Eru Ilúvatar

Eru Ilúvatar, often just Eru is the supreme deity in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth. He is introduced in the first chapter of The Silmarillion.

Meaning

In Quenya, Eru means "The One", or "He that is Alone" and Ilúvatar signifies "Father of All".

Eru as creator

In the beginning Eru created the Ainur , angelic beings, who assisted him in singing the "Music of the Ainur" which created the universe. All life is given by Eru, an ability that he alone holds. All other life must be accepted by him to have free will. Along with the Ainur, Eru also created elves and man, earning them the nickname "Children of Ilúvatar".

After the creation of the universe Eru mostly ceased to engage in the world. Several times Eru intervened directly in the affairs of the world. He drowned Númenor and removed Aman from the sphere of the earth. He also intervened to resurrect Gandalf after his fight with the Balrog.

See also

• Category:Middle-earth, Lists of Middle-earth entries
• Middle-earth locations, Middle-earth objects
• Tolkien's languages and scripts
• Ainur