Contents of this entry
A princess who refuses the part assigned to herSong, death and the boundaries of the worldPrimary referencesRelated encyclopedia entries
A princess who refuses the part assigned to her
Thingol attempts to prevent Lúthien’s marriage by imposing an impossible task on Beren. Lúthien refuses to remain a distant prize awaiting its completion. Escaping confinement, she intervenes in the struggle against Sauron, aided by Huan, and frees Beren after Finrod’s death.
The movement towards Angband depends on her ingenuity and powers. Disguise and song allow the pair to pass dangers that superior military force could not overcome. In Morgoth’s hall, her enchantment creates the opportunity for Beren to cut a Silmaril from the Iron Crown. Neither the rescue nor the recovery of the jewel can be adequately described as Beren’s unaided achievement.
Song, death and the boundaries of the world
Beren’s death after the hunt for Carcharoth carries the story beyond the ordinary possibilities of rescue. Lúthien’s song before Mandos opens an exceptional choice: she can return with Beren to a mortal life, surrendering the Elven destiny. Their renewed life on Tol Galen gives the tale an ending that is joyful without making separation from the wider world irrelevant.
Through Dior and Elwing, their ancestry leads towards Eärendil, Elrond and Elros. The later choice of Arwen deliberately recalls this family history while remaining a distinct story.
Tolkien’s association of Edith with Lúthien belongs to the biography of the tale’s maker. It should illuminate, rather than replace, attention to Lúthien’s actions in the narrative. The published volume Beren and Lúthien also preserves substantial changes between versions; this entry follows the 1977 Silmarillion presentation unless otherwise stated.
Primary references
The Silmarillion, “Of Thingol and Melian”, “Of Beren and Lúthien” and “Of the Ruin of Doriath”; The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, “The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen”; Beren and Lúthien, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
