The Silmarillion

Melian is a Maia, of whom there are “none more beautiful than Melian, nor more wise, nor more skilled in songs of enchantment” (24). When the Elves awaken, she goes to the Hither Lands and fills the silence of the world with her bird song. As the Teleri make their long journey, resting in East Beleriand, Elwë (also known as Thingol) walks through a forest and hears the sound of nightingales. He hears the voice of Melian, and his heart is filled “with wonder and desire” (24). Forgetting about his people, he ventures deeper into the forest to find Melian and comes across her in an open glade. There, he falls under her spell. They stay still together for many years. Olwë leads the Teleri away on their journey, and they forget about Elwë. Afterward, a new group is born: The Grey Elves, formed from Elwë and Melian who rule them as king and queen. From them come the “fairest of all the Children of Ilúvatar that was or shall ever be” (24).