Probably originated at the time of the Great Journey, some three ages before the beginning of the First Age

While the term 'Wood-elves' might be taken as a synonym for 'Silvan Elves', and in fact has the same derivation, it seems in practice to be used by Tolkien almost exclusively of the Elves of Mirkwood. For this reason, this entry concentrates on that culture: for more details of the Silvan people, refer to the entry for Silvan Elves.