A term for Elves and Men, the two races originally purposed for the world by Eru Ilúvatar, and whose fates were woven by him into the Music of the Ainur. Despite having witnessed the Vision of Ilúvatar, the Valar had no clear idea where and when the Children would awaken, and much of their work in Arda was to prepare the world for the appearance of those two races.

The form 'Children of Eru' is very rarely used: the far more common usage, exactly equivalent, is 'Children of Ilúvatar'.