Noldor

The Noldor, or Ñoldor, were those of the second clan of the Elves who came to Aman. The Noldor were held to be the noblest of the Elves, and indeed of all peoples in Middle-earth, in lore and in craftsmanship. In Valinor, their wisdom and skill flourished exceedingly, and ever they hungered for deeper knowledge and greater mastery of the arts, so that in many matters they even outstripped their own teachers. They cherished also a love of words, and were ever shifting in speech, striving to devise names most fitting for all things. This rich inheritance of knowledge they later passed on to Men during their Exile.

Their first King was Finwë, who was slain by Morgoth. In the wake of his death and the theft of the jewels, Finwë’s son Fëanor led the Noldor in rebellion, vowing vengeance upon Morgoth. The war of the Noldor against Morgoth comprises many of the greatest tales of the First Age.

Origins

According to legend, the clan was founded by Tata, the second Elf to awake at Cuiviénen. With him were his spouse Tatië and their 54 companions, and this clan became known as the Tatyar. Finwë, the first Ñoldo to come to Valinor with Oromë, became their King, and led most of them to Valinor. Out of the original 56 Tatyar who awoke at Cuiviénen, 28 remained at the place of their awakening, becoming Avari, while the other original 28 and their offspring continued on their Great Journey.

Characteristics

The Noldor were the Second Clan of the Elves in both order and size, the other clans being the Vanyar, a smaller group, and the Teleri, a much larger one. The Noldor typically had grey eyes and dark hair, save for the members of the golden-haired House of Finarfin.

From their beginning the Noldor (meaning "Those who Know") were always distinguished, by their knowledge of the things that are and were in this world, and by their desire to learn more. They were the most skillful of these Clans, and were specially loved by Aulë, from whom they learned many things, although less than they wanted to know. Their skills included the developing of their language, the building of great towers and halls, and gem extraction. One of their most famous artefacts were the crystallic Fëanorian lamps; the craft to make them was lost to Middle-earth when they left.

The Noldor were the proudest of the Elves; in the words of the Sindar, they came to Middle-earth because "they needed room to quarrel in". It was this pride that Melkor used to turn the Houses of Fëanor and Fingolfin against each other. The pride of the Noldor also led to their Fall and Exile (and their continued quarrels in Middle-earth, as noted by the Sindar).

Of the three clans of the Eldar they are also the people who most favours swords and shields as their weapons.

The Sindar often called the Noldor Lechind (sing. Lachend), which meant 'flame-eyed' due to the piercing brightness of their eyes. This was the distinctive feature of all the Elves that had dwelt in Aman, whose eyes thus deeply impressed those of Middle-earth.