Valinor (meaning Land of the Valar) is a fictional location from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the realm of the Valar in Aman. It was also known as the Undying Lands, as only immortal souls were allowed to reside there; amongst the exceptions to this were the surviving bearers of the One Ring — Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and also Samwise, who bore the One Ring for sometime during their perilous journey to Mt. Doom — and Gimli son of Glóin who, it is said, accompanied his friend Legolas to Valinor.
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Valinor is the home of the Valar (singular Vala), angelic beings sometimes called "gods" by Men in the beginning of Middle-earth, their angelic servants the Maiar, and Elves. The sea to the west of the island was called Ekkaia, or the encircling sea; it surrounded both Valinor and Middle-earth.
Each of the Valar has their own region of the land where they reside and alter things to their desire. The Mansions of Manwë and Varda upon the highest mountain of the Pelóri, Taniquetil. The two are the most powerful spirits, also married. Yavanna, the Vala of nature, growth, and harvest, resides in the Pastures of Yavanna in the south of the island. Nearby are the Mansions of Aulë the smith Vala who created the Dwarves, who is spouse of Yavanna. Oromë, the Vala of the hunt, lives in the Woods of Oromë to the north-east of the pastures. Nienna, the lonely Valie of sorrow and endurance, lives in the far west of the island where she spent her days crying about all the evil of the world, looking out to sea. Just south of Nienna's home and to the north of the pastures there are the Halls of Mandos. Mandos is the Vala of the afterlife. Also living in the Halls of Mandos is his spouse Vairë the weaver, who weaves the threads of time. To the east of the Halls of Mandos is the Isle of Estë, which is situated in the middle of the lake of Lórellin which is in turn to the north of the Gardens of Lórien (not to be confused with Lothlórien in Middle-earth). Estë and Lórien are husband and wife.
To the east of Valinor once stood the Two Trees of Valinor, Telperion and Laurelin, before the gates of Valimar, the capital of Valinor, where the Valar gather, and the Maiar spirits and the Vanyar elves live. Further east is the Calacirya, the only easy pass through the Pelóri, a huge mountain range fencing Valinor on three sides, created to keep out Morgoth. In the pass is the city Tirion, built on a hill, the city of the Noldor Elves. By the shore of the sea, north-east of Tirion, is the Teleri Elves' port Alqualondë. In the extreme northeast, beyond the Pelóri, was the Helcaraxë, a vast ice sheet that, in the beginning before Valinor was risen after the fall of Númenor into the sky to prevent people from travelling there, joined the two continents of Aman and Middle-earth. Also, for a time before the ruin of Númenor, a long chain of small islands called the Enchanted Isles ran the full length of the east coast to the continent. These were erected to prevent anyone, mortal or immortal, from reaching the land by sea.
After the destruction of Númenor, the Undying Lands were removed from Arda so that Men could not reach them and only the Elves could go there by the Straight Road and in ships capable of passing out of the Spheres of the earth. By special permission of the Valar, the Hobbits Frodo Baggins and Bilbo Baggins were also permitted to go to Valinor. Samwise Gamgee and Gimli the Dwarf were also permitted to go there.
Valinor was established on the western continent Aman when Melkor, later Morgoth, destroyed their original home on the island Almaren. To defend this land from attack, they raised the Pelóri Mountains. They also established Valimar, the Two Trees, and their abiding places.
Later, the Valar heard of the awakening of the Elves in Middle-earth, where Melkor was unopposed. They proposed to bring the Elves to the safety of Valinor. However, to get Elves to Valinor, they needed to get Melkor out of the way. A war was fought, and Melkor's stronghold Utumno was completely destroyed. Then many Elves came to Valinor, and established their cities, beginning Valinor's age of glory.
There was a problem, however. Melkor had come back to Valinor as a prisoner, and after three Ages, was released on the mistaken theory that the evil had been forced out of him. After being released, he started planting seeds of dissent in the minds of the elves in Valinor, saying that the Valar had brought them here so that they would control them and claim their lands in Middle-earth as their own and that they were prisoner of the Valar. He also secretly told each of the different Elven kinds that they were superior to the other kinds and, believing his lies, the elves eventually openly spoke out against each other.
The Valar learned of this and saw what Melkor had done, but it was too late to stop Melkor. Melkor himself, knowing that he was discovered, had gone to the home of the Noldorin elves' High King Finwë and stolen the Noldorin elves' prized jewels, the Silmarils while killing the king in the process. As the Valar sat thinking of what measures to take to hinder the elves from fighting amongst each other and how to stop Melkor, Melkor destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor with the help of Ungoliant (bringing an endless night to Valinor), and fled back to Middle-earth, to his other stronghold, Angband.
The Two Trees, from which all light both in Valinor and in Middle-earth came, were dead. The last flowers of the Trees were given to two Maiar each in their own ship to sail around the world forever at different times of the day so that neither Valinor nor Middle-earth would forever be in darkness. One was called the Sun, and it shone a bright yellow. The other was called the Moon and it shone with a pale white light.
As a result of the killing of king Finwë the majority of the Noldor, led by Fëanor son of Finwë, the maker of the Silmarils, declared their rebellion and decided to pursue Melkor, ever after known as Morgoth, to Middle Earth to win back their jewels and avenge their king. The Noldor would not listen to Manwë, the king of the Valar, telling them that they had themselves come to Valinor of their own free will and that the Valar had no desire to rule or control any of them. But Manwë's messenger said also that if they choose to leave and to fight Melkor on their own, the Valar would not help them and that they would suffer great pain and grief on their journey.
Valinor took no part in the struggle between the Noldor and Morgoth, but when the Noldor were in total defeat, the mariner Eärendil convinced the Valar to make a last blow to Morgoth. A mighty host of Maiar, Vanyar and the remaining Noldor in Valinor destroyed Morgoth's gigantic army, destroyed Angband completely and threw Morgoth into the void.
During the Second Age, Valinor made a single action: the building of the island Andor as a reward to the Edain (who had fought with the Noldor), where they established Númenor. Soon the kingdom of Númenor grew powerful, and even invaded Valinor. Then Eru Ilúvatar was called upon by the Valar and the island was destroyed, and Aman was lifted into the sky as the rest of the world was made round.
During the Third Age, recognizing that an outright confrontation with Sauron (Melkor's beloved Maia) would be disastrous, The Valar sent the Istari to Middle-earth with the intent of giving counsel to Men in their resistance to the growing power of the Dark Lord.
It has been suggested that the concept may be based on Hy Brasil, a mythical land that can reputedly be seen off the coast of Ireland for one day in every seven years, as well as other paradise islands like Avalon, St. Brendan's Island etc.
In the Arcanis Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting the word "Valinor" also refers to celestial servants of the Gods. Their names often are in the style of the god, such as the Mercy of Neroth or the Judgement of Nier.
In the 2003 pinball game (by Stern Pinball), Valinor is the game's final "Wizard Mode". It is achieved by achieving all of the game's requirements to meet that mode.