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50 free The Silmarillion trivia questions with answers — entertainment quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
The Silmarillion is the book J. R. R. Tolkien spent his whole life writing and never finished. Begun in 1914 after the Somme, rejected by his publisher in 1937 as obscure and "too Celtic", it was finally assembled by his son Christopher and published in 1977, four years after Tolkien's death. Reviewers savaged it; readers bought it anyway. These 50 questions walk through all five parts: the Music of the Ainur, the Valaquenta, the long tragedy of the Silmarils from the Two Trees to the War of Wrath, the drowning of Númenor, and the Rings of Power. You will meet Fëanor and his seven sons, Beren and Lúthien, Túrin and Glaurung, Tuor in Gondolin and Ar-Pharazôn's doomed fleet. There are also questions on how the book came to be: the 1926 Sketch, Guy Gavriel Kay's secret year in Oxford, the chapter Christopher had to write himself, and the metal bands that borrowed its names. Every answer is cited to a page we checked, with a short explanation so a miss still teaches you something. Easy questions stick to the famous names; the hard tier asks about fortresses, epithets and editions. Play it solo or print it for a Tolkien night.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Who edited and published The Silmarillion after his father's death?
Christopher Tolkien
Christopher Tolkien later edited the twelve-volume History of Middle-earth from the same mass of drafts.
Q 02In which year was The Silmarillion first published?
1977
It came out four years after Tolkien's death and topped the New York Times fiction list that October.
Q 03Which future fantasy novelist helped Tolkien's son edit the book in secret?
Guy Gavriel Kay
Kay, chosen through family connections, spent a year in Oxford on the manuscripts before writing the Fionavar Tapestry.
Q 04What is the name of the fictional universe the book describes?
Eä
Eä is the whole of creation; Arda is the world within it, and Aman the continent of the Valar.
Q 05Publisher Stanley Unwin rejected the early draft as obscure and "too" what?
Celtic
The rejection pushed Tolkien to start a Hobbit sequel instead, which grew into The Lord of the Rings.
Q 06How many parts does The Silmarillion have?
5
Ainulindalë, Valaquenta, Quenta Silmarillion, Akallabêth and Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age.
Q 07Which part tells of the creation of Eä through a great music?
Ainulindalë
The title is Quenya for "The Music of the Ainur"; Tolkien wrote its first version in 1917.
Q 08Which section relates the Downfall of Númenor?
Akallabêth
Akallabêth means "The Downfallen" and runs to only about 30 pages.
Q 09The Quenta Silmarillion chronicles wars over how many jewels?
3
The three Silmarils held the captured light of the Two Trees of Valinor.
Q 10Which Finnish epic is cited as a major influence on the book?
Kalevala
Tolkien was especially drawn to the story of Kullervo, which fed into the tale of Túrin.
Q 11Which tale from the Finnish epic particularly shaped the book?
Kullervo
Kullervo's tragedy of incest and suicide is echoed in the story of Túrin Turambar.
Q 12Which chapter did the editor have to construct practically from scratch?
Of the Ruin of Doriath
The chapter had been untouched since the early 1930s, so he invented connecting material within his father's tenor.
Q 13Tolkien imagined the tales redacted by a fictional editor: which hobbit?
Bilbo Baggins
The Silmarillion was supposedly translated from Bilbo's three-volume Translations from the Elvish, written at Rivendell.
Q 21Thingol and Melian ruled which Elves?
Sindar
The Sindar were Teleri who stayed in Beleriand, and Melian shielded their realm with her Girdle.
Q 22After his banishment from Tirion, Fëanor built which fortress to the north?
Formenos
Finwë moved there to live with his favourite son, and died there when Melkor came for the jewels.
Q 23Which dark spider spirit helped Melkor kill the Two Trees?
Ungoliant
Shelob, met by Frodo and Sam in The Lord of the Rings, is described as Ungoliant's last child.
Q 24What name did Fëanor give Melkor after the theft of the Silmarils?
Q 14How many times did Melkor disrupt the Music before Ilúvatar stopped it?
3
Each time Ilúvatar overpowered the discord with a new theme before showing the Ainur a vision of Arda.
Q 15The greater Ainur who entered Arda became known as what?
Valar
The lesser Ainur became the Maiar, among whom were the future Sauron and the Balrogs.
Q 16How many Valar does the Valaquenta describe, besides Melkor?
14
Melkor was originally counted among them but is no longer numbered with the Valar.
Q 17Which two lamps lit the world before Melkor destroyed them?
Illuin and Ormal
After the lamps fell the Valar withdrew to Aman and lit Valinor with the Two Trees instead.
Q 18Which Vala made the Two Trees, Telperion and Laurelin?
Yavanna
Yavanna is the giver of fruits; her spouse Aulë is the smith who made the Dwarves.
Q 19Which Vala, the smith, created the Dwarves?
Aulë
Ilúvatar then gave the Dwarves life and free will of their own.
Q 20Whose newly made stars caused the awakening of the Elves?
Varda
Varda, called Elbereth by the Elves, is the Vala they revere most.
Morgoth
Gorthaur and Annatar are names of his lieutenant Sauron; Gothmog was lord of the Balrogs.
Q 25After the first battle of Beleriand, Melkor barricaded himself in which fortress?
Angband
The Noldor besieged Angband for nearly 400 years before it was finally destroyed in the War of Wrath.
Q 26How many sons did Fëanor make swear his oath of vengeance?
7
Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Caranthir, Curufin, Amrod and Amras; only Maglor outlived the First Age.
Q 27Betrayed by Fëanor, some Noldor crossed which region of ice on foot?
Helcaraxë
The name means "Grinding Ice"; Fingolfin led the crossing after the ships were burned.
Q 28Turgon built which secret city in a vale surrounded by mountains?
Gondolin
It was one of the last Elven strongholds to fall, betrayed from within.
Q 29Which nephew of King Turgon betrayed his hidden city to Melkor?
Maeglin
Maeglin, son of the dark elf Eöl, nursed a hopeless love for his cousin Idril.
Q 30What bride-price did Thingol demand from Beren for Lúthien's hand?
A Silmaril
Thingol thought the price impossible; Beren and Lúthien cut a Silmaril from Melkor's own crown.