Eluréd

From Tolkien Gateway
Revision as of 21:26, 30 March 2020 by Yeyeye (talk | contribs)
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.
Eluréd
Half-elf
Jenny Dolfen - Descendants of Thingol 2.jpg
Eluréd (beside his twin brother) in "Descendants of Thingol" by Jenny Dolfen
Biographical Information
LocationOssiriand, Doriath
LanguageSindarin (Doriathrin)
BirthF.A. 500
near Lanthir Lamath
DeathFate unknown
Family
HouseHouse of Bëor
HeritageHalf-elven father, Elf mother
ParentageDior and Nimloth
SiblingsElurín (twin) and Elwing
Physical Description
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Eluréd

Eluréd was a son of Dior Eluchíl and Nimloth. He had a twin brother named Elurín and a sister Elwing, and all three had been born in Lanthir Lamath while Beren and Lúthien lived there. However, after the host of the Naugrim had plundered Menegroth, Dior brought his family to the Thousand Caves to renew the kingdom of Doriath.

But soon, after not many years had passed, a messenger brought the Nauglamír to Dior, which told him that Beren and Lúthien were gone from the world. The news that Necklace of the Dwarves, which bore one of the Silmarils, was in Dior's keeping provoked the sons of Fëanor to attack Menegroth. Dior and Nimloth were slain and Eluréd and Elurín were captured (Elwing escaped with the Silmaril). The two young boys were taken into the woods by the servants of Celegorm and left to starve. Maedhros repented and sought for the two but never found them and their fate remained unknown.[1]

Genealogy

 
Elu Thingol
 
Melian
 
Bëor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lúthien
 
 
 
Beren
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dior Eluchíl
 
Nimloth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Eärendil
 
Elwing
 
ELURÉD
 
Elurín
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elrond
 
Elros
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Etymology

The Sindarin name is said to mean the same as the boy's father's name, Eluchíl, that is, "Heir of Elu".[2]

Other versions of the Legendarium

In an early stage, Eluréd was called "Elbereth", an Ilkorin name containing the word bereth "valor". During the writing of The Lord of the Rings, the name was applied to Varda, and the original meaning[note 1] was struck out and the character was renamed "Eldún".[3]

According to The War of the Jewels, the brothers were saved by wild birds after being abandoned in the woods of Doriath, and eventually found their way in secret back to Ossiriand,[4]

In the genealogical table of the House of Bëor, "Eldún"'s date of birth was given as F.A. 492 (and he was not a twin). He and his brother did die in 506 but their father died in 511. In commentary following the table, Christopher Tolkien explained the year of 511 for Dior's death was incorrect and that in later sources the two brothers were twins born in F.A. 500.[5]

Notes

  1. Thus probably envisioned as *"star-valor"

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Doriath"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", entries BARATH, BER
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "The Grey Annals": §5
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Two. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of Men into the West (Chapter 14)", (i) The House of Bëor