Edain

The Edain was the name given by the Elves to the noble Men of the First Age who fought alongside with the Elves in the Wars of Beleriand. Edain is normally the Sindarin word for Men (sing. adan "Man") and thus applied to all Men, though it became associated with only those who came into Beleriand during the Long Peace, the noble Three Houses who became close allies with the Elves and fought beside them against Morgoth. Other groups of Men who stayed in Eriador or the East; or entered Beleriand later in the First Age, such as the Easterlings, are not counted among the Edain. The Edain were the ancestors of the Númenóreans or Dúnedain, the High Men of the Second and Third Age. The tribes of Men became Elf-friends, they entered the service of the Eldar of Beleriand and were ennobled and consisted of the Three Mannish noble Houses: The House of Bëor: these descended from the Lesser Folk, they were dark-haired and stoutly built, and most resembled the Noldor of all Elves. They were first discovered by Finrod Felagund, King of Nargothrond, and under his guidance later made their way to the lands of the Noldorin lord Amrod, in a place later known as Estolad, the Encampment. They remained loyal to the House of Finarfin, and later settled in the lands of Dorthonion. The Second House, later known as the Haladin or the House of Haleth. They were a reclusive folk, dark-haired but smaller in stature than the Bëorians. They were unrelated to the other two Houses and kept separate from the other Men. They settled in Thargelion before later receiving permission to settle in the Forest of Brethil, part of Doriath. They mostly kept out of the wars. The Folk of Marach, later best known as the House of Hador. They descended from the Greater Folk and thus were related to the First House. They were tall and golden-haired, and most resembled the Vanyar of all Elves. They were a very numerous and war-like tribe, and the Green-elves of Ossiriand feared them. They later settled in Hithlum by way of Estolad. They were loyal to Fingolfin and to his son Fingon.

Diverged ethnicities