Eru Ilúvatar
| House / Order | |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | God (the Creator) |
| Status | Eternal |
| Origin | The Timeless Halls |
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Weapon | |
| Fate | Supreme being of the cosmos |
| Portrayed by |
Eru Ilúvatar, "the One" and "the Father of All", was the supreme being and creator of the universe in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. From him came all existence, including the Ainur, the Valar, and the world of Arda itself. He alone could grant the gift of true and independent life.
Creation
In the beginning Eru made the Ainur, the Holy Ones, the offspring of his thought. To them he propounded a great theme of music, and from the harmony of their singing, the Music of the Ainur, the design of the world was made. When Morgoth (then Melkor) sought to weave his own discord into the music, Eru thrice raised new themes that took up even the discord into a greater and more wonderful pattern, showing that no evil could in the end thwart his purpose.
After the Music, Eru gave being to the vision by uttering the word Eä, "Let these things Be", and the world came into existence in reality. Many of the Ainur then descended into Arda to govern and shape it.
The Children of Ilúvatar
The Elves and Men were called the Children of Ilúvatar, conceived by Eru alone and unknown to the Ainur until they appeared. The Elves were the Firstborn, immortal within the world; to Men he gave the Gift of mortality, the freedom to pass beyond the circles of the world after death. The Dwarves, made by Aulë, were adopted by Eru and given true life as well.
Direct intervention
Eru rarely acted directly upon the world, working instead through the Valar. His one great direct intervention came at the Downfall of Númenor, when the rebellious Númenóreans assailed the Blessed Realm. At the plea of the Valar, Eru broke and remade the shape of the world, drowning Númenor and removing the Undying Lands beyond the reach of mortal ships.