Opening Hour

The moment in which Telperion, elder of the Two Trees, first opened its silver blooms and spread its Light across Valinor. It was from this hour that the Valar began the count of time in their realm, dividing each day into twelve hours as first Telperion, and then the Golden Tree Laurelin, waxed and waned.

From the Opening Hour forward, the land of the Valar would be filled with shifting silver and golden Light through the long period known as the Years of the Trees. These events took place long, long before the making of the Sun, so time in this period was counted in 'Valian Years'. Each Valian Year lasted a little less than ten years of the Sun, and that count lasted until Valian Year 1495, when the Trees were finally darkened by Melkor and Ungoliant. From the Opening Hour, then, the Light of the Trees shone in Valinor for more than 14,000 years, as they would be reckoned by the Sun.