Eärendil is the Tolkien character associated with the star-name Eärendil.
In Tolkien’s mythology, Eärendil the Mariner sails to the Undying Lands carrying a plea for help from the peoples of Middle-earth. He becomes a bearer of the Silmaril and is placed in the sky, where his light becomes a sign of hope.
The character’s name appears in the song and poetry of The Lord of the Rings, most notably in Bilbo’s song about Eärendil in The Fellowship of the Ring. The figure is also central to the First Age stories collected in The Silmarillion.
Tolkien drew inspiration from the Old English word éarendel, which appears in a Christian poem referring to a bright morning star. The literary connection helps explain why Eärendil’s light carries both mythological and symbolic importance in Tolkien’s work.