Tengwar is the writing system J.R.R. Tolkien associated with Fëanor and the Elves.
Within Tolkien’s mythology, the Tengwar, also called the Fëanorian characters, were devised by Fëanor in the First Age. They were later adapted for many languages, including Quenya and Sindarin. The letters are built from distinctive shapes representing consonants, while vowel marks are called tehtar.
Tolkien designed the Tengwar as part of his broader work in invented languages and scripts. He used them in illustrations, title pages, maps, and calligraphic samples connected with Middle-earth. Their appearance in modern fan material can make them seem like a simple substitution alphabet, but the system has a more elaborate structure.
Tengwar is often confused with Cirth, another Tolkien script. Cirth uses angular runic forms and was associated especially with Dwarves, although other peoples used it too. Sarati is an earlier script in Tolkien’s fictional history, while Angerthas refers to expanded runic arrangements based on Cirth.