For this seventh assignment we shall be looking at just one rather long chapter which was originally written as a long poem, the Lay of Leithian (found in the History of Middle Earth, Vol 3, The Lays of Beleriand). This version in the Silmarillion is somewhat shorter than the original, and is written in prose.

Chapter19
Of Beren and Luthien.

After the War of Sudden Flame had broken the Elven defences and decimated the three Houses of the Edain, Barahir of the House of Beor and a small group of followers were the only Men left remaining in Dorthonion. Here they fought a desperate hit and run war against Morgoth’s forces until only thirteen of them remained. Using treachery, however, Sauron managed to discover the whereabouts of Barahir’s camp and was able to ambush the bandits there. The only survivor of this attack was Barahir’s son, Beren, who had been away on an errand at the time.

After rescuing his father’s hand, and the Ring of Barahir, from the orcs that had killed his companions, Beren wandered the wilds of Dorthonion for four more years gaining himself a fearsome reputation with the enemy. Finally, however, with an army of orcs and werewolves hunting for him, he was forced to flee his homeland, and crossing the Ered Gorgoroth he came at last to Doriath. Managing to pass through the Girdle of Melian, as she had forseen a Mortal would one day do, he came upon Thingol’s daughter, Luthien.

Beren and Luthien fell in love with each other and met frequently, but Daeron, Thingol’s minstrel discovered their meetings and betrayed them to Thingol. Thingol summoned Beren to his court, but rather than cowering before the Elven king, he announced his desire to wed Luthien. Had he not already promised Luthien that no harm would come to Beren, Thingol would have had him slain, so instead he set the bridal price as nothing less than a silmaril from Morgoth’s crown. Of course he expected Beren would die in this quest, but instead he bound Doriath and the Sindar to the Curse of the Noldor.

Because Finrod Felagund had pledged his aid to Barahir should it ever be needed, Beren travelled to Nargothrond and told Finrod what had befallen his father and Thingol’s quest. Not forsaking his oath to Barahir, even though it angered the two sons of Feanor, Celegorm and Curufin, Finrod and ten others agreed to join Beren.

As they travelled through his lands in disguise, Sauron became aware of them and captured them, though he did not know who they were. Casting them in a dark pit in the dungeons of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, he had a werewolf kill them one by one. When only Beren and Finrod remained alive the werewolf attacked Beren, but breaking his bonds, Finrod slew the beast with his bare hands, though he too was slain.

Sensing Beren was in danger, Luthien was going to his aid when Thingol had her imprisoned in a great tree. Escaping, however, she left Doriath but was then captured by Celegorm and Curufin who were hunting near the borders. They imprisoned her in Nargothrond, for they wished to usurp Finrod’s throne, and also wished for Luthien to wed Celegorm. Celegorm, however, had a huge wolfhound, Huan, which had been a gift from Orome. With his aid Luthien was able to escape and come to the place where Beren was imprisoned.

The bridge to the island was guarded with werewolves, but one by one Huan slew them all, including Draugluin, the sire of the werewolves of Angband. It had been fortold that Huan would only die by the jaws of the greatest wolf that ever lived, and knowing this, Sauron turned himself into a wolf. Believing himself to be the greatest wolf ever, he attacked Huan, but the wolfhound defeated him. Pinned down and gripped by the throat, Sauron was forced to relinquish the tower to Luthien and flee. It was here she found Beren mourning the loss of Finrod.

Cast out from Nargothrond, Celegorm and Curufin came upon Beren and Luthien. They attacked the pair but Beren managed to defeat Curufin while Huan turned against his former master, Celegorm. Although Luthien would not let Beren slay Curufin, Beren took his horse and weapons, including the knife Angrist.

Leaving Huan and Luthien in Doriath, Beren set out on his quest alone, but taking on the forms of the werewolf Draugluin and the vampire Thuringwethil, Luthien and Huan followed him. Although Huan was unable to go further, once they caught up with Beren, Luthien used her arts to turn Beren into Draugluin. Using those forms they reached the Gates of Angband which were guarded by another great wolf, Carcharoth. The wolf would not let them enter, but Luthien managed to fell him with a spell of sleeping.

Coming to Morgoth’s chamber, Luthien revealed herself to the Dark Lord, offering to sing to him as a minstrel, while still in wolf-form, Beren cowered beneath his throne. Overcome with his own dark desires, Morgoth succumbed to Luthien’s spells which put him and his entire court to sleep. Using Angrist, Beren then cut a silmaril from Morgoth’s iron crown, but the knife broke when he attempted to cut free a second one.

Fleeing the chamber as Morgoth began to stir, Luthien and Beren were again waylaid by Carcharoth as they attempted to leave Angband. Defending Luthien, Beren tried to drive off the wolf using the light of the silmaril as a weapon, but instead, Carcharoth bit off his hand and swallowed the jewel. Fire erupted inside the wolf, driving it mad, while Beren fell, close to death. As the inhabitants of Angband began to come forth, Beren and Luthien were then rescued by Thorondor and two other giant eagles, who carried them back to Doriath.

Eventually returning to Thingol’s court, Beren again asked to wed Luthien, claiming he had fulfilled his quest, in that a silmaril had come to Doriath in his hand, albeit in the stomach of the rampaging Carcharoth. Seeing in Beren something he had never seen before in a Mortal, this time Thingol consented of the marriage and the two were wed.

Carcharoth, however, in his madness had entered through the Girdle of Melian and was approaching Menegroth, burning and killing everything in his way. A great hunt was sent out to slay the wolf, but cornering it, Carcharoth managed to mortally wound Beren before Huan was able to kill it. As his fate had fortold, however, Huan too was killed in this great battle.

Beren’s tale does not end with his death, however, for telling his spirit to await for her in the Halls of Mandos, his spirit did indeed linger there until Luthien could join him. Luthien then died of grief, and came to the Halls of Mandos, where moved by her songs, Mandos summoned Beren to her. Because of her deeds, she was then given a choice whereby she could go to Valinor and forget her grieves, or secondly, she could return with Beren to Middle Earth as a Mortal, were both could live out their lives until their second deaths. This second choice was the one she chose, and in doing so, became the first of the Eldar to truly die and leave the world forever.



Places and names

Tarn Aeluin ’ Lake in Dorthonion where Barahir’s bandits had their lair.
Gorlim ’ Son of Angrim. One of Barahir’s bandits who eventually gave Sauron the whereabouts of the hidden lair.
Eilinel ’ Wife of Gorlim
Daeron ’ Elven minstrel who betrayed Luthien and Beren to Thingol
Huan ’ Wolfhound of Orome who aided Luthien and Beren.
Draugluin ’ Sire of the werewolves of Angband.
Thuringwethil ’ Vampire messenger of Sauron.
Carcharoth ’ Great wolf bred by Morgoth to be the bane of Huan.





Questions for discussion.

1) Why was Beren able to pass through the Girdle of Melian, and why did both he and Luthien fall in love with each other at first sight?

2) What did Melian mean when she said to Thingol, "...it is ill for you, whether Beren fail in his errand, or achieve it. For you have doomed either your daughter, or yourself. And now is Doriath drawn within the fate of a mightier realm."

3) Further to Finrod's ability to read minds, discussed in the previous assignment, here Finrod manages to disguise his party as Orcs, and later to contest Sauron with a battle of "songs of power". Is he a wizard of some sort?

4) What is the nature of the creatures,
a) Huan the Wolfhound
b) Draugluin
c) Carcharoth
d) Thuringwethil

5) Why do you suppose Angrist broke when Beren attempted to cut a second silmaril from Morgoth's crown?

6) Why were Beren and Luthien allowed to leave the Halls of Mandos after their deaths? How does the choice Luthien was given relate to the choice of Elrond, Elros, and Arwen in LotR?

If you have any queries of your own concerning this chapter, feel free to raise them.

I hadn't really thought about the knife being bound to the oath because it once belonged to Curufin, Samwise, but I agree with what you say about Beren having no need for a second Silmaril.

I think that unlike so many others who coverted the Silmarils, Beren's only interest in them was because he had been quested to retrieve one in order to win Luthien's hand. He was working outside of the Curse of the Noldor because in a way he was working on a higher cause that demanded he get a Silmaril (unlike Thingol who had no need to ask for one, but who did ask).

There are definetly higher powers at work in the relationship between Beren and Luthien, and those same powers are working to help Beren win Luthien's hand. Because he has to gain one Silmaril they enable him to do so. When he decides to take a second, however, things change. Had he succeeded (for instance, by taking Morgoth's crown) he would be dooming himself to the fate and curses placed on the Silmarils because he was taking them by his own choice.

I think the knife breaking was no accident. A higher power was at work there, and the fact that the broken shard disturbed Morgoth in his sleep was an added warning to Beren that he must leave with just one gem. Beren and Luthien's fate together are very important to later events in the history of Middle earth, and are in my opinion, possibly even (going back to the Great Music of the Ainur) a theme woven by Eru himself when introducing tunes to quell the bitter music being composed by Melkor.

If Beren succeeds Thingol will bear the wrath of the sons of Feanor which will lead, as it actually happened, to the downfall of Doriath. Had Beren failed and been killed, Luthien would have hated her father for setting up such a difficult challenge; she would have withered away on some mound pining for her lost lover. At least that was my take on the story.

Basically, it was fate, as though the story of Beren and Luthien were woven into the music of Illuvatar.

Also I think that Beren was like a lost soul wandering through the wilderness, desperate and full of grief. Which is why he was able to pass through the Girlde of Melian (a force which caused trespassers to become bewildered and confused), because it was not unlike to the rest of his wanderings.


If Beren were to fail, Luthien's spirit would fade with sorrow and she would die from grief over her lost lover. If Beren were to succeed, Thingol would fall under the wrath of the sons of Feanor, bound by their oath. At the mere request of Thingol for Beren to bring him a Silmaril, whether he fail or not, Doriath is now drawn within the fate of the Noldor; such is the dreadful power of the Oath of Feanor and the Curse of Mandos.


Mandos was so moved by Luthien's grief and her song of the sorrows of the Two Kindreds, which in the case of Luthien and Beren hit the hardest as the troubles of both races were strongly intertwined in their love; that he pitied them and so gave Luthien the choice granted by Illuvatar himself, like the choice given to Elrond, Elros and Arwen: whether to be Elf or human. But her choice relates more closely to Arwen's because Elrond and Elros were half-elves, which was not allowed by Illuvatar therefore they had to choose one race or the other, but Arwen and Luthien were pure Elves, but were allowed to choose because of their love for a human so that they may never be parted from the one they loved.

Yes, Beren would have been subject to the Oath of Feanor, Samwise, because that involved anyone who kept a Silmaril from the Feanor or his sons. Hence the trouble he had with Celegorm and Curufin.

Do not confuse the Oath with the Curse of the Noldor though. Although the Curse of the Noldor came about because of the Kin-Slaying and the defiance shown to the Valar, it was all tied up with the fate of the Silmarils. I think in a way Mandos's Doom seemed to spread to anyone who willingly went out of their way to covert a Silmaril. In this Thingol was found guilty, and thus d@mned himself. Beren, however, was after a Silmaril as a means to an end, and therefore innocent of this Doom until he tried to take a second.
All of your answers to this are as I see them. Either Luthien will die of grief if Beren fails, or Thingol will invoke the wrath of the sons of Feanor if Beren succeeds. Who do you suppose the Mightier realm is that Melian refers to? It seems strange she would call the Noldor this unless she is calling them it to emphasise to Thingol just how great a problem he has involved himself in. Yes, it is fate. I believe Beren is one of the themes Eru wove into the Great Music to thwart Melkor. Melian had even seen this when she first wove the Girdle. I like your idea of Beren lost in his wonderings though, Arwen. If Eru is controlling Beren through a theme of music, he perhaps cannot just pick him up and place him where he wants him etc, he maybe has to do things subtly (even though he is God). Maybe the terrible misfotunes Beren had suffered were instigated by Eru just as a means to an end, the task being to get Beren through the Girdle. If Beren was a theme woven by Eru, we must ask to what purpose? It wasn't just to steal a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown, even though it did give the Free People of Beleriand hope when they really needed it.

A look at the family trees in the back of the book will show you just how important this union was to the future of Middle Earth, even though it was not mentioned in this chapter. When Luthien chose the life of a Mortal, it was said to her that her line would never die. A look at the family tree shows the descendants of this union to be Elrond as well as all of the Kings of Numenor, Arnor and the Chieftains of the Rangers of the North. A very important line, instrumental in Middle Earths future struggles against Sauron. Luthien, through love for Beren, sacrificed her immortality. Had she not done this, and had married an Elf and had children, those children would have been immortal. I think this is why Elrond, Elros and Arwen were all given the choice themselves. Taking away the Gift of Man was not in Mandos's power so the choice fell on the individual. Even though Elrond chose the Elven path, his choice could not deny the Gift of Man to Arwen either, because if Elrond had chosen the Path of Men, the Gift would have been hers.

The choice does not seem to have been given to Elros's line. Once he chose to accept the Gift of Men, that seems have been it for his descendants too, even though many of them yearned for immortality. To me, this indicates that the Gift of Man superceeds Elven immortality on earth, because once accepted it seems to be the fate of your children too. What I was trying to highlight here, Thingol, is what are the true natures of these creatures. There is no way for example that Huan is just a hound. Anyone have any ideas?

Is everyone happy with other aspects of this chapter, or have any other points they wish to share about it?

err...I forget to add that Huan was prophesised to die in a batlle with the greatest wolf in the world, which is Carcharoth

Addressing what MadWannabe mentioned:



Thingol did not hire the dwarves to make Nauglamir. The dwarves first gave the necklace to Finrod. Thingol simply hired the dwarves to set the Silmaril into the Nauglamir which Hurin had given to him.

It is an interesting point you made though. Thingol was indeed killed by the dwarves in their greed, and not by the sons of Feanor. It is possible hence that Melian saw what would happen as a result of Thingol obtaining a Silmaril. In this case then it is also highly possible that your point about Luthien being captured and killed by Morgoth is correct.

But at the same time Melian did speak of Doriath being drawn into the fate of a mightier realm. What was this mightier realm that Melian spoke of? Would it be referring to the Noldor, or the Valar? In both cases, it would be logical to assume therefore that the prophecy was based on the Oath of Feanor (of the Noldor) or the Curse of Mandos (of the Valar), instead of Melian's foresight. Furthermore, if we read further, Thingol's heir, Dior, was killed later by the sons of Feanor, thus fulfilling the oath.

Looking at a different issue now...

Finrod may have learnt his abilities from Valinor. But what about Luthien? Her disguise (as well as Beren's) may have been assisted by Huan, who was likely to be a Maiar. Then how do we explain the sudden power Luthien to put Morgoth into a deep sleep? Was it an inherent power due to the fact that her mother Melian was a Maiar? Or was it simply another way that Eru intervened to fulfill his plans in the theme of music, similar to the incident where Beren's knife broke when he tried to take a second Silmaril?

The mightier realm that Melian mentioned was the realm of Morgoth. Luthien's sudden power to put Morgoth to sleep was because she has a cloak (which supposedly supposed to be made from her hair) and she sang while she made it...so it can be assumed that she knew the songs of power and her cloak was therefore bestowed the ability to make people fall asleep. And she made Morgoth fell asleep with her cloak and dance. I admit that I was wrong that Thingol made the dwarves make the Nauglamir and Erkenbrand was right. ( what can I say? I don't have the book with me? )

I like your thought here Samwise. I feel that it is entirely possible that Melian passed down some serious knowledge to Luthien. In fact, I also have my own theory that Galadriel also learned a great deal from Melian as well. Obviously Galadriel learned a lot from her time spent in Valinor, but I really feel that she acquired a great deal of her knowledge, and power from all her time spent with Melian, and I see this as one of the key contributing factors (not to mention that she was in the bloodline of Indis the fair) as to why she was the most powerful elf on Middle Earth in the time of the third age. In fact I kind of view Galadriel now as sort of a third age version of Melian, kind of fulfilling that role, even though she was not Maiar like Melian was.

Also, I just wanted to add that I enjoyed reading what everyone had to say in regards to this assignment. I agree with a lot of the points that have been raised. I knew that there would be a significant response to this assignment since the chapter we are currently discussing is a lot of people’s favorite. There really wasn’t much left for me to say after everyone else tore into this one. Good job everyone!

That is an image I have long held myself, Elfstone. There are a lot of similarities, not the least being the Girdle of Melian, and the way in which Galadriel kept her own realm hidden using the power of her ring.