Tirion

Tirion is the city of the High Elves, built upon the hill of Túna in the land of Valinor, the realm of the Valar beyond the sea. It is the first city of the Elves in the Blessed Realm, founded by the Noldor under their king Finwë after they were summoned by the Valar from the shores of Cuiviénen. The city is most famous for the two Trees of Valinor, Telperion and Laurelin, which grew upon its hill and gave light to all the world before the creation of the Sun and Moon. Tirion is also the city where Fëanor, the greatest of the Noldor, forged the three Silmarils, the jewels that held the light of the Trees and became the cause of the great wars of the Elder Days. The city is thus the origin of the Elves' ancient glory and the beginning of their long sorrow, for the destruction of the Trees and the theft of the Silmarils led to the exile of the Noldor from Valinor and the long ages of struggle in Middle-earth.

The City of the Noldor and Its Founding

Tirion was built by the Noldor, the second clan of the Elves, who were led to Valinor by the Valar after their awakening at Cuiviénen. The city stood upon the hill of Túna, which rose in the midst of the plain of Valinor, and its white walls and towers were visible from afar. The two Trees, Telperion and Laurelin, grew upon the hill, and their light mingled and waxed and waned in a cycle that marked the passage of time before the Sun and Moon. The city was the dwelling of the Noldor for many ages, and it was there that they learned the crafts of the Valar and grew in wisdom and skill. The city was also the home of the Vanyar, the first clan of the Elves, who later left Tirion to dwell upon the slopes of Taniquetil, the highest mountain of Valinor, in the presence of the Valar. The Noldor remained in Tirion, and it became the center of their culture and learning, the place where they developed the art of gem-cutting and the making of beautiful things.

The city is closely associated with the Silmarils, the three jewels made by Fëanor, the son of Finwë. Fëanor was the greatest of the Noldor in skill and craft, and he captured the light of the two Trees in the Silmarils, which shone with a radiance that surpassed all other works of the Elves. The Silmarils were treasured by the Valar, and they were placed in the keeping of the Noldor in Tirion. But the dark Vala Morgoth, who had been released from his bondage, coveted the jewels and, with the help of the giant spider Ungoliant, destroyed the two Trees and stole the Silmarils. The light of the Trees was lost forever, and the world was plunged into darkness. The destruction of the Trees and the theft of the Silmarils led to the rebellion of the Noldor, who, against the will of the Valar, left Tirion and returned to Middle-earth in pursuit of Morgoth. The city was thus abandoned by the greater part of the Noldor, who went into exile and never returned to dwell in Valinor.

The Departure of the Noldor and the Exile

The departure of the Noldor from Tirion is one of the great sorrows of the Elder Days. Fëanor and his sons swore a terrible oath to recover the Silmarils, and they led the Noldor out of Valinor, despite the warning of the Valar. The Noldor crossed the sea and returned to Middle-earth, where they fought long wars against Morgoth. The city of Tirion was left to the few Noldor who remained, and it became a place of memory and loss, a reminder of the glory that had been lost. The exile of the Noldor lasted for many ages, and it was only at the end of the Third Age that the Elves were allowed to return to the Blessed Realm. The city of Tirion thus stands as a symbol of the Elves' ancient home and their long separation from it, a place that is both a memory of paradise and a reminder of the fall that followed the making of the Silmarils.

Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlórien, was one of the Noldor who left Tirion in the days of the rebellion. She was the daughter of Finarfin, the son of Finwë, and she was among the leaders of the Noldor who went into exile. She dwelt in Middle-earth for many ages, and she was one of the chief opponents of Sauron in the War of the Ring. At the end of the Third Age, after the destruction of the One Ring, Galadriel was allowed to return to Valinor, and she sailed from the Grey Havens with the other Ring-bearers. Her return to the Blessed Realm was a homecoming to the city she had left so long ago, and it marked the end of the long exile of the Noldor. The city of Tirion is thus the destination of the Elves' long journey, the place where the sorrows of the Elder Days are finally healed.

The City in the History of the Third Age

The city of Tirion is not directly visited in the events of the War of the Ring, but it is a constant presence in the background of the story. The Elves of Middle-earth, such as Elrond and Galadriel, are exiles from Valinor, and their memories of Tirion shape their understanding of the world. The city is the source of the Elves' wisdom and their longing for the West, and it is the place to which they return at the end of the Third Age. The departure of the Ring-bearers from the Grey Havens is thus a journey to Tirion, a return to the ancient home of the Elves. The city represents the hope of renewal and the end of the long defeat, the promise that the sorrows of the world will be healed in the Blessed Realm.

The city is also connected to the history of the Rings of Power. The three Elven rings, Nenya, Narya, and Vilya, were made by Celebrimbor, a descendant of Fëanor, in the Second Age. Celebrimbor was the lord of Eregion, and he was the greatest of the Noldor smiths after Fëanor. The rings were made in the hope of preserving the beauty of Middle-earth, but they were corrupted by Sauron's One Ring. At the end of the Third Age, the power of the three rings faded, and their bearers, Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf, sailed into the West. The fading of the rings marked the end of the Elves' power in Middle-earth and the beginning of the Dominion of Men. The city of Tirion, as the place where the Noldor learned their craft, is thus the origin of the rings and the source of their power, and its loss is the end of the Elves' long age.

The Significance of Tirion in the Legendarium

Tirion is one of the most important places in the legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien, the fictional history of Middle-earth and Valinor. It is the city of the High Elves, the place where the Noldor dwelt in the light of the Trees, and the origin of the Silmarils. The city is a symbol of the Elves' ancient glory and their long exile, and it is the place to which they return at the end of the Third Age. The city is also a symbol of the power of the Valar, the guardians of the world, and the beauty of the Blessed Realm. The story of Tirion is the story of the Elves themselves, their rise, their fall, and their eventual return to the home they left so long ago. The city is thus a central element of the mythology of Middle-earth, a place that gives meaning to the long history of the Elves and their struggle against the forces of darkness.

The city is also a place of memory and loss, a reminder of the beauty that was lost when the Trees were destroyed and the Noldor went into exile. The light of the Trees was preserved only in the Silmarils, and the Silmarils were lost to the world, one in the sky, one in the sea, and one in the earth. The city of Tirion, which once shone with the light of the Trees, is now a place of shadow and memory, a reminder of what was and what can never be again. The return of the Ring-bearers to the West at the end of the Third Age is thus a return to this lost home, a final healing of the sorrows of the Elder Days. The city of Tirion is the end of the Elves' long journey, the place where the story of the Elder Days is finally resolved, and the beginning of the new age of the world.