Elf

The Elves (Quendi) were the first of the races of the Children of Ilúvatar, known also as the Firstborn for that reason. The Elves are distinguished from the other two races, the Men and the Dwarves, especially by the fact of their near immortality.

Arts, crafts, powers and magic

Other races often spoke of 'Elf magic', or of objects made by Elves as if they contained enchantments. It is unclear how accurate it is to call Elvish arts and crafts 'magic' or 'enchanted'. Elves themselves only used these words when attempting to simplify or clarify how elvish-made things seemed to have a special quality that no other races were able to achieve. Powerful Elves seemed to have control over nature and the elements, their clothes seemed to shine with their own light, their blades seemed to never lose their sharpness. Less educated folks could not explain these effects, so they simply called them 'magic'.

Elf-minstrels had the gift to make visions of the things they sung before their audiences.

Major divisions

When Oromë invited the Elves to Valinor, those who followed him on the Great Journey were called the Eldar, while those who refused were called the Avari. The Eldar were divided into three clans−the Vanyar, the Noldor, and the Teleri. All of the Vanyar and Noldor reached Aman. Two groups of Teleri abandoned the Great Journey: the Nandor, who came to live in the Vale of Anduin, and the Sindar, who remained in Beleriand. The Nandor eventually split into the Laiquendi, who migrated into Beleriand and settled in Ossiriand, and the Silvan Elves, who established realms in Mirkwood and Lothlórien. Those Teleri who completed the Great Journey and settled in Aman were called the Falmari. Those Noldor who later returned to Middle-earth in exile were called the Etyañgoldi.

Since they came into the world long before Men, the Aftercomers, it should be noted that the name Firstborn properly applied as a demonym to all Elves as a whole, while the very first 144 Elves, who were awakened by Ilúvatar himself at Cuiviénen, were called the Eru-begotten.