence of light, but an active force that devoured and destroyed light itself. Her webs of Unlight created a void darker than the deepest night, through which no sight could penetrate and in which all memory of light was extinguished.

The vulnerability of Valinor during this feast proved fatal to the Two Trees. The Blessed Realm, which had known no evil since Melkor's imprisonment, had grown accustomed to peace. The Valar, in their joy and trust in the strength of their realm, had not imagined that any could breach the mountains or bring harm to the source of their light. Even the keen eyes of Manwë's eagles were blinded by Ungoliant's cloak of Unlight, allowing the evil pair to approach their target unopposed.

Under the cover of Unlight, Ungoliant struck first, unleashing her poisonous stinger upon Laurelin, the Golden Tree. Her venom was unlike any substance known in Arda, a concentrated essence of death and unbeing that corrupted the Tree's very nature. The poison spread rapidly through Laurelin's tissues, turning its golden light to sickly darkness.

While Ungoliant attacked Laurelin, Melkor struck Telperion with his great spear, creating wounds in its silver bark through which its radiance began to fade. The combination of his violence and Ungoliant's poison proved devastating to both Trees. After fatally wounding them, Melkor and Ungoliant drained the Trees of their remaining light and sap, leaving them as lifeless husks.

As the light failed, an unnatural darkness fell over Valinor for the first time since its creation. The blessed realm, which had known only the perpetual light of the Trees, was plunged into a blackness deeper than night. From Taniquetil, the Valar and Eldar watched in horror as the light dimmed and failed, but even their swift descent from the mountain came too late.

The grief of the Valar and Eldar was beyond measure. Yavanna fell weeping beside her creations, while Nienna's tears watered the poisoned ground. The Eldar, who had never known true darkness, were struck with fear and confusion. The death of the Trees marked the end of the Years of Bliss and the beginning of days filled with sorrow and doubt.

After consuming the light of the Two Trees, Ungoliant swelled to a size and power that terrified even Melkor himself. Her form became so vast that she cast a shadow larger than any mountain, and her hunger grew even more insatiable. The more she consumed, the greater her need became, leading to an endless cycle of growing appetite and increasing size.

Following the destruction of the Trees, Melkor and Ungoliant fled northward to Formenos, where Melkor had another target in mind: the Silmarils of Fëanor. These jewels contained the last unmarred light of the Two Trees, and in the ensuing assault on Formenos, they slew Finwë, High King of the Noldor, and stole the precious gems.

Their escape took them across the Helcaraxë, the Grinding Ice that connected Aman to Middle-earth. Even as they fled, their alliance began to unravel. Ungoliant, driven mad with hunger, demanded the Silmarils from Melkor. When he refused, she attempted to devour him, and only the intervention of his Balrogs saved him from her clutches. Ungoliant fled into the darkness of the world, while Melkor returned to his fortress of Angband with his prize.

The Valar gathered swiftly around the dying Trees, their power now focused on attempting to heal what had been destroyed. Yet even their combined might could not undo the damage wrought by Ungoliant's poison, which had corrupted the Trees beyond their ability to restore. The black venom had not only destroyed their light but had altered the very essence of their being.

Yavanna, creator of the Trees, conducted a thorough examination of their remains. Her wisdom in all matters of growth and life was unmatched among the Valar, yet even she found the damage beyond her power to heal completely. The Trees had not merely been killed but had been unmade in a fundamental way that defied restoration.

After long contemplation of the Trees' ruined forms, Yavanna declared that their light could only be rekindled through the power of the Silmarils. These jewels, crafted by Fëanor, contained the pure and undiminished light of the Trees before their destruction. However, this declaration would lead to further tragedy, as Fëanor refused to break the Silmarils to restore the Trees, and by then, the jewels had already been stolen by Melkor.

The sudden darkness that fell upon Valinor had profound effects on its inhabitants, who had never known such absolute blackness. The land that had been perpetually illuminated by the Trees' light now lay in shadow, with only the stars of Varda providing any illumination. This dramatic change affected not only the visible world but also the growth of plants and the cycles of life that had depended on the Trees' light.

Among the Eldar, the darkness brought forth primal fears and uncertainties. The Teleri by the sea found comfort in the stars' reflection on the water, but the Noldor and Vanyar, who had lived most fully in the Trees' light, struggled greatly with the change. Many began to question the power and wisdom of the Valar, who had failed to protect their realm's greatest treasures.

With the death of the Trees, the Valar and Eldar began to count time by the Stars again, as they had in the earliest days before the Trees' creation. This marked a return to a more primitive method of timekeeping and symbolized how the destruction of the Trees had fundamentally altered life in Valinor. The regular cycles of silver and golden light that had ordered their days were replaced by a less precise marking of time.

Following Yavanna's work to preserve what remained of the Trees' light, the Valar created special vessels to hold their last remnants. From Telperion's final flower came the vessel that would become the Moon, while Laurelin's last fruit provided the essence of what would become the Sun. These vessels were crafted with extraordinary skill to contain and amplify the fading light of the Trees.

Varda, the Star-kindler, took charge of hallowing these vessels, imbuing them with sacred power that would allow them to illuminate all of Arda. Her blessing ensured that these lights would shine not only over Valinor but also over Middle-earth, bringing hope to all lands. The transformation of the Trees' last light into these celestial vessels marked a new beginning for the world.

To guide these new lights through the heavens, the Valar chose two powerful Maiar. Arien, a spirit of fire who had tended Laurelin's golden flowers, was selected to guide the Sun. Tilion, who had been a hunter in Oromë's company and had loved the silver light of Telperion, was chosen to steer the Moon's course. Their appointments marked the beginning of a new order in Arda, though Tilion's unrequited love for Arien would cause him to sometimes stray from his appointed path.

The Darkening of Valinor became a crucial catalyst in the rebellion of the Noldor, led by Fëanor. The destruction of the Trees, combined with the theft of the Silmarils and the murder of Finwë, fueled Fëanor's passionate speeches against Melkor and, by extension, the Valar's governance. These events provided the emotional spark that convinced many Noldor to abandon the Blessed Realm and return to Middle-earth.

The impact of this event reverberated throughout the history of Middle-earth, as the exile of the Noldor led to the establishment of great kingdoms and the long wars against Melkor, now called Morgoth. The light of the Trees, preserved in the Silmarils, became the object of countless conflicts and shaped the destinies of Elves, Men, and even the Valar themselves in the wars that followed.

The relationship between the Elves and the Valar was permanently altered by these events. The trust that had existed between them was damaged, particularly among the Noldor who chose exile. Even after the Ban of the Noldor was lifted at the end of the First Age, the intimate relationship that had existed between the Eldar and the Valar during the Years of the Trees was never fully restored. The memory of the Trees' light remained a symbol of paradise lost, influencing Elvish art, poetry, and culture throughout the remaining ages of Arda.