Telperion and Laurelin
Before the western gates of Valmar upon the green mound of Ezellohar, also called Corollairë, Yavanna sang songs of power. She caused her greatest creation to grow; the Two Trees of Valinor.
The elder tree was Telperion, it came to full statue first and shone with a silver light. This light marked the Opening hour, and The Counting of Time. They called the tree Silpion and Ninqulótë, and other names.
The younger tree, Laurelin, came to full statue six hours after Telperion, and shone with a golden light. Also called Malinalda and Culúrien and many other names.
In seven hours the light of one tree waxed to full, as the other waned to naught. Thus twice a day the light of the mingled as equals. Their lights fell as dew from their leaves, and collected in great pools in the gardens. Thence irrigation channels from the pools carried the Light to the feet of the Trees, to "water" them.
[Note: The Eldar's many images in later times of "two trees" typically showed them right next to each other. This was a convention of heraldic imagery, not a realistic depiction. The trees, though huge as mountains, were far from each other, with endless lands of gardens between and around them.]
Laurelin and Telperion were the The greatest of the works of Yavanna. Their light shone thru the Calycirca, the pass thru the mountains on the eastern fences of Aman. They illuminated Tirion, the island of the Telerin Eldar, and they shone a silver and gold twilight into the dark skies over Middle-earth.
Fëanor made his greatest creation, The Silmarills, by capturing the mingled light of the Two Trees in three crystals.
When Morgoth and Ungoliant came to the the green mound of Ezellohar, at a time of festival, Morgoth wounded each tree with his black spear, and Ungoliant drank dry the pools of light, so no power could use them to grow more trees. Then she sucked dry the sap from each tree and poisoned them both unto death.
Afterwards in the Valars grief, Manwë had Yavanna and Nienna put forth their healing powers on the Two Trees. With Nienna's tears and Yavanna's songs, as the last hopes faded; Telperion bore one last silver flower, and Laurelin brought forth one golden fruit.
The Silver Flower became the Moon and the Golden Fruit became the Sun.
DtC
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