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{{History of Arda}}
The '''Years of the Trees''', also called the '''Days of Bliss (of Valinor)''' were the long years that lay between the founding of [[Valinor]] and its [[Darkening of Valinor|Darkening]]. During this time, Valinor was lit by the light of the [[Two Trees of Valinor|Two Trees]], but [[Middle-earth]] lay in the [[Great Darkness]].<ref>{{TT|Treebeard}}</ref>

For the most of its part, the [[First Age]] was reckoned in the Years of the Trees,<ref name=Annals>{{MR|P2}}</ref>{{rp|51}}<ref name=Nature>{{NM|P1xvii}}</ref>{{rp|123}}<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "First Age", p. 184</ref> which were [[Darkening of Valinor|later]] replaced by much shorter [[Years of the Sun]].<ref name=Atani>{{S|Men}}</ref><ref>{{WJ|One}}, entry "YS 1", §§ 53-7, pp. 30-1</ref><ref>[[J.E.A. Tyler]]. ''[[The Complete Tolkien Companion]]'', entry "First Age", pp. 242-7</ref>

==History==
[[File:HelenKei - Trees of Valinor.jpg|thumb|left|''Trees of Valinor'' by [[:Category:Images by HelenKei|HelenKei]]]]
Long before the [[Elves]] awoke, [[Yavanna]] created the Two Trees of Valinor to give light to realm of the [[Valar]]. The Trees first flowered after 3500 Valian Years (i.e. nearly 35,000 ordinary years) had passed.<ref name=Annals/>{{rp|51}} This period began at the [[Opening Hour]], when [[Telperion]] first started to bloom alone; on the second hour, the [[First Day]] begun, and with it, the beginning of the [[Time|Count of Time]].<ref name=BegDays>{{S|1}}</ref> 

So began a reign of peace in Valinor, but Middle-earth was lit by starlight alone, and [[Morgoth|Melkor]] worked in the depths of [[Utumno]] in the north of the World and its dominion expanded to the south, while [[Sauron]] was appointed lieutenant in [[Angband]], anticipating an assault from the West.<ref>{{S|3}}</ref> It is not told how long this time lasted, just that 'the ages drew on'; this period would have lasted roughly 10,500 years. It was during this period that [[Aulë]] made the [[Dwarves]], and at [[Ilúvatar|Eru]]'s direction, set them to sleep until the creation of the [[stars]] and the [[Awakening of the Elves]]. The latter event marked the beginning of the First Age.<ref name=Annals/>{{rp|51}}<ref name=Nature/>{{rp|123}}
[[File:Anke Eißmann - Oromë espies the first Elves.jpg|thumb|''Oromë espies the first Elves'' by [[Anke Eißmann]]]]
When [[Oromë]] discovered that the Elves had awoken at [[Cuiviénen]], great changes came about. The Valar began the [[Battle of the Powers]] against [[Morgoth|Melkor]]; Utumno was destroyed and Melkor brought in chains to Valinor. The Valar also summoned the Elves to dwell in their land, and many answered this summons. 

From the time the three kindreds of the Elves were gathered began the '''Noontide of the Blessed Realm'''.<ref>{{MR|P3I6}}, §46</ref>  A period of three ages (about 2,900 years) followed. [[Chaining of Melkor|Melkor was imprisoned]] in the [[Halls of Mandos]], and the Valar and [[Eldar]] dwelt together in the light of the Trees. In the darkness of Middle-earth, the Dark Elves who had not journeyed to Valinor still dwelt, and the Fathers of the Dwarves stirred. Men would not appear until some time after the end of the Years of the Trees.

These Years came to an end when [[Manwë]] released Melkor from his imprisonment. For a time, the [[Dark Lord]] pretended friendship with the Eldar, but he turned back to the darkness. After shining for 1495 Valian Years,<ref name=Annals/>{{rp|51}} the trees were destroyed by [[Ungoliant]]. During the [[Long Night]], they stole the [[Silmarils]] and fled back to the north of Middle-earth. Seeking revenge, [[Fëanor]] led a great part of the [[Noldor]] out of Valinor and back to Beleriand.

So the Years of the Trees came to an end. At this time, the Valar made the [[Sun]] and [[Moon]] to give light to the World, and after 5000 Valian Years had passed,<ref name=Annals/>{{rp|51}} the [[Years of the Sun]] fo the First Age began.<ref name=Atani/>

==Reckoning==
The schedule of the Valian day can be summarized as:<ref name=BegDays/><ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Years of the Trees", p. 549-550</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
!Valian hour
!Event
|-
|Hour 1
|Day begins, Telperion's blooming is already on its second phase
|-
|Hour 2
|
|-
|Hour 3
|Telperion reaches his greatest bloom
|-
|Hour 4
|
|-
|Hour 5
|
|-
|Hour 6
|Laurelin begins to bloom and the lights of the two trees are mingled; at the end of the hour, Telperion ceases.
|-
|Hour 7
|Laurelin continues to bloom while Telperion's light remains for some time
|-
|Hour 8
|
|-
|Hour 9
|Laurelin reaches her greatest bloom
|-
|Hour 10
|
|-
|Hour 11
|
|-
|Hour 12
|Telperion begins to bloom and the lights of the two trees are mingled; at the end of the hour (and the day), Laurelin ceases.
|}

The Tree temporal units can be summarized as:<ref name=Annals/>{{rp|59}}
{|class="wikitable"
!Valian time units
!Description
!Conversion to our time units
|-
|1 Valian hour
|A single segment of the full flowering of both Trees
|7 hours of our time
|-
|1 Valian day
|12 Valian hours or the full flowering of both Trees
|(7 x 12) 84 hours of our time or 3.5 of our days
|-
|1 Valian year
|1000 Valian days or 12,000 Valian hours
|(7 x 12,000) 84,000 hours of our time or 3500 of our days, corresponding (84,000 / 8766) to 9 [[coranar|years]], 212 days, 18 hours
|-
|1 age of the Valar
|100 Valian years ([[randa]])<ref>{{LR|Etymologies}}, entry RAD</ref>
|958 years, 105 days
|}

==Other versions of the legendarium==
In Tolkien's latest writings where Arda was a [[Round World version of the Silmarillion|round world]] from its beginning, the Two Trees held the light of the untainted Sun rather than that of the [[Two Lamps]], which did not ever truly exist. In this version of Arda's history, rather than an absence of a Sun or Moon, the darkness that covered Arda was instead due to a great shadow designed by Melkor to spread over the northern lands of Middle-earth, blotting out the light of the Moon and stars and causing day to be a dim twilight at full.<ref>{{MR|Myths}}</ref>

==See also==
[[Timeline/Years of the Trees|Timeline of the Years of the Trees]]

{{references}}
[[Category:Years]]
[[Category:Years of the Trees| ]]
[[Category:Ages|01]]
[[de:Jahre der Bäume]]
[[fr:encyclo/chronologie/ages/annees des arbres]]
[[fi:Puiden vuodet]]