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In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Elves are a sundered (divided) people. They awoke at Cuiviénen on the continent of Middle-earth (see: Awakening of the Elves), where they were divided into three tribes: Minyar (the Firsts), Tatyar (the Seconds) and Nelyar (the Thirds). After some time, they were summoned by Oromë to live with the Valar in Aman. That summoning and the Great Journey that followed split the Elves into two main groups (and many minor ones), which were never fully reunited.
Contents
The name Quendi refers to all elves.
Avari
The Avari are Those who Refused the Summoning of Oromë, or simply The Unwilling. Half of the Avari came from the largest tribe, the Nelyar, but most of the Nelyar went on the journey. Half of the Tatyar remained as well.
After the Separation the Avari became divided even more than the Eldar, though little of their history became known to the Elves and Men of the West of Middle-earth. At least six kindreds existed, and they continued to call themselves 'Quendi', considering those who went away as deserters. Some of these tribes later also journeyed westward, intermingling with the Nandor, and a few even reached Beleriand, though usually remaining in unfriendly relationship with the Sindar.
Eldar
The Eldar are those who accepted the summons. Their name, literally Star People, was given to them by Oromë in their own language.
The Vanyar, the Noldor, and those of the Teleri who reached Valinor are called the Calaquendi (Elves of Light) because they saw the Two Trees. In the language of the Noldor in Aman all other Elves were called the Moriquendi (Elves of Darkness) in recognition of the fact that they did not see (and did not desire) the Light of Valinor, but later the Sindar were counted among neither of these groups. Instead, Moriquendi was used for all other elves except Noldor, Vanyar, and Sindar.
Most of the Noldor returned with Fëanor to Middle-earth before the raising of the Sun. These became known as the Exiles. In Beleriand they were divided by the place of dwelling, namely Hithlum, Gondolin, Dorthonion, Nargothrond and the March of Maedhros.
After the War of Wrath the greater part of the surviving Noldor and Sindar (mostly mingled into a single people) returned into the West to dwell in Tol Eressëa. Many remained in Middle-earth throughout the Second and Third Ages, entering the realms of Lórinand and Eryn Galen of the Wood Elves or establishing the kingdoms of Lindon, Eregion, Lothlórien and Imladris.
The Havens of the Eldar are as follows:
Concept
It has been observed in the Lhammas and other writings like "The Etymologies" that Tolkien employed the Indo-European type of proto-languages with branches and sub-branches of language families while inventing his various languages of Middle-earth. This "concept of increasing separation" is analogous to the Sundering of the Elves.