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{{disambig-more|Ainulindalë|[[Ainulindalë (disambiguation)]]}}
{{chapter
| image=Alystraea - Ainulindale.jpg
| caption=''Ainulindale'' by [[:Category:Images by Alystraea|Alystraea]]
| title=Ainulindalë
| book=The Silmarillion
| number=1
| length=
| written=
| map=
| event=[[Creation of the Ainur]]
| date=[[Music of the Ainur]]
| location=[[Arda]]
| perspective=
| previous=
| next=Valaquenta
| audio=
| audiocaption=
}}
{{silmarillion-chapters}}
'''''Ainulindalë'': The Music of the Ainur''' is the first part of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', edited by [[Christopher Tolkien]] from [[Tolkien|his father]]'s later texts.

It narrates the creation of the world which was to be the scene of all the following tales of the ''[[Quenta Silmarillion]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.

==Synopsis==
In the beginning [[Ilúvatar]] [[Creation of the Ainur|creates the Ainur]] ("Holy Ones"), spirits that are made from but independent of his thought. He teaches them music and the Ainur sing, but only alone or a few together. Ilúvatar calls together all the Ainur and teaches them [[Ermenië|a theme]]: he asks them to sing the theme together, but for each to adorn it with their own thoughts. This begins the [[Music of the Ainur]].

Ilúvatar sits back and listens to the music, but [[Melkor]], the mightiest of the Ainur, who is jealous of Ilúvatar's [[Secret Fire|power of creation]], breaks with Ilúvatar's theme and introduces discord to the music. Ilúvatar rises and introduces a second theme, but Melkor's discord contends with it and gains mastery. Ilúvatar introduces a third theme that cannot be quenched, and the two musics progress against each other. Ilúvatar rises for a third time and the music ceases. He then shows the Ainur a [[Vision of Ilúvatar|vision]] of the world, [[Arda]], that their music has created, and many of the things that will happen there including the coming introduction of the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]: the Elves and Men. [[File:Ted Nasmith - Melkor Weaves Opposing Music.jpg|thumb|left|''Melkor weaves opposing Music'' by [[Ted Nasmith]]]]
Ilúvatar speaks the creation, [[Eä]], into existence and many of the Ainur enter and become bound to it. The greatest among them are called the [[Valar]], the "Powers of the World". They are joined by lesser spirits called [[Maiar]]. They take forms like those of the coming Children of Ilùvatar. 

The world is empty and formless, and the Valar begin the work of forming the world as the vision of Ilúvatar showed them. The chief part of this work is done by the Valar [[Manwë]], [[Ulmo]] and [[Aulë]]. They are opposed by Melkor, who wishes to subdue and control the creation for himself, and corrupts whatever the other Valar create. This is the [[First War]]. As the Valar battle Melkor for dominion, Earth slowly takes form.

==Etymology==
{{Pronounce|ainulindale.mp3|Ardamir}}
The meaning of ''Ainulindalë'' (pronounced {{IPA|[ˌaɪnuˈlindale]}}, {{respell|eye-noo|leen|dahl-eh}}) is given in the same chapter title: "The Music of the Ainur". It is a [[Quenya]] compound: ''Ainu(r)'' + ''lindalë'' (verb ''[[lind|linda-]]'' with abstract noun suffix ''[[-lë]]'': "music, singing").<ref>{{webcite|author=Paul Strack|articleurl=http://eldamo.org/content/words/word-1069406749.html|articlename=Q. ''lindalë'' n.|website=Eldamo|accessed=2 April 2020}}</ref>

==History of composition==
:''Tolkien rewrote many times the ''Ainulindalë''. To read about each version, see the article ''[[Ainulindalë (Rúmil's work)]].

For his edition of ''The Silmarillion'', Christopher used the last and most complete version, lettered as [[Ainulindalë (Morgoth's Ring)#Ainulindalë D|''Ainulindalë'' D]], written in [[1951]], which was later published in ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]''. The text itself was not changed very much, but it was mainly restructured, as Christopher decided to remove the fictional authorship and the narrative frame. In all the versions of the ''Ainulindalë'', it was presented as a work of [[Rúmil (elf of Tirion)|Rúmil]], and in the last versions, [[Pengoloð]] the Sage expanded his work narrating the [[Spring of Arda]] and describing the main Valar. Removing this frame, Christopher had also to remove all the narrator's words, finishing the tale with the [[First War]], so he moved the second part to the chapter "[[Of the Beginning of Days]]".

Christopher also changed some names to make them match with the mature versions, like ''"habitation set within the vast spaces of the World"'' is changed from ''"habitation in the halls of Aman"'', as ''Aman'' was no longer the Elvish name for the World, but ''Eä'' (although Christopher didn't use that term in this case).<ref>[[Douglas Charles Kane]], ''[[Arda Reconstructed]]'', "''Ainulindalë'' (The Music of the Ainur)", pp. 36-37</ref>

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[[Category:The Silmarillion chapters]]
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[[fr:tolkien/resumes/silm/ainulindale]]
[[fi:Ainulindalë (Silmarillion)]]