Noldor

The Noldor were the second of the three kindreds of the Eldar Elves, the Deep Elves, renowned above all others for their skill in craft, lore, and knowledge. Greatest of their works were the Silmarils, the holy jewels wrought by Fëanor. Their history in Beleriand forms the central tragedy of the Elder Days.

Origins

The Noldor were one of the kindreds who undertook the Great Journey from Cuiviénen into the West and dwelt in the Blessed Realm of Valinor. There, under the tutelage of the Vala Aulë the Smith, they became the most learned and skilled of all the Elves, makers of gems, builders, and lovers of knowledge. Their first king was Finwë.

The Silmarils and the Exile

The greatest of the Noldor was Fëanor, who captured the light of the Two Trees in the three Silmarils. When Morgoth slew Finwë, stole the Silmarils, and destroyed the Trees, Fëanor swore a terrible oath to recover them and led a great part of the Noldor in rebellion out of Valinor and back into Middle-earth. This departure was marked by the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, where the Noldor slew the Teleri to seize their ships, and by the Doom of Mandos pronounced upon them.

Wars in Beleriand

In Beleriand the exiled Noldor established kingdoms, including Gondolin and Nargothrond, and waged the long wars against Morgoth from his fortress of Angband. Despite great valour and many heroic deeds, the Oath of Fëanor and the Doom of the Noldor brought ruin upon them again and again. By the end of the First Age their realms were broken, and only at the coming of the Valar in the War of Wrath was Morgoth at last cast down.

Later Ages

In the Second and Third Ages, surviving Noldor played a great part in the affairs of Middle-earth. Gil-galad was the last High King of the Noldor in the East, falling in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Galadriel, one of the last of those who had seen Valinor, dwelt in Lothlórien until she too departed over the sea.