It could be either a contraction of the full title Quenta Silmarillion ('Tale of the Silmarils') or also a plain Genitive which (as in Ancient Greek) signifies reference. Silmarillion is Quenya plural genitive of the word 'Silmaril', therefore it means 'of the Silmarils'. The island civilization of Númenor is reminiscent of Atlantis - one of the names Tolkien gave that land was Atalantë, although he gave it an Elvish etymology. The archaic style and gravitas of the Ainulindalë resembles that of the Old Testament. For instance the Valar, the angelic beings of Ëa, mirror the Olympian Gods of Greek Myth. The book explores a wide array of themes inspired by many ancient, medieval, and modern sources, including the Finnish epic Kalevala, the Hebrew Bible, Norse sagas, Greek mythology, Celtic mythology, and World War I. Because Tolkien died before he could complete a full rewrite of the various legends, his son Christopher used material from his father's older drafts to fill out the book. Tolkien's express wish that they be published together. These five parts were initially separate works, but it was J.R.R. The final part, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, is a brief account of the circumstances which led to and were presented in The Lord of the Rings. The fourth part, Akallabêth, relates the history of the Downfall of Númenor and its people, which takes place in the Second Age. The next section, Quenta Silmarillion, which forms the bulk of the collection, chronicles the history of the events before and during the First Age, including the wars over three jewels, the Silmarils, that gave the book its title. The second part, Valaquenta, gives a description of the Valar and Maiar, powerful beings of Eä. The first, Ainulindalë, tells of the creation of Eä, the World that Is. The Silmarillion is supposedly (by some readers) translated from Bilbo's three-volume Translations from the Elvish, which he wrote while at Rivendell. ' The tales of the First Age when Morgoth dwelt in Middle-earth and the Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils to which are appended the downfall of Númenor and the history of the Rings of Power and the Third Age in which these tales come to their end.' Overview There is an inscription in the Tengwar characters in the title page, it reads: Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names.Part V: Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age.Part IV: Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor.' Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath'.' Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad'.' Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin'.' Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor'.' Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor'.' Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor'.' Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië'.' Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor'.Part III: Quenta Silmarillion: The History of the Silmarils.Part II: Valaquenta: Account of the Valar and Maiar according to the lore of the Eldar.Part I: Ainulindalë: The Music of the Ainur.

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