Editing Two Trees of Valinor (section)

=== Light ===

{{further|Christianity in Middle-earth#Light}}<!--both #Resurrection and #Light-->

Tolkien, as a [[Catholicism|Roman Catholic]], knew the significance of light in [[Light of the World|Christian symbolism]]; he equated it with the [[Logos (Christianity)|Christian ''Logos'']], the Divine Word.{{sfn|Flieger|1983|pp=44–49}} The scholar Lisa Coutras states that transcendental light is an essential element of his subcreated world. In it, the Two Trees embody the light of creation, which in turn reflects God's light.<ref name="Coutras2016">{{cite book |last=Coutras |first=Lisa |title=Tolkien's Theology of Beauty |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-137-55344-7 |pages=47–64 |chapter=The Light of Being |doi=10.1057/978-1-137-55345-4_4 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrLIDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA47}}</ref> 

[[Verlyn Flieger]] describes the progressive splintering of the first created light, down through successive catastrophes. After the destruction of the twin lamps of Arda, Yavanna recreates what she can of the light in the Two Trees; Varda catches some of the light, and Fëanor creates the Silmarils, filled with the light. They are the unrivalled jewels that give ''The Silmarillion'' its name, and serve as the centrepiece of its narrative.{{sfn|Flieger|1983|pp=60-63}}<ref name="Curry2013"/> The whole of the history of Tolkien's [[First Age]] is strongly affected by the desire of many characters, including the dark lord Morgoth (as Melkor is now known) to possess the Silmarils that contain the only remaining unsullied light of the Trees. Morgoth desires them for himself, and manages to steal them, provoking the world-changing War of the Jewels.<ref name="Curry2013"/><ref name="Fisher 2013">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Fisher |first=Jason |author-link=Jason Fisher |editor-last=Drout |editor-first=Michael D. C. |editor-link=Michael D. C. Drout |title=Silmarils |encyclopedia=[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B0loOBA3ejIC&pg=PA678 |year=2013 |orig-year=2007 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-415-96942-0 |pages=612–613}}</ref> One of the Silmarils survives, and Varda puts it in the sky to symbolise hope: it is [[Venus]], the Morning and Evening Star.<ref name="Curry2013" />

[[Tom Shippey]], like Tolkien a [[philologist]], analyses Tolkien's treatment of the light and dark elves mentioned <!--by [[Snorri Sturluson]]-->in the 13th century ''[[Prose Edda]]'': in [[Old Norse]], [[Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar|''Ljósálfar'' and ''Dökkálfar'']]. Tolkien makes the distinguishing feature between these two groups whether the Elves had seen the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, or not. To make this work, Tolkien creates a story in which the Elves awaken in Middle-earth, and are called to undertake the long journey to Valinor. The Elves of the Light, Tolkien's Calaquendi, are those who successfully complete the journey, while the Elves of the Darkness, the Moriquendi, are those [[Sundering of the Elves|Elves who, for whatever reason, do not arrive in Valinor]].<ref name="Shippey 2001">{{cite book |last=Shippey |first=Tom |title=[[J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century]] |date=2001 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=978-0261-10401-3 |pages=228–231 |chapter=''The Silmarillion'': The Work of His Heart |author-link=Tom Shippey |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F23AAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT265}}</ref><ref name="Quendi and Eldar" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1994|loc="Quendi and Eldar"}}</ref><ref name="Dickerson 2013b">{{cite encyclopedia |year=2013 |title=Elves: Kindreds and Migrations |encyclopedia=[[The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B0loOBA3ejIC&pg=PA152 |last=Dickerson |first=Matthew |author-link=Matthew Dickerson |orig-year=2007 |editor-last=Drout |editor-first=Michael D. C. |editor-link=Michael D. C. Drout |pages=152–154 |isbn=978-0-415-86511-1}}</ref>

[[File:Sundering of the Elves diagram.svg|thumb|center|upright=3|Diagram of the [[Sundering of the Elves]], showing Tolkien's overlapping classifications. The main division is into Calaquendi and Moriquendi, Light-Elves and Dark-Elves, meaning those who had or had not seen the light of the Two Trees. These names correspond to those in [[Old Norse]], [[Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar|''Ljósálfar'' and ''Dökkálfar'']].<ref name="Shippey 2001"/> ]]