Ainur

The Ainur, the Holy Ones, are the first beings that Eru Ilúvatar made, offspring of his thought and older than the World itself. The Silmarillion opens with them. Each is given to understand only that part of Ilúvatar's mind from which it came, and each is kindled with the Flame Imperishable and left free. Ilúvatar teaches them music and then sets them to sing together, and out of that Music of the Ainur comes a Vision of a world; Melkor, mightiest of them along with Manwë, weaves his own thought into the singing against the appointed theme. Ilúvatar gives the Vision true being with a single word, Eä, and many of the Ainur go down into it to shape it for the coming of Elves and Men. Those who enter are known thereafter as the Valar, fourteen Powers greater than the rest, and the Maiar, the many of lesser degree who come with them.