The Silmarillion

Overview

The Silmarillion comprises five parts:

• Ainulindalë ("The Music of the Ainur") – the creation of Eä, the world
• Valaquenta ("Account of the Valar") – a description of the Valar and Maiar, the supernatural powers in Eä
• Quenta Silmarillion ("Silmarillion proper", "The History of the Silmarils") – the history of the events before and during the First Age, which forms the bulk of the collection
• Akallabêth ("The Downfall of Númenor") – the history of the Downfall of Númenor and its people, which takes place in the Second Age
• Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age – a brief account of the circumstances which led to and were presented in The Lord of the Rings

This five-part work is also informally associated by some readers with Bilbo's three-volume Translations from the Elvish, mentioned in The Lord of the Rings.
These five parts were initially separate works, but it was the elder Tolkien's express wish that they be published together. Because J. R. R. Tolkien died before he could fully rewrite the various legends, Christopher gathered material from his father's older writings to fill out the book. In a few cases, he devised completely new material.
The Silmarillion, along with other collections of Tolkien's works, such as Unfinished Tales, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, and The Road Goes Ever On, form a comprehensive, yet incomplete, mythopoeic narrative that describes the universe of Middle-earth within which The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place. The History of Middle-earth is a twelve-volume examination of the processes which led to the publication of The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion through looking into J. R. R. Tolkien's initial rough drafts and through commentary by Christopher Tolkien.
The Silmarillion is a complex work that explores a wide array of themes inspired by many ancient, medieval, and modern sources, including the Finnish Kalevala, Hebrew Bible, Norse sagas, Greek mythology, Celtic mythology, and World War I. For instance, the meaning of the name of the supreme being, Eru Ilúvatar (Father of All) is borrowed from Norse mythology. The archaic style and gravitas of the Ainulindalë resembles that of the Old Testament. The island civilization of Númenor is purposefully reminiscent of Atlantis[1]—one of the names Tolkien gave that land was Atalantë, although he gave it an Elvish etymology. Among the notable chapters in the book are:

• "The Music of the Ainur"
• "Of Beren and Lúthien"
• "Túrin Turambar" (closely associated with "Narn i Chîn Húrin: The Tale of the Children of Húrin" in Unfinished Tales)
• "Of Tuor and The Fall of Gondolin"
• "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"

Synopsis

Ainulindalë and Valaquenta

The first section of The Silmarillion, called Ainulindalë, takes the form of a primary creation myth, describing the making of the world by the supreme being Eru, "The One" (also called Ilúvatar), and the rebellion of the spirit Melkor (later called Morgoth), whose role in The Silmarillion is similar to that of Lucifer in Judeo-Christian mythologies.
Eru first creates the Ainur, a group of eternal spirits or demiurges, described as "the offspring of his thought", who exist before all else is created. Eru then brings the Ainur together to reveal his purposes, after which the Ainur (some of whom were later called Valar) play music together under his direction. At this point, Melkor — said to have been given by Eru the "greatest power and knowledge" of all the Valar — breaks from the harmony of the music of Eru, and uses his power to develop his own song. This causes discord and division as some Ainu join him, while others stay with the music of Eru. The music stops and Eru shows them all a vision of the peoples of Middle-earth. In this scene, a division begins between Melkor, who harbours a hatred for Eru, and his brother (and equal) Manwë and Ulmo, who become Eru's strongest supporters.
The creation of Middle-earth then begins, and the Ainur descend, taking physical form and becoming bound to the new world. Manwë and the other Valar build and prepare the world for the coming inhabitants (men and elves), while Melkor repeatedly destroys their work, until slowly, through waves of destruction and creation, the world takes its shape.
The Valaquenta describes in detail the characteristics of each of the Valar. It also describes a few of the Maiar as well, who are one step below the Valar in power, and how many of these beings — including the dreaded Balrogs and the Maia Sauron — are seduced by Melkor to serve him.

Quenta Silmarillion

The Quenta Silmarillion, which makes up the bulk of the book, is a series of interconnected tales making up the tragic saga of the three magical jewels, the Silmarils, which hold the light of the Two Trees of Valinor. The various stories describe the conflicts between Melkor (renamed Morgoth) and the other Valar, the creation of the Children of Ilúvatar (Dwarves, Elves and Men), the capture and imprisonment of Morgoth, the removal of the Elves to Valinor, Morgoth's renewed rebellion, the return of some of the elves to Middle-earth, Morgoth's struggles with the Elves for possession of the Silmarils, the overthrow of each of the Elven kingdoms, and the eventual defeat of Morgoth by the Valar in the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age. The two main threads that connect all the stories, and which ultimately drive the actions of the various characters, are the terrible curse laid upon the Silmarils by their maker, Fëanor, and the Doom of Mandos, which is placed upon the Elves in punishment for their rebellion against the Valar and for the sinful deeds of the Kinslaying.

Akallabêth

This short section, comprising about thirty pages, bears many similarities to legends of Atlantis. It recounts the history of the island kindgom of Númenor, which the Valar granted to the three loyal houses of Men who had aided them in the final overthrow of Morgoth. The story traces the rise and fall of the mighty people of Nûmenor, the Dúnedain, from whom descends the royal line of Gondor, including Aragorn. Their tragic fate is brought about in large measure by the actions and influence of the evil Maia Sauron (formerly the chief servant of Morgoth) who had arisen during the Second Age and tried to take over Middle-earth. The Númenóreans move against Sauron, who, seeing that he could not beat the Númenóreans with force, allows himself to be taken prisoner to Númenor, where he quickly seduces the King, Ar-Pharazôn, leads the Númenóreans into the false worship of his former master, Morgoth, and urges them to wage war on the Valar themselves. The Second Age ends with the destruction of the Númenóreans and their island by Eru, in punishment for their rebellion against the rightful rule of the Valar, although Sauron escapes and flees to Middle-earth.

Of The Rings of Power and the Third Age

This concluding section of the narrative, comprising about twenty pages, describes the events that take place after the fall of Morgoth and the beginning of the Third Age. It tells of the re-emergence of the Dark Lord Sauron, the forging of the Rings of Power, and the battles between the people of Middle-Earth and the forces of Sauron, culminating in the War of the Last Alliance, in which Elves and Men unite to defeat Sauron, after which the One Ring passes to Isildur. This section also gives a brief overview of the events leading up to and taking place in The Lord of the Rings.