Sundering of the Elves The Elves are a sundered people. They
awoke at Cuiviénen on the continent of Middle-earth (see:
Awakening of the Elves), where they were divided into three
tribes: the Vanyar, the Ñoldor, and the Teleri. After some time,
they were summoned by Oromë to live with the Valar in Aman. That
summons and the Great Journey that followed split the Elves into
two main groups (and many minor ones), which were never fully
reunited. The name Quendi refers to all elves. The Avari are
Those who Refused the Summons of Oromë, or simply The Unwilling.
(Most of the Avari came from the largest tribe, the Teleri. A
few of the Ñoldor remained as well, but were no longer called by
that tribal name.) Together with the Nandor and the Sindar, they
are called the Moriquendi (Elves of Darkness) in recognition of
the fact that they did not see the light of the Two Trees. While
all of the Eldar departed Middle-earth by the early Fourth Age,
it appears that the Avari mostly stayed. The Eldar are those who
accepted the