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Revision as of 05:11, 30 July 2011
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Beren | |
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Adan | |
Biographical Information | |
Other names | Son of Barahir, Camlost, Erchamion |
Titles | Lord of Ladros Lord of Tol Galen |
Affiliation | Quest for the Silmaril |
Language | Sindarin |
Birth | F.A. 432 Dorthonion |
Rule | F.A. 460 - 464 (Ladros) F.A. 466 - 503 (Tol Galen) |
Death | F.A. 466 (aged 34) Hunting of the Wolf Returned to life, final death: F.A. 503 (aged 71) Dor Firn-i-Guinar |
Family | |
House | House of Bëor |
Parentage | Barahir and Emeldir |
Spouse | Lúthien |
Children | Dior Eluchíl |
Physical Description | |
Gender | Male |
Height | Tall |
Hair color | Dark |
Eye color | Blue |
Weaponry | Spear and Angrist |
Steed | Huan Unnamed horse (from Curufin) |
Gallery | Images of Beren |
Beren (First Age circa 443 – c. 505, aged approx. 62 years at the time of his final death) was a Man of Middle-earth, a hero whose romance with the Elf Lúthien was one of the great stories of the Elder Days.
The name of Beren's sword was Dagmor.
History
Beren was the son of Barahir and Emeldir. He was a Man of the royal House of Bëor of Dorthonion. The Dagor Bragollach ("Battle of Sudden Flame") befell during his youth, bringing about the ruin of his land. The young Beren lived with his father and ten loyal followers in the highlands of Dorthonion, and the twelve of them performed many acts of bravery, to the great frustration of Morgoth, the Dark Lord of Angband. After the betrayal and death of the Outlaws of Dorthonion due to the treachery of Gorlim the Unhappy, Beren swore an oath to avenge his father, "but wept not, for his heart was ice". He recovered the Ring of Barahir from the Orcs, and lived on as an outlaw, whose feats of daring were renown throughout the free world. Eventually he was forced to abandon the land of his birth and the grave of his father by Sauron and Draugluin. He crossed into Doriath, where he saw and fell in love with Lúthien, princess of the Sindar and daughter of Thingol and Melian when he saw her dancing.
Quest for the Silmaril
Thingol refused to give Lúthien's hand in marriage, as Beren was a mortal. He charged Beren that he would allow the marriage to take place only if he brought back a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth. The task was intended to be impossible, but Beren was determined. He set out on this impossible quest with the aid of Finrod of Nargothrond, but was soon captured by Sauron and imprisoned in Tol-in-Gaurhoth. Lúthien, along with Huan the great hound, eventually came to their rescue.
Using Lúthien's powers to place Morgoth's court into a deep sleep, they were able to enter Angband where Beren was able to cut a Silmaril from Morgoth's iron crown. However, as they escaped from Angband, the great wolf Carcharoth, whom Morgoth had personally bred, awoke. Beren held out the Silmaril, hoping that its radiance would avert the beast, but he was mistaken. Carcharoth bit off his hand, swallowing it along with the Silmaril, and proceeded to run rampant through Doriath. Thus Beren was called Erchamion, "One-handed". Lúthien and the unconscious Beren were rescued by the Eagles of Manwë. Beren participated in the hunting of Carcharoth, where the beast was slain and the Silmaril recovered; the quest was accomplished, but in the process Beren was mortally wounded.
Unable to deal with the death of her beloved, Lúthien, overcome with grief, laid down and died. Her soul went to the Halls of Mandos, where she managed to move Mandos so that he granted her a wish. Both she and Beren were restored to life, but both of them would die the death of Men, and go beyond the walls of Arda to a place unknown.
Later History
Thus Beren and Lúthien lived again, and dwelt on Tol Galen in the middle of the River Adurant in Ossiriand. There they stayed apart from other mortals; Beren was involved with the events of the First Age only one further time, when he waylaid a group of Dwarves who had destroyed Doriath and stolen the Nauglamír (and the Silmaril with it).
Lúthien bore Beren a son, named Dior, Thingol's heir. He was considered to be one of the fairest beings to ever live, for in him flowed the blood of Men, the blood of Elves, and the blood of the Ainur. Through his descendants, the blood of Beren and of Lúthien was preserved among the Eldar and the Edain.
At last Beren and Lúthien died together on Tol Galen.
Development
The story of Beren and Lúthien, though mentioned only briefly in The Lord of the Rings, was a central part of the legendarium. Tolkien once referred to it as "the kernel of the mythology" [1]. He went on to say that it "arose from a small woodland glade filled with 'hemlocks'", which he visited while serving in the Humber Garrison in 1918 (during World War I).
In the earliest versions of the legendarium (see: The Book of Lost Tales), Beren was a Gnome (a Noldo), son of Egnor (which might have been an early name for Aegnor).
Tolkien seemed to be somehow connected to this character, and parallels can be drawn with his relationship with Edith Bratt. Furthermore it is possible that Beren (meaning 'brave') is a reference to the original meaning of his Germanic surname (Toll kühn) of similar meaning. It is said that, like the story of Luththien dancing in the woods before Beren, that one day while Tolkien and his wife were on a picnic in the woods she danced for him, thus creating another parallel to Beren and Luthien.
Tolkien was buried in Wolvercote Cemetery (North Oxford) and this name appears on the stone:
- JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN Beren 1892 – 1973
The name of Lúthien also appears on the stone:
- EDITH MARY TOLKIEN Lúthien 1889 – 1971
Genealogy
Bregor ______|_______ | | Bregolas Barahir = Emeldir _______|______ | | | | Baragund Belegund BEREN = Lúthien | | | | | | Morwen = Húrin Rían = Huor Dior = Nimloth ______|_______ | __|____________ | | | | | | | Túrin Lalaith Nienor Tuor = Idril | | | | | | | | | | | Eärendil = Elwing Eluréd Elurín __________________|________________ | | Elros Elrond = Celebrían ________|________ ______|_______ | | | | | Kings of Lords of | | | Númenor Andúnië | | | | | | | | | | | Elendil | | | _______|_______ | | | | | | | | Kings of Kings of | | | Gondor Arnor | | | | | | | | | | | Chieftains of | | | the Dúnedain | | | | | | | | | | | Aragorn II = Arwen Elladan Elrohir ____________|_______ | | Eldarion numerous daughters | | Kings of the Reunited Kingdom
Preceded by: Barahir |
5th Lord of LadrosI 460 – 464
|
Followed by: none (abandoned) |
Barahir's Outlaw Band |
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Barahir · Beren · Gildor · Belegund · Baragund · Gorlim · Urthel · Dagnir · Ragnor · Radhruin · Dairuin · Arthad · Hathaldir |
See Also
References
- ↑ The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, p. 165