The Sheen

The Two Trees of Valinor cast their Light across the land of the Valar for long ages, but they were slain by Melkor and Ungoliant. In the darkness that followed, the Valar were able to cause the stricken Trees to yield one last fruit and one last flower before they died. Telperion the White Tree produced a single flower of shining silver, which the Valar set aloft in a vessel to be piloted above the world by the Maia Tilion, thus creating the Moon.

From its gleaming silver light, the Elves of Valinor named this new light as the Sheen, or Isil in their tongue. Isil the Sheen - named Ithil in the Elvish of the Sindar in Middle-earth - rose up into the sky before the Sun was fully made. Meanwhile the followers of Fingolfin were embarking on the dangerous crossing the Grinding Ice, and the new light appeared in the West to guide their way. At this time, Middle-earth had lain in darkness for millennia, but the Sheen now bathed the lands eastward of the Sea in its silver light. Soon afterwards it would be joined by the Sun - the last golden fruit of Laurelin - changing the face of Middle-earth forever and preparing the way for the coming of Men into the world.