The First Set of Stories
THE BEGINNING
(length unknown)
and then
THE YEARS OF THE STARS AND TREES
(lasting 3,000 of their years, possibly 30,000 of our years)
The first 10,000 years of those 30,000 or so were only The Years of the Stars; Valinor was built about 5,000 years into that; after the Years of the Stars 11,000 were The Years of the Trees; then 9,000 were The Years of Darkness towards the end of which the moon and then the sun were made. "It is said that the Valar came into the world 30,000 Sun-years ere the first rising of the Moon.…A Year of Valar is in length well nigh as are 10 of the years that now are." (Note that many of the years are as of The Grey Annals; but the Annals of Valinor give the years as about twice each date if I understand correctly.)
Chapter One: How Much Began
THE STORY: Morgoth's Ring The History of Middle Earth Vol. 10 Part One
Silmarillion 2 chapters:
its Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 1: Beginning of Days
+ unnumbered chapter Valaquenta
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS:
Don't miss (in Ainulindalë, I prefer the version in Morgoth's Ring) how Melkor worked in different parts of the universe – yet another place where many more stories could be told! Also there:
Also there: pp 41-42 about Morgoth and why the moon is uninhabited!
(If you really want information now on the shape of the universe, you may want to consult The History of Middle Earth Vol. 4: The Shaping of Middle-Earth: Chapter V, though that also covers much later material so I've listed it here to read later.)
INTERESTING RETELLING(S): Note you will see some in the next chapter that also includes later material. (You also would have seen overlapping above; this will happen in this plan…)
Chapter Two: How the Dwarves, Ents, and Eagles Began
FOR REFERENCE AS YOU READ THIS: Within the below Book of Lost Tales, Part I, in its chapter Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor, maps pp 83, 87 and some of their explanation
THE STORY: Silmarillion's Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 2: Aule and Yavanna
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS:"The light of Valinor…is the light of art undivorced from reason." (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, p148)
Don't miss these bits when you read the below Book of Lost Tales, Part I:
I enjoyed its poems within the notes which I mostly otherwise skipped.
in its chapter III Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor:
explanation of the origins of peoples such as brownies, pixies, leprachauns! on pp 65-66
descriptions of the houses of the gods, pp 74-80
the mention of "monsters, giants, ogres" pp 75-76
INTERESTING RETELLING(S): The Book of
Lost Tales, Part I, The Tales of
Valinor (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 1), re this and above (note that next time I would prefer to read
all of the 2 volumes of The Book of Lost Tales much later, when it "happened," when the mariner happened
upon the magical place, and list it below with Chapter Twenty, but I am also keeping
the lists within the retellings in case you prefer to read them now):
I Cottage of Lost
Play for background (next time I would read the latest-version Kortirion poem
within its notes) (note that though I skip most of the notes in the Lost Tales
volumes, I always check out their poems)
+ II The Music of the Ainur
+ III The Coming
of the Valar and the Building of Valinor
Note there will be more about dwarves in a later chapter.
Chapter Three: Early Years of the Elves, and the Beginning of the Silmaril Jewels
THE STORY: Silmarillion's Quenta Silmarillion Chapters 3 through 11:
3 Coming of Elves and Captivity of Melkor (elves awoke in First Age Year 1050, Melkor was captured in 1090)
+ 4 Thingol and Melian (who met in 1130)
+ 5 Eldamar and Princes of Eldalie (the summons was in 1132, but this chapter covers many years)
+ 6 Feanor and Unchaining of Melkor (includes year 1490)
+ 7 Silmarils and Unrest of the Noldor (silmaril stones were made in year x)
+ 8 Darkening of Valinor (includes year 1495)
+ 9 Flight of Noldor (includes year 1497)
+ 10 Sindar (includes c1200 through 1497)
+ 11 Sun and Moon and Hiding of Valinor (to end of the First Age)
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS: Don't miss these bits when you read the below Book of Lost Tales, Part I:
in its chapter IV The Chaining of Melko: the description of an elven queen's home, pp 101-102
in its chapter V Coming of Elves and Making of Kor:
description of elves' homes and lifestyles including making gems including the silmarils, pp 132 and 136-138
the lovely poem on pp 152-153 (written in an army camp during his soldier days)
in its chapter VI Theft of Melko and Darkening of Valinor:
the description of how the elves recorded their lore, pp 155, 157
re important Valar and elvish holidays, pp 157-158
in its chapter VII Flight of Noldoli:
what happened to the elvish records of their lore, p. 181
an explanation of elvish health and nutrition, p. 183
in its chapter IX Hiding of Valinor:
rainbow story, from p.239
the way to beyond Earth, p 243
the strange visitors to do with time, pp 245-247
And don't miss these from the below Morgoth's Ring:
why we no longer see elves, p 212's 1st full b
cool words: lámatyávë (individual pleasure in the forms and sounds of words); inwisti (mind-mood) (pp 215, 216)
about the future, new Arda, pp 251b-252t
Also see on types of elves: The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, pp176 4th through 177 t.
If you wish re star names: note at beginning of Index to The History of Middle Earth Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring: Part Three: The Later Quenta Silmarillion.
Also note that Legolas has Maian ancestry! (per Silmarillion ch 4) as a Sindar elf.
Also enjoy The History of Middle Earth Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring: Part Three: The Later Quenta Silmarillion's pp 209-252 on elves' childhoods and lives and customs (including Tolkien's footnotes but the notes only as wish).
INTERESTING RETELLING(S):
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 3: The Lays of Beleriand: Part II unnumbered section 1: The Flight of the Noldoli from Valinor (includes year 1497)
The
Book of Lost Tales, Part I, The Tales
of Valinor (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 1):
+ IV The Chaining
of Melko
+ V Coming of Elves and Making of Kor
+ VI Theft of Melko and Darkening of Valinor
+ VII Flight of Noldoli
+ VIII Sun and Moon
+ IX Hiding of Valinor
IF you want summaries, see:
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 5: The Lost Road and Other Writings: Part 2, part of Chapter II: The Later Annals of Valinor up to Valar Year 2995 (up to p129)
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 1: The Grey Annals up to Section 41 Of the Coming of the Noldor (part of the year 1497) (up to p16)