Of Beren and Lúthien

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The Silmarillion chapters

Ainulindalë Valaquenta Quenta Silmarillion Of the Beginning of Days Of Aulë and Yavanna Of the Coming of the Elves Of Thingol and Melian Of Eldamar Of Fëanor Of the Silmarils Of the Darkening of Valinor Of the Flight of the Noldor Of the Sindar Of the Sun and Moon Of Men Of the Return of the Noldor Of Beleriand and its Realms Of the Noldor in Beleriand Of Maeglin Of the Coming of Men Of the Ruin of Beleriand Of Beren and Lúthien Of the Fifth Battle Of Túrin Turambar Of the Ruin of Doriath Of the Fall of Gondolin Of the Voyage of Eärendil Akallabêth Of the Rings of Power

Of Beren and Lúthien is the nineteenth chapter of the Quenta Silmarillion section within The Silmarillion. It tells of the love between the Elf-maiden Lúthien and the mortal Beren, and their Quest for the Silmaril. J.R.R. Tolkien considered the tale to be the kernel of his legendarium .

Synopsis

At Tarn Aeluin by Ted Nasmith

Of all the tales of sadness from the First Age, there are yet some of joy, and of these, the tale of Beren and Lúthien is the most delightful to the Eldar.

Following the Dagor Bragollach, Barahir and his companions continued to defend their land, Dorthonion. It was to Tarn Aeluin, a lake in the east of that country, that they made their abode. Morgoth could not discover it, and he ordered Sauron to eliminate them. Through Sauron's treachery, Gorlim was deceived into revealing the retreat of Barahir, and the company was slain by Sauron’s Orcs. All perished, except Beren, son of Barahir, who was abroad on a perilous errand at the time. Coming to Beren in a dream, a wraith of Gorlim told him all and urged him to return in haste, but alas he came too late and found his kin slain. He buried his father, and slew the band of orcs responsible. From them, he reclaimed the Ring of Felagund.

Thus Beren roamed Dorthonion, slaughtering many servants of Morgoth and became friend to birds and beasts. And Morgoth set upon his head a bounty, and Sauron’s armies hounded him to such an extent that he was forced to flee Dorthonion. It was put into his heart that he would go to Doriath, where no mortal had yet been before. Journeying through the horrors and terrors of Ered Gorgoroth and Nan Dungortheb he came at length, by paths untrodden, to Doriath.

Lúthien by Ted Nasmith

Staggering into the woods of Neldoreth, he chanced upon Lúthien, the daughter of Thingol and Melian, dancing in a clearing beside Esgalduin. He became utterly enchanted by her, and his agony departed him, for Lúthien was the most beautiful of all of the Children of Ilúvatar. He called out to her, naming her Tinúviel and as she looked on him, doom fell upon her, and she loved him. There, long ago in the woods of Doriath, she laid her hands in his, and their brief joy thereafter was the greatest that has ever been, amongst any of the Children of Ilúvatar.

However, Daeron the minstrel loved Lúthien also, and betrayed them to Thingol, who was wrathful. For Lúthien he set above all things, while of mortal Men he took little heed. And so Thingol demanded to know Beren's business in Doriath. Finding resolve, Beren answered that his fate led him to what he sought not — Lúthien. At this, many thought Beren would be slain. Indeed desiring his death, Thingol set upon him the nigh hopeless task of bringing to him a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth. Only then would he allow Beren to receive Lúthien as his bride. Thus began in earnest, the Quest of the Silmaril.

Turning towards Nargothrond, Beren sought out the counsel of Finrod Felagund, who, recalling his vow to the kin of Barahir, gathered together a band of his most loyal men, and departed Nargothrond, setting out for Angband on an evening of Autumn. Felagund used his craft to disguise the group as a pack of orcs, and so they hoped to pass by Tol-in-Gaurhoth unnoticed. But Sauron was suspicious of them, and duelled in song with Felagund. But alas the victory belonged to Sauron, and he stripped their disguises from them, and they were made to languish in a deep pit. One-by-one, Sauron sent werewolves to devour the companions in the hope of obtaining their purpose, but all were faithful to their lord. At last, only Beren and Felagund remained. When the wolf came for Beren, Felagund slew it with his bare hands. In doing so though, he was mortally wounded. Bidding Beren a final farewell, he died in the darkness of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the tower he himself had built long ago. Thus ended the fairest and most beloved of the Noldor, Finrod Felagund.

In the hour of Beren’s capture, a heaviness fell upon the heart of Lúthien and she left Doriath in pursuit of Beren. Encountering Celegorm and Curufin, and Huan, the Hound of the Valar, she was glad, but through treachery, the two brothers took her as prisoner in Nargothrond. With the help of Huan, who had grown to love her and for the first time spoke, giving her counsel, she escaped. With speed, the two came to Tol-in-Gaurhoth at the hour of the death of Felagund, and Sauron smiled. For he knew a great reward would await him for the capture of Lúthien, daughter of the Maia Melian. So he sent wolves, and amongst them Draugluin, father of werewolves, to capture her, but Huan slew them all. Then Sauron came himself—taking the form of a mighty wolf—and fought with Huan, but not even he could defeat the Hound of the Valar. Thus he was forced to yield Tol-in-Gaurhoth to Lúthien, and he fled. Then Lúthien removed the ill shadow from that Isle, and freed many who had been enslaved there. Then she came to Beren. Together, they buried the body of Felagund and left that place. And Huan returned to his master, Celegorm.

By chance, the two brothers Celegorm and Curufin came upon Beren and Lúthien near to the Forest of Brethil, and sought to take Lúthien by force and kill Beren, but in that hour, Huan forsook the service of Celegorm and came to Beren’s aid, and Beren throttled Curufin. But Lúthien forbade the slaying of Curufin, so Beren, after taking his horse and knife Angrist from him, bade him return, impoverished, to his kin. Curufin, being humiliated, took the bow of Celegorm and fired at Lúthien. And Beren, who had sprung to protect Lúthien, was hit. Huan pursued the brothers who fled, and upon returning, he brought a herb to Lúthien who, by her craft, healed Beren. Then eventually, they returned to Doriath.

Transformed by Ted Nasmith

There, Beren left Lúthien in the care of Huan and departed for Angband. Arriving at the borders of Anfauglith, Beren lamented in the belief that this would be his final peril and sung the farewell Song Of Parting. But unsought for, Lúthien appeared upon Huan, and came to him once more. Huan spoke for the second time then, counselling Beren that he could no longer save Lúthien from her fate. Taking the guise of Draugluin and the bat-like messenger-of-Sauron Thuringwethil, Beren and Lúthien passed through perils untold until they arrived, weary and weather-worn, at the Gates of Angband.

To their dismay, guarding the entrance to Angband was a creature of whom no news had previously reached the Noldor: the great wolf Carcharoth. He was suspicious of them, for news of the demise of Draugluin had reached Angband, and he approached them with menace. But by some power of Lúthien, she commanded Carcharoth to slumber. And into unconsciousness he fell. Then Beren and Lúthien crossed the threshold of Angband, descended through the subterranean chambers, and together wrought the greatest deed that has ever been dared in the history of Arda, by Elves or by Men. For they arrived in the throne-room of Morgoth — a court filled with horrors, where Balrogs patrolled. Lúthien’s disguise was robbed of her by the will of Morgoth, and, standing before his gaze, she began to sing for him a song of such outstanding power and beauty, that he was put into a dream, and he slammed into the ground, unconscious. All his court slumbered. Lúthien roused Beren, who removed his wolf-hame, and cut, with Angrist, a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, and it suffered his touch. It occurred to him then to bring out of Angband not one, but all three Silmarils. But such was not his fate, for Angrist snapped, and a fragment smote the cheek of Morgoth. He groaned. All the legions of Angband stirred in their sleep.

Then fear and terror unknown fell upon Beren and Lúthien, for they realised their imminent peril, and they fled. But alas, at the surface, they found Carcharoth conscious and wrathful. Beren then held the Silmaril high, and Carcharoth hesitated and was afraid. But his spirit flew into a rage, and he bit off the right hand of Beren, consuming the Silmaril. It seared his innards, and he fled south, howling in a fit of madness.

"Beren and Lúthien are Flown to Safety" by Ted Nasmith

Now the fangs of Carcharoth were laced with venom, and death approached Beren. And so the Quest of the Silmaril would have ended in despair, but unlooked for, Thorondor came with his Eagles to the aid of Beren and Lúthien, even while droves issued forth from the Gates of Angband, and bore the two away from the reach of Morgoth. Over the ruins of Dorthonion they flew, and above the hidden city of Gondolin, shining like a jewel in the sun. Lúthien saw it, and yet she wept, for she feared the death of Beren. The Eagles left them at the borders of Doriath, in the same glade where Beren had left Lúthien and departed on the Quest. Huan came to Lúthien and again, and the two of them tended to him. There he lay, in dreams of anguish, until, as Lúthien’s last hopes were fading, he awoke. And it was spring.

Thereafter, he was given the name Erchamion, “the one-handed”. The two then tarried for a time in those woods, for it was pleasant to them, but Beren would not forget his Oath to Thingol. So after a time they returned to Doriath, which had fallen into grief at the loss of Lúthien from the land. News of their coming spread far across the country, and they arrived in Menegroth with a large following. Then Beren led Lúthien before the throne of Thingol, and stated “It is fulfilled. Even now, a Silmaril is in my hand”, and Thingol’s mood was softened.

Beren and Lúthien told the tale of their Quest, to the astonishment of all. It seemed to Thingol then that the Man before him was among the great in Arda, and Lúthien’s love was a thing strange to him. It came to his mind then that no power of Elves or Men, or Maiar or Valar, or any other power in Arda, might interfere with their fate. Thus at last he relented, and Beren took the hand of Lúthien before the throne of her father.

And for a time, there may have been some semblance of peace and joy in Doriath, but out of the north came the beast Carcharoth. So a hunting party was assembled, consisting of Huan, the Hound of the Valar, Mablung of the Heavy Hand, Beleg Strongbow, Beren Erchamion, and Thingol, the King of Doriath. And as they rode forth, a shadow fell upon Lúthien, and to her it seemed that the world had been drained of all colour, and beauty, and life. The party came upon Carcharoth near the northern waterfalls of Esgalduin. The wolf leapt for the throat of Thingol, but Beren came between them, suffering a mortal would at the hands of Carcharoth. In that hour, Huan slew Carcharoth, and laying beside Beren, he spoke for the third and final time, bidding Beren farewell, and so they parted. Mablung ripped open the wolf and, taking the Silmaril, placed it in Beren’s living hand, who asked Thingol to receive it. “Now the Quest is achieved, and my doom full wrought”, he said. And he spoke no more. They bore Beren back to Menegroth, and Lúthien met them. She bade him await her beyond the Western Sea. Opening his eyes, he looked upon her one last time before he died. So ended the Quest of the Silmaril. But the tale of Beren and Lúthien did not end there.

For the spirit of Beren lingered in the Halls of Mandos, awaiting Lúthien upon the dim shores of the Outer Sea, where they could say their final farewell. For it is from there that the spirits of Men depart the world, never to return. Such is the Gift of Ilúvatar. The spirit of Lúthien fled her body, and found its way to the Halls of Mandos. Knelling before the Vala, she sang to him a song so beautiful and yet full of sorrow that Mandos was moved to pity. But it was not within the power of Mandos to alter the fates of the Children of Ilúvatar, and so he called on Manwë, who sought guidance from Ilúvatar.

Lúthien was given two choices. On account of her extraordinary labours and grief in life, she was permitted to remain in Valinor, forgetting all pain and torment she had known. But there Beren, being mortal, could not follow. The second choice was that she might return with Beren to dwell in Middle-Earth, as a mortal, with no guarantee of joy in life. There she would be subject to a second death, and of her, in Arda, would remain nothing more than memory and song. This second option she chose, forsaking Aman for a mortal life with Beren. And so it came to pass that long ago, Lúthien Tinúviel and Beren Erchamion at last left the confines of the world, together.

External links

• Chapter discussion at Entmoot.com