What is the name of the first section of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion?

The first section of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion is called Ainulindalë.

Ainulindalë means “The Music of the Ainur” and presents the creation of Eä through a great musical theme conceived by Ilúvatar. The Ainur, spiritual beings created by Ilúvatar, participate in the music, while Melkor introduces discord and destructive ambitions.

The section functions as a creation myth for Tolkien’s wider legendarium. It is followed by Valaquenta, which describes the Valar and Maiar, and then by Quenta Silmarillion, the main account of the history of the Silmarils and the First Age. Akallabêth and Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age appear later in the book, so they are not alternative names for its opening section.