Tolkien is particularly fascinated with this character, it is safe to say that she was his most beloved creation, along with Beren. Lúthien was the elven maiden princess of Thingol, the King of Doriath. She is famous for being one of the two in a love story that inspired even Tolkien in his marriage in real life. Beren was the other, and her mortal husband. Luthien was the most beautiful of all Children of Iluvatar, and there may never be anyone that compares to her beauty ever again. Lúthien was the first Elven woman to have fallen in love with a mortal man and successfully married him.
Biography
Early years
Luthien was the beautiful daughter from the union of the Elf King Elu Thingol of New Artanor and his Maia Wife Melian. The Elves of Atanor (Doriath’s name before Thingol’s reign) are known for their grace. They live almost all their lives in a condition of perfect purity and Bliss. Tinuviel became one of those who perfected their nature. A maiden of exceptional beauty, her voice was so lovely that a person once said of her voice that it could unshackle the winter from its bondage and cause the water therein to speak of its mind, and flowers sprout from the freezing earth wherever her feet blessed.
The tales of her beauty are unending for her skin sparkled, her hairs of the darkest nights, and her eyes melt every heart that fell upon it. She loved to dance out in the forest, and one day she danced and it changed her life forever. Beren watched her, and her beauty bewitched him from his consciousness. He lost his head over her and just like everyone that did. But he was lucky as she returned the love unlike she did for every other person. Edain
Beren was a mortal, although he was an accomplished fighter from the Royal House of Bëor of Dorthonion, he met her in the forest. It seemed impossible that anything would truly occur between them at first because they had a completely different past and their future should normally never have crossed. Beren was a man that could be slain in a single stroke of a blade, and Lúthien was an immortal, the only daughter of Thingol, the mighty Eldar King of Beleriand, and Melian, a supernatural Maia of Ainur. Thingol, as expected, was desperate to prevent this unlikely union with his daughter. He requested Beren, a request that is almost impossible to achieve for even the most audacious of men and Elves as her bridewealth.
He must take Silmarils from the diadem of the evil Morgoth, and take it to Thingol successfully. Beren accepted the challenge and headed for Morgor’s fortress. Luthien followed him secretly against her father’s desire. She was captured by the two sons of Feanor but was guided by the hound of Valinor, Huan to her safety. Luthien used her power to help herself and Beren transform into a bat and a wolf respectively, and they infiltrated Morgoth’s fortress in this form. They were able to take the Silmarils but would have to pass the Great Wolf Carcharoth, they did escape but at the cost of Beren’s hand cut. Carcharoth had swallowed Beren's hand and the Silmarils held in it. Luthien helped him cure his wound, and they were saved finally by the Eagles that took them back to Doriath. Thingos allowed Beren to marry his daughter because he saw that even when Beren did not succeed with his task, he was of outstanding bravery.
Beren wanted to complete his quest, so he went on with the hound to find Carcharoth to kill it and take the Silmarils. The hound and wolf eventually killed each other but Beren was badly wounded in the struggle. With his wound he took the Silmarils from Carcharoth’s carcass and gave it to Thingos, completing his mission. She passed to the hall of Mandos and began to sing to console herself from the uncontrollable grief that filled her heart. Her voice, like her beauty, was of incomparable smoothness and grace. Mandos, unlike him, was touched by her innocence and never had this occurred since his creation, he considered her return to life. He sought the authority of Manwe, but Manwe, despite his greatness could not make this happen by himself, therefore, he made a consultation with Eru IIluvatar. On the authority of Eru, Luthien was offered the choice to become mortal and live with Beren or live forever in bliss with the Valar. Luthien chose to become transient and perish for Beren.
The tales of her beauty are unending for her skin sparkled, her hairs of the darkest nights, and her eyes melt every heart that fell upon it. She loved to dance out in the forest, and one day she danced and it changed her life forever. Beren watched her, and her beauty bewitched him from his consciousness. He lost his head over her and just like everyone that did. But he was lucky as she returned the love unlike she did for every other person. Edain
Beren was a mortal, although he was an accomplished fighter from the Royal House of Bëor of Dorthonion, he met her in the forest. It seemed impossible that anything would truly occur between them at first because they had a completely different past and their future should normally never have crossed. Beren was a man that could be slain in a single stroke of a blade, and Lúthien was an immortal, the only daughter of Thingol, the mighty Eldar King of Beleriand, and Melian, a supernatural Maia of Ainur. Thingol, as expected, was desperate to prevent this unlikely union with his daughter. He requested Beren, a request that is almost impossible to achieve for even the most audacious of men and Elves as her bridewealth.
He must take Silmarils from the diadem of the evil Morgoth, and take it to Thingol successfully. Beren accepted the challenge and headed for Morgor’s fortress. Luthien followed him secretly against her father’s desire. She was captured by the two sons of Feanor but was guided by the hound of Valinor, Huan to her safety. Luthien used her power to help herself and Beren transform into a bat and a wolf respectively, and they infiltrated Morgoth’s fortress in this form. They were able to take the Silmarils but would have to pass the Great Wolf Carcharoth, they did escape but at the cost of Beren’s hand cut. Carcharoth had swallowed Beren's hand and the Silmarils held in it. Luthien helped him cure his wound, and they were saved finally by the Eagles that took them back to Doriath. Thingos allowed Beren to marry his daughter because he saw that even when Beren did not succeed with his task, he was of outstanding bravery.
Beren wanted to complete his quest, so he went on with the hound to find Carcharoth to kill it and take the Silmarils. The hound and wolf eventually killed each other but Beren was badly wounded in the struggle. With his wound he took the Silmarils from Carcharoth’s carcass and gave it to Thingos, completing his mission. She passed to the hall of Mandos and began to sing to console herself from the uncontrollable grief that filled her heart. Her voice, like her beauty, was of incomparable smoothness and grace. Mandos, unlike him, was touched by her innocence and never had this occurred since his creation, he considered her return to life. He sought the authority of Manwe, but Manwe, despite his greatness could not make this happen by himself, therefore, he made a consultation with Eru IIluvatar. On the authority of Eru, Luthien was offered the choice to become mortal and live with Beren or live forever in bliss with the Valar. Luthien chose to become transient and perish for Beren.
Later years
Luthien was restored to life, like Beren, to start a mortal life. Together they returned to Endor and lived in the green Isle of Tol Galen, and her home was incomparable eastward of Valinor. Their union bore a son named Dior(Eluchi).
Legacy
Beren’s marriage to Luthien had nothing like it previously, where a mortal would marry an Elven maiden. Their royal lineage was passed down through the House of Elros Tar Minyatur of Numenor, it proceeded to the Dunedain, and then through King Aragorn II to his descendants. A legend claimed that Beren and Luthien’s lineage would endure as long as Arda itself. The story of Luthien’s sacrifice for love endured for years after their death. It served as a legacy of tolerance and resilience. Aragorn and the Eldar princess Arwen benefitted from this event greatly so many years after the demise of Luthien and Beren.
The Etymology of Luthien and Tinuviel
- In Sindarin language, it translates to Female Offspring of the Flowers.
- In Doriathrin, it means enchantress, taken from luktiene.
- Tinúviel is Nightingale.
- In Sindarin language, it is the Female Offspring of Twilight. Taken from tinnu twilight, and “-ien” female
Origin
The name could be based on the wife of Tolkien, Edith Mary Tolkien. Her first appearance in his novel was the first chapter of The Book of Lost Tales, Part. It is possible that it was partly an inspiration taken from the memory of the lovebirds' walk in the forest in 1917, at Roos, England. The writing on the plague of Tolkien and his wife showed that they were indeed influenced by real-life experiences. Edith was enshrouded in North Oxford, at the Wolvercote Cemetery. The plague on her grave has writing that stated as follows:
EDITH MARY TOLKIEN - LUTHIEN 1889–1971 [1]
JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN - BEREN 1892 – 1973 [2]
EDITH MARY TOLKIEN - LUTHIEN 1889–1971 [1]
JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN - BEREN 1892 – 1973 [2]
Previous Versions
In the previous adaption of The Tale of Tinúviel, Lúthien was named Tinúviel, Beren was also Elven. He and his wife had a different foe though, they faced a monster in the form of a giant cat.
