Silmarillion

The Silmarillion is a collection of mythopoeic writings by J. R. R. Tolkien, published posthumously in 1977 and edited by his son Christopher Tolkien. It forms the foundational core of Tolkien’s legendarium, presenting the fictional history and cosmology that underlie The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The work covers creation, the formation of Middle-earth, and the early ages in which the greatest events of the world’s prehistory occur.

The book is commonly divided into five parts. Ainulindalë, or The Music of the Ainur, describes the creation of the universe (Eä) through a great musical theme set by the godlike Ainur; Valaquenta introduces the Valar and Maiar, the divine powers shaping the world. Quenta Silmarillion recounts the history of the First Age, centering on the Silmarils—jewels crafted by Fëanor—and the oath and wars that arise from their theft by Morgoth, including the deaths and tragedies of prominent heroes such as Beren and Lúthien and Túrin Turambar. Akallabêth tells of Númenor’s rise and fall, reflecting on pride and downfall among the Edain. Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age provides a narrative bridge to The Lord of the Rings, detailing the creation of the Rings of Power and the events that lead into the Second and Third Ages.

As a comprehensive prehistory, The Silmarillion deepens the world-building of Middle-earth, offering religious and mythic textures, character histories, and place-naming that inform Tolkien’s later fiction. Its publication significantly shaped scholarly and popular understanding of Tolkien’s broader literary project.