Eru Ilúvatar is the creator of the world in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Ainulindalë.
Ainulindalë, the opening section of The Silmarillion, describes Eru Ilúvatar creating the Ainur and presenting themes for their Great Music. From that music comes a vision of the world, which Eru brings into reality as Eä.
Eru is also called Ilúvatar, a Quenya name meaning “Father of All.” The Ainur are created spiritual beings, and the Valar are those who enter the world and help shape it. Melkor, later called Morgoth, is the most powerful rebel among them.
The name can be confused with Manwë, the chief of the Valar, or Aulë, the Vala associated with craftsmanship. Neither is the ultimate creator in Tolkien’s mythology.