In the lore of Arda, the Ainur are the mighty offspring of Eru Ilúvatar’s thought, shaped in the Timeless Halls before the world began. Among them, the greatest who entered the world are the Valar, the Powers who govern and guard the realms of Arda — from Manwë, lord of the winds, to Varda, kindler of the stars. Beside them dwell the Maiar, lesser yet potent spirits who serve and aid their greater kin, moving unseen or walking in fair form among Elves and Men. In the oldest tales, the word fairies was once used for some of these lesser Ainur and the most radiant of the Eldar, beings of…