Ainur - Who Are They

[Eru]

Ainur are spirits created by Eru/Iluvatar's thoughts and through their music they assisted Eru in creating Arda.

After Arda was formed, some of the Ainur went down to the world they created to help it grow and blossom; preparing it for the Children of Iluvatar. These Ainur are called Valar and Maiar.

Anyone else have any more information, specifically about Ainur?

[shadofax]

Not all of the Ainur that came to ME, came to help, there was Ungoliant, Balrogs who came to hinder and most of all Melkor and Sauron. Not all of the Ainur came to ME most of them stayed in the Timless Halls.

Those of the Ainur counted among the Valar are Manwe,Varda,Ulmo,Nienna,Aule,Yavanna,Orome,Vana,Vaire,Lorien,Este,Tulkas,Nessa and Melkor.

[Manwë Súlimo]

But Melkor was removed from that order as well as the Aratar, the elite 8 Valar. In order they are Manwe, Varda, Ulmo, Yavanna, Aule, Mandos, Nienna, and Orome. The Istari are a division of the Maiar. According to older accounts UNgoliant is the spider form of a Maia named Moru. Some of the mentioned Maiar are Eonwe, Olorin, Curumo, Melian, Pallando, Osse, Uinen, Arien, Tilion, and the rest I forgot because I let my friends borrow my books. One of the evil Maiar is Gothmog.