Teleri

In the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, the Teleri (Quenya “Those which came in the last”, singular Teler ) were the third clan elf to come in Aman. Those which reached that point were known under the name of Falmari. Teleri remained in Ground of the Medium were the ancestors of the Sindar, Laiquendi and Nandor.

In old times they named themselves Lindar , or “Singers”, because they were famous for their beautiful voices. They were also called Nelyar (“Third”).

Sindar of Beleriand are called quite simply themselves Edhil (Sindarin “Elves”, singular Edhel ; connected with the quenya Eldar of the same significance).

According to the legend, Teleri are the descendants of Enel , the third Elf to be awaked close to Cuiviénen, his Enelyë wife and their soixante-douze companions, but it was Elwë, the first of Teleri to come in Valinor, which became their chief with his brother Olwë. The third clan was tallest of the three houses of the Elves, and the majority of the Moriquendi belonged to him.

Teleri were separated from the first two clans, the Vanyar and the Ñoldor, because they remained behind, in the search of their king lost Elwë (later known under the name of Thingol), and the first two clans were transported towards Valinor on an immense island before their arrival. The Maia Ossë held company to them during their waiting, and became their friend. Later, when Ulmo returned with the island, Teleri had learned how to like the sea. Ose convainquit Ulmo to anchor the island in bay of Eldamar, not far from banks of Aman, and persuaded number of Teleri to remain on the shores of the Earth of the Medium; these Teleri are called Elfes of Falas or Falathrim. Teleri remained a long time on this Solitary Île, and their language differed in many ways from that of Vanyar and Ñoldor. Well later, Teleri learned how to build vessels, and arrived finally as Aman.

Teleri of Aman refused to join Ñoldor in their departure of Valinor, and number of them were cruelly killed at the time of the Massacre of Alqualondë (their capital), the Port of the Swans . For this reason, little or none Teleri took part in the countryside of the Valar which left to capture Morgoth. It is told that Teleri forgave finally in Noldor for the Massacre, and that the two clans lived again in peace.

Their language, known under the name of Telerin, or lindalambë (language of Lindar), was regarded by certain as a dialect of the Quenya, but Teleri themselves regard it as an independent language. It was more preserving than the quenya, and among the late elfic languages, in the internal chronology of Arda, nearest to the common telerin (from which also the Sindarin and the Nandorin derive), as well as common eldarin.

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