Of Beren and Lúthien
a FREE silmarillion read-through post. enjoy!
“Among the tales of sorrow and of ruin that come down to us from the darkness of those days there are yet some in which amid weeping there is joy and under the shadow of death light that endures. And of these histories most fair still in the ears of the Elves is the tale of Beren and Lúthien.”—The Silmarillion, Chapter: Of Beren and Lúthien, J.R.R. Tolkien
Happy Silmarillion Sunday!
Today we have a very special post, not only because we’re doing a deep-dive on one of the most beautiful chapters in The Silmarillion, but also because this post is a free one for anyone to enjoy. If you’ve ever wanted a peek inside what my paid subscribers get access to here on this substack, please enjoy today’s post on the greatest romance Tolkien wrote: The Tale of Beren and Lúthien.
I’m honored to have the opportunity of featuring several artists who specialize in bringing Tolkien’s legendarium to life as we focus on this chapter today. The above Illustration is by Miriam Ellis. The way she captures these stories with her work is truly breathtaking. Please make sure to support her in the places linked below. She also has a new book which you can learn more about by clicking here.
In this chapter we learn how—even in the worst of circumstances—love conquers all. There will be danger and darkness and light that shines all the clearer for it. In this tale no princess waits to be rescued in a high tower. Her bravery and cunning will lead her into the depths of hell to fight for the man she loves. There will be werewolves and vampires and a loyal animal companion.
Let’s get into it.
Where I’m At This Week:
Because this week is a very unique post where I wanted to do this incredible chapter justice, I’ve only read up until the chapter, Of Beren and Lúthien, and that’s the only chapter we’ll be covering this week.
We begin by learning that Barahir (the father of Beren) and his twelve companions are pursued by Morgoth.
One of Barahir’s companions, Gorlim. returns from the war marches to find his house plundered and his wife missing. Afterwards, he would occasionally return there secretly and Mogoth’s servants discover this habit of his. On one of his return visits a trap is laid. Sauron projects an image of Gorlim’s wife, Eilenel, that lures him in and he is captured. After enduring torture Gorlim is offered the chance to reunite with his wife if he will betray the location of Barahir and his men. Once Gorlim relents and tells Sauron everything, Sauron reveals that Gorlim’s wife has been dead all along and has him executed as well. And this goes down as one of the cruelest acts Sauron commits.
Now knowing the location of Barahir and his men, Morgoth sends orcs to their hidden lair. At the time, Beren is away on a mission and is spared from the attack. He returns to find his father and their companions slain. After burying his father he hunts down the Orcs who killed them and avenges his father by retrieving his hand–that bore the ring of Barahir–from the Orc Chieftain before slaying him. Beren escapes and eventually wanders into the horrors of Dungortheb in his attempt to enter the protected realm of Doriath.
While wandering the forests of Neldoreth he chanced upon Lúthien as she dances under the moonrise. At the sight of her beauty, Beren is struck mute and she disappears. He wanders in the forest until the following spring and he finds Lúthien again. At the sound of her singing, he can speak again and calls out to her. They meet for the first time and fall immediately in love. They keep their relationship a secret affair for a while and Tolkien writes that “...no other of the Children of Ilúvatar have had joy so great, though the time was brief.”
Eventually, Dearon, who is also in love with Lúthien betrays their relationship to Thingol. The proud king declares that the only way he would even consider Beren worthy of Lúthien’s hand is if he accomplishes an impossible task: win a silmaril from the crown of Morgoth himself in the dark fortress of Thangorodrim. To the surprise of all Beren takes up the challenge for the love of Lúthien and an epic adventure begins.
Beren leaves Doriath and seeks out the aid of Finrod Felagund (Galadriel’s brother) and takes with him the Ring of Barahir to ask Finrod to make good on his promise to help the people of Barahir in their time of need. Finrod is faithful to his promise and goes with Beren along with ten other companions. This leaves Finrod’s kingdom of Nargothrond in an unstable position which two of Fëanor’s sons, Celegorm and Curufin, seek to capitalize on.
Finrod uses his magic to disguise them all as orcs. They come to Sauron in his tower near the highlands of Taur-nu-Fuin. There, Finrod and Sauron have a battle of magic and song, but Sauron gains the mastery and casts them into a deep pit.
Meanwhile, Thingol in Doriath has imprisoned Lúthien in a tower to keep her from attempting to rescue Beren. Wielding the magic of her Elven and Maiar heritage, Lúthien causes her hair to grow to a great length which allows her to escape from the tower, put her guards to sleep and leave Doriath shrouded in her shadowy cloak.
As she is attempting to reach the place where Beren is captured, she is found by Huan the Great Hound of Valinor and brought to Celegorm who is immediately enraptured by her beauty. Celegorm feigns to help Lúthien and doesn’t tell her that he already knew of Beren and Finrod’s mission. He imprisons her intending to force Thingol to give him her hand in marriage.
But Huan takes pity on Lúthien and, because of the love he has grown for her, devises a plan for her escape. Together they leave Nargothrond to seek out Beren and Finrod. They arrive too late to save Finrod for Sauron sends a werewolf to slay him in the pits.
Lúthien and Huan arrive and conquer Sauron and his wolves by the might of Huan and the songs of Lúthien. Once they are reunited they bury the body of Finrod to honor him. They are able to spend the winter together and have a short time in bliss.
Meanwhile, Huan returns to his master, Celegorm where the kingdom of Nargothrond is in turmoil. The sons of Fëanor are not able to usurp the leadership of the Elves there and leave in anger when they come upon Beren and Lúthien in the forest and try to overpower them. Huan forsakes his master and protects Beren. In the aftermath of their struggle, Curufin wounds Beren with an arrow. Huan chases Celegorm and Curufin off and brings back a healing herb. Beren and Lúthien make it back to Doriath.
Once he heals in Doriath, Beren sets out to fulfill his oath to Thingol to get a silmaril from Morgoth so he and Lúthien can marry. Beren leaves but Lúthien and Huan pursue him disguised by her magic as a vampire and a wolf. Once they find him they take leave of Huan and purpose together to storm the fortress of Morgoth.
They make it to the gates of Angband but are met by the terrible wolf Carcharoth. Lúthien again reveals just how powerful she is and is able to stop him in his tracks and cast him to sleep. Beren and Lúthien enter through the gates and come to the seat of Morgoth. Lúthien dances before Morgoth and he falls from his throne in a sleep and his crown bearing the Silmarils rolls from his head. They are able to pry a single one of the jewels from his crown and flee the fortress. But Carcharoth awaits.
Beren attempts to beat back the giant wolf by the power of the Silmaril but wolf bites off the hand of Beren while it still holds the jewel and immediately runs away for the pain it causes his evil form.
Beren and Lúthien are rescued by eagles and taken to the peaks of Crissaegrim where Huan finds him and they tend Beren’s wounds. They eventually return to Doriath to seek the blessing of Thingol on their marriage. In this time Thingol is seeking them while Carcharoth the Great Wolf is wreaking havoc in the north of his realm.
Beren and Lúthien return to Doriath and tell Thingol of all they have accomplished. His heart softens and he finally gives Lúthien in marriage to Beren. But the joy is short lived for Carcharoth must be dealt with. Beren and Thingol set out with a company of elves (and Huan) to hunt down the evil beast. When they find him, he goes to attack Thingol but Beren leaps to his aid and is mortally wounded. Huan fights Carcharoth and tragically dies in the process.
They retrieve the silmaril from the belly of Carcharoth and take Beren back to where Lúthien waits. He dies in her arms. Heartbroken and grief-stricken, Lúthien perishes as well and her spirit comes to the Halls of Mandos where Beren’s spirit tarries for her.
There Lúthien again lifts up her voice, this time, not to fight evil, but to plead for mercy before Mandos.
“The song of Lúthien before Mandos was the song most fair that ever in words was woven, and the song most sorrowful that ever the world shall hear.” –The Silmarillion, Chapter: Of Beren and Lúthien, J.R.R. Tolkien
Mandos is so moved by her actions that he petitions Manwë (who knows best the will of Ilúvatar) on what can be done in this matter. Lúthien is given two choices: come to Valinor and forget all the heartache she has known or return to Middle-earth and give up her mortality to live the rest of her days with Beren.
“This doom she chose, forsaking the Blessed Realm, and putting aside all claim to kinship with those that dwell there; that thus whatever grief might lie in wait, the fates of Beren and Lúthien might be joined, and their paths lead together beyond the confines of the world. So it was that alone of the Eldalië she has died indeed, and left the world long ago. Yet in her choice the Two Kindreds have been joined; and she is the forerunner of many in whom the Eldar see yet, though all the world is changed, the likeness of Lúthien the beloved, whom they have lost.” –The Silmarillion, Chapter: Of Beren and Lúthien, J.R.R. Tolkien
What I’ve loved so far:
The character of Huan. I don’t think I’ve met a Tolkien fan yet who wasn’t in love with Huan. His loyalty, bravery and faithfulness are moving whenever he shows up in this chapter. And around here, we’re unashamedly partial to giant dogs.
The way Tolkien doesn’t shy away from both the gruesome and the good in this narrative. One of my favorite things about all of Tolkien’s writing is his ability to thread the needle of the good and the hard things so intricately. In Tolkien’s work light and dark often intermingle in painfully beautiful ways. And none more poignant than in the Tale of Beren and Lúthien.
How the character of Lúthien is not your stereotypical fairytale princess in need of saving. Her strength, cunning, and bravery are on full display throughout the story. When we meet her she is wandering alone in the forest of Neldoreth indicating her independence and self-sufficiency. Lúthien defeats Sauron on his Isle of Werewolves, puts a spell on the monster Carcharoth, and brings Morgoth (a god) to his knees. Tolkien’s didn’t include enough women in his legendarium but the ones he did are incredible. `
Things you might find interesting:
The character of Lúthien was inspired by Tolkien’s relationship with his wife, Edith. After she passed away he wrote in a letter to his son Chrisopher:
“I never called Edith Lúthien - but she was the source of the story that in time became the chief part of the Si-marillion. It was first conceived in a small woodland glade filled with hemlocks at Roos in Yorkshire (where I was for a brief time in command of an outpost of the Humber Garrison in 1917, and she was able to live with me for a while). In those days her hair was raven, her skin clear, her eyes brighter than you have seen them, and she could sing - and dance. But the story has gone crooked, & I am left, and I cannot plead before the inexorable Mandos.” -J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 340
The headstones of their grave bear the names, “Beren and Lúthien.
Links For You:
A song about Beren and Lúthien
A moving reading of the Letter 340.
A podcast episode exploring the Tale of Beren and Lúthien.
Now it’s your turn!
What are YOUR thoughts on the chapter, “Of Beren and Lúthien? The best part of this substack is community we get to build together here. Make sure to jump in comments to ask questions, share insights and hang out with fellow Tolkien fans. I'll meet you there!
This week i've read Up to the fall of Doriath, but I'll only comment my thought on Beren and Lúthien.
I find sad the start of Beren's Life and what he had to go through.
I love how he finds Lúthien and instantly falls in love with her, and proceeds to look for her through the season in the forest until he can finally aproach her. I also love the fact that her songs can being the spring (i think It was so, but maybe i'm mistakrn right now).
Now let's get into Thingol. I've said It before and i'll say It again, but in this chapter i thoroughly hated him. He sent Beren to look for the silmaril because he knew (because let's face It, It was pretty imposible to accomplish the task) he would die; so he sent him to his death, while not breaking his vow to his daughter. I find that pretty awful and selfish. Not only is he not asking for what his daughter wants, but he is also undirectly killing someone.
Finrod is amazing, and It makes me so sad that he dies. He is so faithful and loyal and brave. And i'm so upset that he had to go alone to his Doom with only 10 men of his realm because the others had Sort of forsaken him. It's just so sad. I am amazed, once again, at the skill of tolkien at writing scenes. Beren's grief, Felagund's fight so the werewolf wouldn't say Beren...
I love Huan and Lúthien. I love how powerful She is, and how decided She is about her love for Beren. She does everything, and would follow him anywhere just to be able to be with him. They basically are able to get the silmaril because of her power, and i admire her for that. And it's also beautiful that She was inspired by Tolkien's wife- that's love. And Huan is the goodest of dogs. He is amazing and i love him so much. He is loyal, and yet he dies what he thinks is right. I hate when he dies, but he literally dies by Beren's side!! I'm crying.
Anyway. This is one of the most beautiful chapters of the book, and i really love It.
Beren and Lúthien's is such a remarkable story, and rightfully deserves this treatment!
I've read through "The Ruin of Doriath" this week, trudging through tragedy after tragedy following Beren and Lúthien's tale.
A few things that really speak to me in this chapter:
Finrod was too good for this world. As seems to happen to the wise and honorable of the Noldor of the First Age, he leaves Middle Earth too soon. But what a way to go. I've always seen his and Sauron's battle of song as a distant echo of Melkor's discord wrestling with the themes of Iluvatar, only this time the darkness has the mastery. That Felagund, accounted as one of the greatest of the Elven lords, dies fulfilling his oath to Beren, laying down his life for one of the Edain, is a remarkable sacrifice.
Also, of all that could be said of this harrowing and remarkable story, what won't let me go is the undercurrent of love's power. Lúthien and Beren share a love that is stronger than death, a love that overcame every limitation placed upon it by family, oath, enemies, and even the laws governing the deaths of Elves and Men. It confounded even Mandos.
Their granted return to the world and continued life on Tol Galen becomes legend in Beleriand—they whose bravery and love wrested a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth. Though there were other small deeds yet for them to accomplish, the story of their love and the mystery of its unfolding became a source of hope for many in the ages to come.
Tolkien's relationship with Edith, and no doubt the influence of his faith, helped to give us this incredible story. What a gift!