Calaquendi

Calaquendi, meaning "Elves of the Light" in Quenya, is a term used in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium to classify a subset of the Elves. The Calaquendi are those Elves who had beheld the light of the Two Trees of Valinor and were permitted to dwell in Aman. Their origin lies in the Great Journey to the Blessed Realm, crossing the sea to the Undying Lands, where they were shaped by the light and culture of Valinor. They are distinguished from the Moriquendi, the Elves who never saw the Trees and did not undertake the voyage to Valinor.

Typically, the Calaquendi include the Vanyar and the Noldor, and those Teleri who reached Aman and beheld the light. The Sindar, who remained in Beleriand and did not complete the voyage to Valinor, are generally classified as Moriquendi. In Valinor, the Calaquendi lived under the influence of the Valar, built cities such as Tirion in Valinor, and developed advanced craftsmanship, lore, and governance. Their culture centers on the arts, diplomacy, and learning, benefiting from the enduring light that once emanated from the Trees.

The destruction of the Two Trees during the Years of the Trees altered their world, with the light surviving chiefly through the Silmarils, the great gems crafted by Fëanor that contained the Tree-light. During the later history, some Calaquendi, particularly many of the Noldor led by Fëanor, returned to Middle-earth to contend with Morgoth, while others remained in Aman for the later Ages. The term remains a historical label in Tolkien’s writings, used to distinguish those Elves who had beheld the Trees from those who had not.